Alphabet vzrostl o 5,1 % po zprávě Morgan Stanley, která uklidnila investory ohledně vysokých výdajů na AI infrastrukturu. Firma zároveň oznámila EPS 9,11 USD a zvýšila letošní kapitálové výdaje na 195 až 205 miliard USD.
Alphabet (GOOG +4.78%) (GOOGL +5.24%) stock jumped 5.1% through 12:55 p.m. ET Monday after analysts at Morgan Stanley reassured investors about the company's prospects amid record levels of investment in AI infrastructure.
Image source: Alphabet.
Alphabet Q2 earnings Alphabet reported strong earnings last week, beating expectations with profits of $9.11 per share -- triple what analysts expected. Surprisingly, Alphabet stock sold off after the report and, in fact, continued to trade below its pre-earnings price all the way through Friday.
Earnings beat notwithstanding, investors were spooked by Alphabet's announcement that it was doubling down on AI spending and raising its forecast for capital investment this year to a mind-bending $195 billion to $205 billion.
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What Morgan Stanley said about Alphabet's spending But according to Morgan Stanley -- that's OK.
All four of the big AI hyperscalers are spending gobs of money on AI investment. Amazon (AMZN +4.62%) is spending even more than Alphabet -- $220 billion from $200 billion -- while Meta (META +6.15%) has a $130 billion to $145 billion budget, and Microsoft (MSFT +5.23%) is spending about $190 billion.
Total cloud capital expenditure in 2027 could exceed $1.2 trillion this year, says MS. But all this investment is driving huge cloud revenue growth, with Google Cloud Platform growing 82% year over year.
The best news, says the analyst, is that "strong operating cash flow, equity and debt financing, leasing strategies, custom chips, and infrastructure efficiencies are helping fund capex while easing free cash flow pressure," leaving Alphabet with still $53.3 billion in positive FCF over the past 12 months. For now, the analyst isn't worried about how much money Alphabet is spending.
Let's see if Morgan Stanley feels the same next year, when AI spending leaves Alphabet with a free cash flow loss.
Rich Smith has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN | AMZN Price Prediction) Q2 2026 earnings reset the AWS narrative. Cloud growth reaccelerated to 37%, the fastest pace in 18 quarters, and Wall Street is scrambling to catch up. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target sits well above analyst consensus.
The stock trades at $271.58 as of August 3, 2026. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target is $432.91, implying 59.4% upside over 12 months. Our recommendation is buy, with 90% confidence. This is our highest conviction call on a mega-cap this quarter.
24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary Metric Value Current Price $271.58 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $432.91 Upside 59.4% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% Why AWS Reaccelerating to 37% Changes the Story Amazon rose 17% in the week ended July 31 and is up 17.66% year to date. The stock closed at $271.58 after the Q2 earnings release, roughly 16% off the 52-week high of $278.56.
The July 30 report was the catalyst. Revenue landed at $200.61 billion, up 19.6% YoY, and EPS of $5.75 beat the $1.8227 consensus (inflated by a $53.4 billion Anthropic gain). AWS delivered $42.23 billion at a 39.4% operating margin. Morgan Stanley reiterated Buy with a $335 target.
The Case for $486 and Higher Bulls see a path to $485.91. AWS backlog remains capacity-constrained, and Amazon’s $220 billion planned 2026 capex fills that capacity with Trainium chips, Graviton5 servers, and Anthropic-linked inference workloads.
Advertising compounds at 26% YoY and hit $19.81 billion in Q2. Q3 operating income guidance of $22.5 billion to $26.5 billion against $17.4 billion a year ago signals operating leverage.
The Risks Worth Watching Free cash flow turned negative at -$7.6 billion TTM as capex hit $54.2 billion in a single quarter. The bear scenario lands at $355.96 if AWS growth normalizes and capex returns fail to materialize.
Bulls argue FCF pressure reflects infrastructure investment that Microsoft and Alphabet match dollar for dollar, and the $53.4 billion Anthropic gain validates the AI thesis.
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How Amazon Compares to Microsoft and Alphabet The cleanest comps are the other two hyperscalers competing for AI workloads.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) trades at a trailing P/E of 26x with Azure growing 43%, ahead of AWS’s 37%. Amazon’s AWS segment operating margin (39.4%) rivals Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud economics, and AMZN trades at a meaningful discount on trailing multiples.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is the growth outlier: Google Cloud grew 82% in Q2 to $24.77 billion, and the stock trades at a trailing P/E of 16x. Alphabet’s cheaper multiple is the strongest argument for restraint on our target.
Company Trailing P/E Cloud Growth Amazon 22x 37% Microsoft 26x 43% Alphabet 16x 82% Amazon sits between Microsoft’s premium multiple and Alphabet’s discount, with cloud growth accelerating rather than decelerating.
Amazon Price Prediction 2026-2030 The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $432.91 reflects a buy rating at 90% confidence. AWS margin expansion drives the equity story: a 39.4% operating margin on a re-accelerating $170 billion annualized revenue base carries the call.
The bull thesis holds if AWS sustains 30%-plus growth into Q4 and capex converts to FCF in 2027. It weakens if AWS growth slips below 25% and capex climbs without margin follow-through.
Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $432.91 2027 $540 2028 $670 2029 $820 2030 $971 These projections assume AWS reacceleration and capex converting to durable operating income. Faster Anthropic monetization could drive upside; hyperscaler capex overbuild would drive downside.
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Microsoft oznámil roční tržby z Azure ve výši 100 miliard USD, meziročně o 33 % více, a placená předplatná Copilotu vzrostla téměř o 50 % na 30 milionů míst. Trh to přijal pozitivně, protože investice do AI se promítají do růstu tržeb.
Microsoft (MSFT +5.23%) recently reported its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, and investors couldn't have been more impressed. Shares surged by double-digit percentages in the two days after the company's results were released.
Investor enthusiasm came as Microsoft reported $100 billion in sales from its Azure cloud computing company for the year, and its Copilot subscriptions rose by nearly 50%.
The growth was spurred by Microsoft's massive uptick in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure spending, proving that big investments are paying off for some tech companies.
Meta and Alphabet haven't been so lucky. Here's how Microsoft is converting its AI investments into revenue while its competitors aren't seeing the same results.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Microsoft's big AI investments are paying off Microsoft had two major highlights from its latest results, the first of which was the $100 billion in Azure cloud revenue for the fiscal year, an impressive 33% increase from 2025.
As a cloud company, Microsoft rents out its capacity to enterprises and other companies, rather than using its AI data capacity solely for its own services. That's in contrast to Meta, which mostly uses its artificial intelligence infrastructure for AI tools within its services. Meta recently started charging developers for access to Muse Spark, but it's nowhere near the size of Microsoft's cloud business.
Azure's sales growth shows that when Microsoft invests directly in AI data center capacity, it can dramatically increase sales. Because Microsoft and Meta have fundamentally different businesses, shareholders are highly skeptical that Meta can recoup its AI costs, while they've been mostly positive recently about Microsoft's AI investments.
This leads us to the second highlight for Microsoft, its 30 million paid Copilot seats. That's a nearly 50% increase from the end of April, when the company had over 20 million paid seats.
Paid AI subscribers are one of the most direct ways to show shareholders that AI spending is working, because they indicate that customers see value in the AI services being offered and are willing to pay for them.
Microsoft's free-cash-flow situation is different, too Shareholders often consider how much free cash flow a company has -- the cash left over after paying for its operations and maintaining its assets -- because it's a good indicator of a company's overall financial health.
Record AI spending is decimating the free cash flow of many tech companies, with Meta's plunging 91% in the most recent quarter to just $784 million. And Alphabet's free cash flow has plummeted, falling to negative $5.9 billion in the second quarter, down from positive free cash flow of about $25 billion in the year-ago quarter.
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Microsoft's capital expenditures (capex) of $175 billion (adjusted from $190 billion, due to an accounting change) are certainly weighing on the company's free cash flow, but it's not as bad as its peers'. Free cash flow is down just 23% from the year-ago quarter and is still relatively high at $19.6 billion.
I still believe Alphabet's AI spending could eventually pay off for the company, because it's in a similar position as Microsoft. It rents out cloud services to customers with Google Cloud and charges for its AI agent through Google Gemini. But its stock has been punished lately, in part because of its evaporating free cash flow.
What Microsoft shareholders should be looking for Microsoft indicated that its capex spending will continue, with management saying on the earnings call that it will exceed $50 billion in Q1.
While investors rewarded Microsoft for its Azure growth, rising Copilot subscriptions, and modest free-cash-flow declines (relative to peers), the company will need to keep the good times coming.
Tech investors have already shown they're not willing to let companies spend without regard to growth, which means Microsoft shareholders will want to keep a close eye on Azure sales growth and Copilot subscription increases.
Any slowdown in these two areas, as capex spending increases, would indicate that Microsoft's AI spending isn't yielding the results it wants. Meta's and Alphabet's share price declines over the past few months are a good reminder that investors are keeping a close eye on AI returns on investment.
Goldman Sachs zařadil Microsoft na svůj US Conviction List a zvýšil cílovou cenu na 640 USD, přičemž ponechal rating Buy. Banka očekává, že AI služby jako Azure a Copilot začnou výrazněji zvyšovat tržby i zisk na akcii.
Artificial intelligence has entered a new phase. For the past two years, investors rewarded the companies building the picks and shovels of the AI revolution, from semiconductor makers to networking equipment suppliers. That spending spree isn’t ending, but the focus is beginning to shift.
Enterprises now want measurable returns instead of bigger models or larger data centers. That’s creating a different set of winners. Goldman Sachs believes Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) is among the best positioned to benefit because it already has AI woven into the software businesses millions of workers use every day.
Enterprise AI Is Becoming Microsoft’s Biggest Opportunity Goldman Sachs added Microsoft to its U.S. Conviction List this morning as part of its monthly update, while maintaining its Buy rating and lifting its price target to $640 from $610. With Microsoft’s shares trading around $465 — the stock is up 5% in midday trading — that represents roughly 38% upside. More importantly, inclusion on the Conviction List signals higher confidence than a standard Buy recommendation because it reflects Goldman’s highest-conviction ideas based on fundamental analysis.
The investment thesis, outlined by Goldman software analyst Gabriela Borges, marks a subtle but important shift in AI investing. Instead of focusing on companies supplying infrastructure for model training, Goldman is emphasizing businesses that can turn AI into recurring enterprise revenue.
Azure, Copilot Show AI Is More Than Just A Technology Microsoft’s latest quarterly results gave investors tangible evidence that its AI investments are beginning to generate stronger financial returns. Fiscal fourth-quarter results show revenue climbed 18% year over year to approximately $90 billion while Azure revenue growth accelerated to about 43%. The company also disclosed Azure now generates more than $100 billion in annual revenue.
Those numbers matter because Azure isn’t simply renting cloud servers anymore. It has become the foundation for Microsoft’s AI services, while Microsoft 365 Copilot gives enterprises a practical way to deploy AI across email, spreadsheets, coding, meetings, and business workflows.
That’s where Goldman believes the economics improve. Training large AI models demands enormous capital investment. Selling AI-powered productivity software through subscriptions produces recurring, high-margin revenue.
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Goldman expects Microsoft’s earnings-per-share growth to accelerate from roughly 12% in fiscal 2027 to more than 20% by fiscal 2029 as Copilot adoption expands, AI operating efficiencies improve, and enterprise deployments become routine.
The Next AI Winners May Look Different The AI trade has largely rewarded infrastructure providers over the last two years. Chipmakers and hardware suppliers benefited because every company needed computing power before customers could use AI applications.
That dynamic is beginning to change. As businesses move from experimentation to implementation, software platforms that already have deep customer relationships gain an advantage. Microsoft reaches hundreds of millions of commercial users through Windows, Microsoft 365, Teams, Dynamics, GitHub, and Azure. Adding AI capabilities to products customers already pay for is often easier than convincing them to adopt an entirely new platform.
Granted, Microsoft still faces risks. AI infrastructure spending remains elevated, competition from Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and other cloud providers continues to intensify, and enterprise AI adoption could unfold more gradually than optimistic forecasts suggest.
Key Takeaway In short, Goldman Sachs isn’t arguing that AI infrastructure spending is ending. Instead, it believes the biggest investment opportunity is shifting toward companies capable of converting that spending into lasting enterprise revenue. Microsoft’s latest earnings, Azure’s $100 billion annual revenue milestone, and growing Copilot adoption surpassing 30 million paid seats suggest that transition is already underway.
For long-term investors, that’s the more durable story. Building AI infrastructure created the first wave of winners. Helping businesses use AI every day could create the next one, and Goldman Sachs believes Microsoft has one of the strongest positions to capture that opportunity.
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Amazon poprvé překonal tržní hodnotu 3,06 bilionu USD, když akcie po výsledcích vyskočily v intradenním obchodování o 4,6 %. Microsoft přidal 5,2 % a cloudové služby obou firem překonaly očekávání; Azure vzrostl o 43 % a AWS o 37 %.
by Todd Bishop on Aug 3, 2026 at 10:38 amAugust 3, 2026 at 10:51 am
GeekWire Illustration Microsoft and Amazon both saw their stocks surge again Monday, riding a post-earnings tech wave across the stock market that pushed Amazon past $3 trillion in value for the first time.
The gains follow earnings reports last week in which both companies’ cloud platforms exceeded expectations. Microsoft said Azure grew 43%, passing $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time. Amazon said AWS grew 37%, its fastest pace in 18 quarters.
Microsoft and Amazon are now the world’s fourth and fifth most valuable companies, respectively. The three ahead of them (Nvidia, Alphabet and Apple) are all headquartered in the Bay Area, although each has sizeable engineering centers in the Seattle region.
Amazon rose 4.6% in intraday trading to $284.15 as of publication time, after touching an all-time high of $287.20 earlier in the session, giving it a market value of $3.06 trillion.
Microsoft climbed 5.2% to $488.97, worth $3.63 trillion. Its rally began Thursday, when it added nearly $450 billion in market value, the largest one-day gain by any company on record.
The rallies came despite AI spending plans that have unsettled investors for much of the year. Microsoft went into earnings near a one-year low, after a $357 billion wipeout to start the year.
It’s all still coming at a huge cost. Microsoft spent a record $41 billion on capital projects last quarter and told investors to expect more than $50 billion in the current quarter. Amazon raised its 2026 forecast to about $220 billion from $200 billion, citing rising memory chip prices.
In one sign of the impact of the spending, Microsoft’s free cash flow fell 23% last quarter. Amazon’s free cash flow turned negative for the first time since 2023.
But cloud growth and other signs of demand for AI seem to have appeased investors for now.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told investors the spending reflects unmet demand: “Even at that amount, we will still not have enough capacity to meet all the demand we have in 2026, and I believe this dynamic will also be true in 2027 too. In fact, the demand we already have for 2028 is striking.”
The gains come as both companies operate with fewer people. Amazon confirmed 16,000 more corporate job cuts in January, bringing the total to 30,000 since October, along with more recent reductions in its robotics and artificial general intelligence groups.
Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs in July, revamping its salesforce and overhauling Xbox.
AMD v 1. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 zvýšila tržby na 10,253 miliardy USD, meziročně o 37,85 %, a upravený zisk na akcii na 1,37 USD. Segment Data Center vzrostl o 57 % na 5,775 miliardy USD.
I hit the buy button on Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD | AMD Price Prediction) this morning as the market keeps handing me a discount on the one company quietly becoming the second pillar of the AI infrastructure buildout. I cannot stop buying AMD, and here is exactly why.
The Core Thesis: The Second Source Is Now a First Choice What pulls me back to AMD is the customer list, not the chart. The long-term bullish thesis at $455 centers on three tailwinds: the shift to agentic AI, server CPU dominance, and the premier “second-source” enterprise AI position. That second-source label used to mean “the other guy.” Meta has committed to deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs, and OpenAI signed on as a core preferred partner for another 6 gigawatts, with MI450 deployments planned for the second half of 2026. At roughly $50 to $60 billion in buildout cost per gigawatt Those are structural, multi-year commitments at hyperscaler scale.
The Data That Keeps My Conviction Grounded The Q1 FY2026 numbers seal it. Revenue came in at $10.253 billion, up 37.85% year over year, beating the $9.915 billion estimate. Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.37 beat the $1.29 consensus. The Data Center segment is now the engine: $5.775 billion in revenue, up 57% year over year. Free cash flow is the number that matters most. Q1 FCF hit $2.566 billion, up 252.96% year over year, and full-year 2025 FCF landed at $5.519 billion, up 129.48%.
The balance sheet gives me room to hold through drawdowns. Debt-to-equity sits at 0.071, net debt to EBITDA is negative 0.16 (a net cash position), and interest coverage is 28.2x. AMD repurchased $1.316 billion of stock in FY2025. Q2 guidance calls for roughly $11.2 billion in revenue, implying about 46% year-over-year growth, with non-GAAP gross margin expanding to around 56%.
Why AMD, Not NVIDIA or Intel Readers will ask why not NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA). I own some. Every hyperscaler I follow is writing checks to diversify away from a single supplier, and AMD is the only credible second source at scale. NVIDIA’s most recent quarterly revenue growth of 85.2% year over year is being lapped by AMD’s 37.8% headline growth paired with 91.2% earnings growth, and AMD’s operating leverage is compounding faster off a smaller base.
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Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is the other obvious alternative, and this one is not close. AMD’s Client segment grew 26% and Data Center grew 57% in Q1 FY2026, both directly at Intel’s expense in server and PC CPUs. I would rather own the share taker than the share donor.
The Risk I Refuse to Wave Away China export controls on the MI308 hurt. Q2 2025 absorbed roughly $800 million in inventory and related charges tied to U.S. export restrictions. That is real money and real policy risk that can flare again. AMD absorbed the hit and still delivered FY2025 revenue of $34.64 billion, up 34.34%, and FY EPS of $4.17. The MI450 pipeline and hyperscaler pre-commitments dwarf any single-region restriction.
What Keeps the Buy Button Active Polymarket traders assign an 84% probability that AMD beats its next quarterly report and a 92% probability that Data Center revenue clears $6.25 billion. Analysts carry a $573.15 consensus target with 37 Buy and 5 Strong Buy ratings against zero Sells. I am buying a company with a net cash balance sheet, a customer list that reads like the AI industrial complex itself, and a free cash flow curve bending upward. Every 8% panic day is another invoice the market sends me at a discount.
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AMD čeká ve 2. čtvrtletí silný růst tržeb z datových center, tažený EPYC a Instinct AI. Tržby datových center mají podle odhadu dosáhnout 6,497 miliardy USD, meziročně +100,5 %.
Key Takeaways AMD expects double-digit sequential Data Center growth, led by EPYC CPUs and Instinct AI accelerators.Server CPU revenues are projected to rise more than 70% year over year on Turin demand and share gains.Cloud expansions, ROCm gains and Meta's planned GPU deployment may support Data Center growth. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) is expected to have benefited from strong Data Center revenues in the second quarter of 2026, the results of which are scheduled to be released on Aug. 4, 2026. Click here to know how AMD’s overall second-quarter performance is likely to be.
AMD’s Data Center Revenues to Ride on Strong EPYC DemandAMD's Data Center business is expected to have benefited from continued strength in EPYC server CPUs and Instinct AI accelerators. The company guided for double-digit sequential growth in the Data Center segment, driven by more than 70% year-over-year growth in server CPU revenues as hyperscalers and enterprise customers expanded AI infrastructure deployments.
Demand for EPYC processors is expected to have benefited from accelerating AI adoption, particularly inferencing and agentic AI workloads, which require additional CPU compute for orchestration, data movement and accelerator head-node functions. Per AMD, every major cloud provider has been expanding its EPYC footprint, while enterprise adoption continued to strengthen across financial services, healthcare, industrial and digital infrastructure customers.
The company also projected server CPU revenue to grow more than 70% year over year in the to-be-reported quarter, reflecting continued market-share gains and robust demand for fifth-generation EPYC Turin processors. AMD faces stiff competition from Intel (INTC - Free Report) in the server CPU market. Intel continues to emphasize AI-optimized Xeon processors for inference workloads, extensive software compatibility and a broad OEM ecosystem. Intel is also investing in AI accelerators and integrated CPU-GPU solutions, while leveraging its long-standing presence in enterprise data centers to defend its installed base.
The Data Center AI business is also expected to have contributed meaningfully to second-quarter performance. The business is likely to have benefited from continued customer engagement, growing production deployments and expanding demand for Instinct GPUs across cloud, enterprise and sovereign AI customers. This has been helping AMD steer off competition from the likes of NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) and Broadcom (AVGO - Free Report) .
Cloud customer momentum is expected to have remained another tailwind in the to-be-reported quarter. AMD expanded EPYC-powered cloud instances with AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Tencent, while Meta committed to deploying up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs and adopting sixth-generation EPYC processors. These partnerships, together with ongoing software improvements through ROCm and strong MLPerf benchmark results, are expected to have reinforced AMD's competitive position in AI infrastructure and supported continued Data Center growth in the second quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter Data Center revenues is pegged at $6.497 billion, indicating impressive year-over-year growth of 100.5%.
AMD Faces Stiff Competition in Data CenterBroadcom is emerging as one of AMD's biggest competitors in AI infrastructure through its custom AI accelerator (XPU) business. Broadcom expects AI semiconductor revenues to reach $56 billion in fiscal 2026 and exceed $100 billion in fiscal 2027, supported by multi-generation custom AI chip programs with Google, Meta, OpenAI and other hyperscalers. Broadcom is also strengthening its networking leadership with 100-terabit and upcoming 200-terabit Ethernet switches, co-packaged optics, high-speed SerDes and AI fabrics that support massive AI clusters.
NVIDIA continues to dominate AI infrastructure through its integrated hardware, networking and software ecosystem. NVIDIA reported $75 billion in Data Center revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, driven by rapid adoption of Blackwell systems across hyperscalers, AI cloud providers, enterprises and sovereign AI deployments. Beyond GPUs, NVIDIA is widening its competitive moat through its full-stack platform that combines Grace CPUs, Blackwell GPUs, NVLink, Spectrum-X Ethernet, InfiniBand networking and CUDA software.
Client & Gaming Expected to Support AMD’s Q2 ResultsAMD’s Client & Gaming segment is expected to post modest sequential growth in the second quarter of 2026, supported by continued strength in the client business. Gaming revenues are also expected to contribute to second-quarter growth. Overall, AMD guided for modest sequential growth in the Client & Gaming segment in the second quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter Client & Gaming revenues is pegged at $3.824 billion, indicating sequential growth of 6%.
AMD’s Embedded Expected to Accelerate in Q2AMD expects the Embedded segment to rebound in the second quarter of 2026 with double-digit sequential and year-over-year revenue growth. The improvement is expected to have been driven by strengthening demand across multiple end markets following the return to year-over-year growth in the first quarter. Continued momentum in embedded computing, supported by increasing adoption of embedded x86 products, strong design-win activity and expanding opportunities across adaptive computing, communications, aerospace & defense, and industrial markets.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter Embedded revenues is pegged at $948 million, indicating year-over-year growth of 15%.
Zacks RankAMD currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Federal Aviation Administration has certified the Boeing 737 Max 7, the smallest model in the bestselling family of aircraft, after nearly a decade of delays.
The agency on Monday said the approval "reflects years of sustained work to resolve complex technical issues and complete a thorough review of the airplane's design and supporting safety analyses."
Carriers including Southwest Airlines expected to fly the plane before the pandemic, but increased regulatory scrutiny following the fatal crashes of the in-service Max 8, in 2018 and 2019, other safety and manufacturing crises, and the redesign of an engine anti-icing system delayed certification.
Southwest said in a statement that "certification is an important step toward continuing to modernize our all-Boeing 737 fleet with upgraded interiors and more fuel-efficient aircraft to fit our Customers' preferences and demand patterns."
Airlines can finally start flying passengers soon after planes are certified, but it can take them months to work them into schedules.
Boeing said in a blog post Monday that it and Southwest are preparing for delivery of the first airplane.
"This important certification validates the rigor of our airplane's design and recognizes the determination and resilience of our 737 MAX development team," Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement.
The FAA said it "required the MAX-7 to incorporate key improvements ... including updates to the flight-control software, flightcrew alerting system, and a redesigned engine anti-ice system," adding that those changes prevent the engine from overheating.
The plane maker is also awaiting certification from the FAA of another long-delayed model, the 737 Max 10, which is the largest in the family and one that some carriers expected to start flying in 2020 as well as the manufacturer's largest plane, the 777X.
Boeing has about 40 of the 737-7s and 737 Max 10s built and in inventory already, and the FAA approval could help the manufacturer bring in much-needed cash, Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu said in a note Sunday. Boeing and other manufacturers receive the bulk of an airplane's price when they hand it over to customers.
Boeing stock rose more than 5% in afternoon trading Monday.
The manufacturer, a top U.S. exporter, has been working to ramp up production of its 737 Maxes and 787 Dreamliners, key to its recovery after years of crisis since airlines and other customers pay the bulk of the aircraft's price upon delivery. Boeing opened a new production line in Everett, Washington, in July for its 737 Max airplanes.
The company has been working to win back the trust of the FAA, and has made strides, including in mid-July, when the FAA said it could once again issue airworthiness certificates for its bestselling 737 Max aircraft and 787 Dreamliners. The agency stripped that from Boeing after the Max 8 crashes, which killed 346 people.
— CNBC's Michele Luhn contributed to this report.
Read more CNBC airline newsSouthwest Airlines put Texas jet fuel on a boat to LA for the first time amid supply worriesUnited Airlines’ new upsell: Keeping other travelers out of the middle seatDelta launches ‘basic business’ fares without lounge access, seat selectionRecord heat, crowds drive offseason boom in international travel'Bring 'em on': Delta wants United's crown over the Pacific, tooMeet the pilots flying Spirit Airlines' yellow jets to the desert
Tilray Brands vykázala za fiskální rok končící 31. května tržby 915,5 milionu USD, o 11 % více, a největší růst táhl distribuční segment. Jeho tržby přesáhly 327 milionů USD a stouply o 21 %.
Tilray Brands (TLRY +4.51%) has become much more diverse in recent years. It's become more than just a cannabis producer, as acquisitions in beverages have significantly broadened its opportunities and grown its operations. It's also been expanding into international markets.
Last week, the company reported its year-end numbers for fiscal 2026, and what was surprising was where the bulk of its revenue growth came from. It wasn't from beverages or even from the Canadian cannabis market. Instead, its distribution business was responsible for the vast majority of its growth.
Image source: Getty Images.
Tilray's distribution business grew by 21% last year Tilray has four main segments, including beverages, cannabis, distribution, and wellness. It's largely known for being a cannabis producer, and it's been becoming a bigger player in the beverage industry due to acquisitions in recent years. Investors may overlook its distribution business, as it may seem less exciting, since it centers on the sale of pharmaceutical and wellness products in overseas markets, with the German-based CC Pharma being a key part of that. But it was the distribution business that generated much of Tilray's growth last year.
The company's net revenue totaled $915.5 million for the fiscal year ending May 31, which was up 11% from the previous year. While it achieved growth across all of its segments, the biggest increase was easily in its distribution business, which remains its largest. Revenue of more than $327 million in that segment grew by 21%, whereas its other business units generated just single-digit growth.
CEO Irwin Simon says the company is poised for further growth and that "Across Europe, we have built one of the industry's most comprehensive medical cannabis and pharmaceutical distribution platforms."
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Is Tilray Brands stock worth buying today? Tilray's stock has been rising in recent days, as the results have led to some increased bullishness. However, it's still down close to 50% since the beginning of the year. The growth is encouraging, but what's disappointing is that its beverage business grew by just under 6%, despite being a key focus for Tilray in recent years.
Plus, this remains an unprofitable business, as Tilray incurred an operating loss of $63 million during the fiscal year. Due to its ongoing challenges, investors may still be better off avoiding the cannabis stock, as it has a lot of work to do before it can prove it's a safe investment to hang on to.
Johnson & Johnson v 2. čtvrtletí zvýšila tržby z onkologie o 16,1 % na 7,4 miliardy USD, hlavně díky Darzalexu a Erleadě. Nové léky přidaly 1,38 miliardy USD.
Key Takeaways JNJ's Q2 oncology revenues rose 16.1% operationally to $7.4B as Darzalex and Erleada drove growth.JNJ's newer cancer drugs delivered $1.38 billion in Q2 sales, reflecting continued market share gains.Johnson & Johnson expanded its oncology pipeline with approvals, acquisitions and Inlexzo momentum Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) has built a strong position in oncology, with a broad portfolio spanning hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The company is the market leader in multiple myeloma, supported by blockbuster therapy Darzalex, which is widely regarded as the standard of care and remains J&J's top-selling medicine.
In multiple myeloma, J&J has treatments in every line of therapy. It claims that 80% of multiple myeloma patients receive one or more of its drugs during the treatment journey. In solid tumors, it is seeing strong performance from Erleada and Rybrevant.
Oncology accounts for nearly 29% of the company's total revenues and about 45% of Innovative Medicine sales. In the second quarter of 2026, oncology revenues increased 16.1% to $7.4 billion on an operational basis, fueled by continued momentum for Darzalex and prostate cancer treatment Erleada, although weaker demand for Imbruvica partially offset these gains.
In the second quarter, Darzalex, once again, delivered sales of more than $4 billion, growing close to 18% year over year, while Erleada sales increased 9.5% to $995 million. Imbruvica sales declined 18.6% to $599 million due to continued rising competitive pressure in the United States.
J&J’s new cancer drugs, Carvykti, Tecvayli, Talvey and Rybrevant/Lazcluze are contributing significantly to top-line growth driven by market share gains. Combined, they generated $1.38 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2026.
J&J claims that it is on track to be the #1 oncology company by 2030, with sales projected to exceed $50 billion. Though quite bullish, J&J seems quite confident that it can meet the target, citing strong growth in its marketed cancer drugs and new launches like Rybrevant and Inlexzo.
J&J’s newly launched therapy, Inlexzo, delivered a strong second quarter, with sales more than doubling sequentially from the first quarter number of around $30 million. Sales comfortably exceeded consensus expectations, although J&J did not disclose the exact sales figure. The launch continued to gain momentum in the United States, supported by permanent J-code reimbursement, with one in three eligible patients now starting an Inlexzo regimen, up from one in four in the first quarter.
J&J believes its new cancer drugs, Talvey, Tecvayli, Inlexzo and Rybrevant plus Lazcluze, have the potential to deliver peak sales of $5 billion.
J&J has also significantly strengthened its oncology pipeline in recent years, particularly in colorectal and head and neck cancers. Earlier in 2026, the FDA approved the combination of Tecvayli and Darzalex Faspro for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, a regimen that could redefine treatment in earlier stages of the disease.
J&J is also expanding its oncology portfolio through acquisitions, including 2025's Halda Therapeutics deal for a clinical-stage prostate cancer candidate and this year's Firefly Bio acquisition, which added a next-generation antibody platform.
Competition in the Oncology SpaceOther large players in the oncology space are Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) , AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) and Merck (MRK - Free Report) , among others.
Oncology sales comprise around 26% of Pfizer’s total revenues. Its oncology revenues grew 7% in the first quarter of 2026, driven by higher sales of drugs like Lorbrena, the Braftovi-Mektovi combination and Padcev, which made up for declining sales of Ibrance, Xtandi and others. Pfizer also has a robust pipeline of cancer candidates with a focus on multiple modalities, including small molecules, ADCs and immuno-oncology biologics. Pfizer will report second-quarter results tomorrow.
Oncology sales now comprise around 46% of AstraZeneca’s total product revenues. Sales in its oncology segment rose 15% at constant exchange rate (CER) to $7.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026. AstraZeneca’s strong oncology performance was driven by medicines such as Tagrisso, Lynparza, Imfinzi, Calquence and Enhertu (in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo).
Merck’s key oncology medicines are the PD-L1 inhibitor Keytruda and the PARP inhibitor Lynparza, which it markets in partnership with AstraZeneca. Keytruda, approved for several types of cancer, alone accounts for around 50% of Merck’s pharmaceutical sales. Keytruda recorded sales of $8 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 8% year over year. Merck will report second-quarter results tomorrow.
JNJ’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesJ&J’s shares have outperformed the industry over the past year. The stock has risen 23.9% so far this year compared with 10.0% appreciation of the industry.
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From a valuation standpoint, J&J is expensive. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 20.78 forward earnings, higher than 18.51 for the industry. The stock is also trading above its five-year mean of 15.65.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has risen from $11.58 per share to $11.66 per share over the past 30 days, while that for 2027 earnings has gone up from $12.65 per share to $12.81 over the same time frame.
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J&J has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Altria ve 2. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšila čisté tržby z tabákových produktů o 0,7 % a upravený OCI o 2,4 %, i když domácí dodávky cigaret klesly meziročně o 3,2 %. Růst táhly vyšší ceny Marlboro.
Key Takeaways Altria's domestic cigarette shipments fell 3.2% in Q2, or 4.5% excluding trade inventory moves.Higher pricing lifted smokeable net revenues 0.7% and adjusted OCI 2.4% despite lower volumes.Marlboro pricing drove gains, partly offset by smokers trading down to the lower-priced Basic brand. Altria Group, Inc. (MO - Free Report) continues to rely on pricing to support its smokeable products business as cigarette volumes continue to decline. The second quarter of 2026 showed that this strategy remained effective, even as lower shipment volumes continued to weigh on the business.
The smokeable products segment reported domestic cigarette shipment volume fell 3.2% year over year in the second quarter. Excluding trade inventory movements, the decline was estimated at 4.5%, compared with an estimated 5% decline for the overall U.S. cigarette industry. Despite lower shipments, smokeable products net revenues increased 0.7%, while net revenues net of excise taxes rose 2%, driven by higher net pricing.
Adjusted operating companies income (“OCI”) increased 2.4% and adjusted OCI margin expanded 30 basis points to 64.8%. The benefits of higher pricing and refunds of taxes and duties on imported cigarettes more than offset the effects of lower shipment volumes, increased promotional investments, a greater mix of discount products and higher costs.
Pricing remained an important support for Altria's smokeable business during the quarter. Smokeable price realization was 4.5%, driven by strong net pricing for Marlboro. However, the benefit was partly offset by a greater mix of the lower-priced Basic brand as some adult smokers traded down amid discretionary income pressures.
Overall, the quarter demonstrated that pricing continued to help offset the financial impact of lower cigarette shipment volumes. Although changing consumer purchasing patterns and a growing mix of discount products remain challenges, higher pricing continued to support revenue growth and profitability in the smokeable products business.
How Altria Compares With Philip Morris and TPBPhilip Morris International Inc. (PM - Free Report) also demonstrated the strength of pricing in its combustible business in the second quarter of 2026. While helping international combustibles net revenues grow 6.4% organically despite unfavorable geographic mix, Philip Morris reported nearly 10% pricing variance in the quarter. Strong pricing, coupled with stable category share, supported profitability, highlighting how Philip Morris continues to offset mix-related pressures through disciplined pricing.
Turning Point Brands, Inc. (TPB - Free Report) continues to rely on disciplined margin management to navigate a changing tobacco landscape. In the first quarter of 2026, Turning Point Brands expanded Zig-Zag gross margin by 300 basis points through favorable product mix despite weaker sales. Turning Point Brands also offset part of its cost pressures through tariff refunds, helping support overall profitability.
Altria’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Altria have gained 4.9% in the past six months compared with the industry’s growth of 3.2%.
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From a valuation standpoint, MO trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 11.78X, down from the industry’s average of 15.7X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MO’s 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 5.2% and 3%, respectively.
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Altria currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways XRX earnings rose to 36 cents per share, while revenues increased 22% y/y to $1.92 billion.Lexmark and a $105 million tariff benefit helped lift its adjusted operating margin to 10.6% y/y.Xerox raised 2026 revenue guidance to about $7.6 billion and profit outlook to $555-$605 million. Xerox Holdings Corporation (XRX - Free Report) reported impressive second-quarter 2026 results, with both earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
XRX’s earnings of 36 cents per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by more than 100%. In the year-ago quarter, the company had incurred an adjusted loss of 64 cents per share.
Revenues of $1.92 billion surpassed the consensus mark by 1% and rose 22% year over year. The Lexmark acquisition lifted reported growth, while pro forma revenues declined 6.5%. A $105 million pre-tax benefit from IEEPA tariff receivables materially supported profitability.
However, the better-than-expected results and a raised 2026 revenue guidance failed to impress investors, as the stock has declined 15.5% since the earnings release on July 30.
For 2026, Xerox expects revenues of approximately $7.6 billion, up from its previous outlook of more than $7.5 billion. The revision reflects higher expectations for the Print and Other segment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $7.59 billion.
Xerox shares have depreciated 28.6% over the past year compared with the Office Supplies industry’s 7.2% decline. The Zacks S&P 500 composite has risen 21.1% over the same time frame.
XRX’s Revenue Mix Reflects Lexmark ContributionEquipment sales revenues increased 15.2% year over year on a reported basis and 15% at constant currency to $387 million. However, pro forma equipment revenues declined 13%, reflecting lower installations and a shift toward entry-level products.
Post-sale revenues climbed 30.7% on a reported basis and 29.7% at constant currency to $1.35 billion. On a pro forma basis, the metric fell 3.9%, hurt by lower equipment service, managed print services and financing revenues.
Xerox’s Print Business Posts Strong Profit GrowthPrint and Other revenues totaled $1.73 billion, up 26.9% year over year but down 6.1% on a pro forma basis. Segment profit surged to $220 million from $65 million, while the segment margin expanded to 12.7% from 4.8%.
Total installations declined 6% on a pro forma basis. Entry color installations rose 6%, but mid-range and high-end installations fell 13% and 19%, respectively. Management expects the entry-product backlog to support installations and revenues during the second half of 2026.
XRX’s IT Solutions Revenues DeclineIT Solutions revenues declined 8.9% year over year to $194 million. Product revenues fell 8.5% to $140 million, while services revenues decreased 14% to $49 million. Segment profit dropped 30% to $7 million and margin contracted to 3.7% from 4.8%.
Underlying activity was firmer than reported revenues. Pro forma non-GAAP gross billings rose 4% to $228 million, with year-to-date gross billings and gross bookings increasing 11% and 6%, respectively. Xerox cited double-digit growth in infrastructure and networking offerings and endpoints.
Xerox’s Margins Benefit From Tariff ReceivablesAdjusted operating income increased to $203 million from $59 million. The adjusted operating margin expanded 690 basis points to 10.6%. Excluding the tariff receivables benefit, the margin was 5.1%, up 140 basis points year over year.
Adjusted gross margin improved to 36.4% from 29.3%, aided by Lexmark, integration synergies and transformation savings. These benefits were partly offset by higher incentive compensation, product costs and lower finance-related fees. Non-financing interest expense increased 82% to $100 million.
XRX Strengthens Cash Flow & Lowers DebtOperating cash flow was $37 million compared with an outflow of $11 million a year earlier. Free cash flow improved to $11 million from an outflow of $30 million. Cash and cash equivalents were $495 million at June 30, 2026, compared with $512 million at year-end 2025.
The company reduced total debt by $223 million during the quarter. Total debt was $4.22 billion, while gross and net leverage improved to 5.9 times and 5.1 times, respectively, from 7 times and 6 times at the end of the first quarter.
Xerox’s Other Raised Guidance For 2026Adjusted operating income is now projected between $555 million and $605 million, up from $450 million to $500 million. Free cash flow guidance remains approximately $250 million. Xerox also raised its Lexmark gross cost synergy target by $50 million to at least $350 million, with half expected to be realized in 2026.
Currently, Xerox carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Recent Earnings SnapshotsTrane Technologies plc (TT - Free Report) reported impressive second-quarter 2026 results. TT’s adjusted earnings of $4.31 per share outpaced the consensus mark by 0.9% and rose 11.1% from the year-ago quarter’s actual. TT’s total revenues of $6.35 billion surpassed the consensus mark by 2.9% and increased 6.4% year over year.
Rollins, Inc. (ROL - Free Report) posted unimpressive second-quarter 2026 results. ROL’s adjusted earnings of 32 cents per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9% but rose 6.7% year over year. Total revenues of $1.08 billion fell short of the consensus estimate by 1.7% but increased 7.9% from the year-ago quarter.
AUD/USD zůstává pod 0,7000 a trh čeká na jasnější signál. Pár se drží nad 200denním klouzavým průměrem kolem 0,6900, ale opakovaně naráží na rezistenci.
AUD/USD waits for a clearer signalDirectional bias: Neutral to bullish above 0.6900, although repeated difficulty clearing 0.7000 leaves the pair exposed to another rejection.
Preferred approach: Patience may offer a better risk-reward profile than chasing the pair immediately below resistance. A confirmed break above the 0.7000 threshold or a pullback that holds around the 200-day SMA would provide a cleaner setup.
Bullish trigger: A sustained move above 0.7000, ideally supported by firm Australian labour data, stronger expectations of another RBA rate increase, lower US yields or an improvement in risk appetite.
Bearish trigger: Another failure at 0.7000, accompanied by renewed US Dollar strength or a generalised deterioration in market sentiment.
Key invalidation level: A daily close below the 200-day SMA around 0.6900 would undermine the broader constructive structure and increase the risk of a deeper retracement in the short-term horizon.
Three paths from the 0.7000 crossroadsBase case: The range holds
AUD/USD could remain trapped between the 0.7000 psychological barrier and the 200-day SMA just above 0.6900 while traders wait for a sufficiently strong catalyst.
Australia’s relatively solid domestic fundamentals and the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) cautious stance should discourage aggressive selling. At the same time, persistent demand for the Greenback and geopolitical uncertainty could prevent an immediate breakout.
Until either boundary gives way, spot may be better treated as a side-lined trade than a convincing directional move.
Bull case: Buyers establish a foothold above 0.7000
A convincing break above 0.7000 would suggest that buyers have absorbed the selling pressure surrounding this closely watched threshold.
The breakout would carry greater conviction if supported by:
Firmer-than-expected Australian data releases.A stable or lower Unemployment Rate.Increased expectations of another RBA rate hike.Lower US yields and a softer US Dollar.An improvement in risk-linked sentiment.Under this scenario, the next important medium-term target would emerge around 0.7200, followed by the 2026 ceiling near 0.7280.
The sizeable build-up of speculative AUD shorts could add fuel to the move if a confirmed breakout forces bearish traders to unwind their positions.
Bear case: Another rejection opens the door to 0.6900
A fresh failure around 0.7000 could bring sellers back into the market, particularly if the Greenback regains momentum or global risk appetite deteriorates.
The next major test would then be the 200-day SMA around 0.6900. A daily close below this area would damage the wider bullish structure and increase the probability of a deeper correction.
Once that support gives way, previous resistance and consolidation zones below 0.6900 could return to focus.
Australia’s economy continues to hold its groundAustralia’s domestic backdrop remains relatively healthy, supported by firm demand, positive growth and a resilient labour market.
July business surveys reinforced that picture. The Manufacturing PMI improved to 52.0 from 51.5, while the Services PMI rose to 53.0 from 50.5, leaving both sectors comfortably in expansionary territory.
The June labour-market report was also encouraging. The Unemployment Rate held steady at 4.4%, while Employment Change jumped by 76.3K following a revised 44K increase in May.
Still, the picture is not uniformly positive. Australia recorded an A$3.018 billion trade deficit in May, reversing April’s A$1.383 billion surplus. Economic growth also slowed to 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2026, down from 0.9%, while annual growth held at 2.5%.
Overall the figures suggest a resilient economy but perhaps not strong enough on its own to trigger a sustained breakout in AUD/USD.
Inflation leaves the RBA with unfinished businessAustralian headline inflation eased to 3.9% in the second quarter from 4.1%. Underlying price pressures, however, remained uncomfortable. Both the Trimmed Mean and Weighted Median measures rose to 3.6% from 3.5% in the previous quarter.
Consumer inflation expectations offered some relief, falling to 4.7% in July from 5.5%, according to the Melbourne Institute. Even so, inflation remains too high for the RBA to declare victory.
The central bank left its Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 4.35% in June and maintained a cautious message. Policymakers warned that further tightening could still be required if inflation proves more persistent than expected.
Governor Michele Bullock struck a more balanced tone. While keeping the possibility of another rate increase alive, she suggested there was no immediate need to tighten again as the economy was broadly evolving in line with expectations.
Markets expect the RBA to remain on hold at its August meeting while continuing to price the possibility of additional tightening before year-end. So far, nearly 15 basis points of extra tightening are pencilled in by the turn of the year.
That stance provides the AUD with some domestic support, but it is not necessarily enough to trigger an immediate rally. Further gains may require incoming data to strengthen the case for another rate increase.
China steadies but offers little additional liftChina remains an important influence on the Australian currency, although it is currently providing stability rather than a powerful tailwind.
The Chinese economy expanded by 4.3% YoY in the April-June period, Industrial Production rose by 5.3% in the year to June, and Retail Sales increased by a more modest 1.0%.
Business surveys suggest that activity is stabilising. The official Manufacturing and Services PMIs remained slightly above the 50 threshold, while private-sector gauges continued to signal expansion.
China’s trade surplus also widened to $125.62 billion in June from $105.4 billion, supported by stronger imports and exports.
Meanwhile, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) left its Loan Prime Rates (LPR) unchanged, keeping the one-year rate at 3.00% and the five-year rate at 3.50%.
China is therefore neither delivering a major boost nor creating a significant drag. Unless the data reveal a clearer acceleration or deterioration, Chinese releases may generate short-term volatility without establishing a lasting direction for the pair.
Bearish positioning remains heavy, but momentum is fadingThe speculative mood on the Australian Dollar stayed bearish in the week ended July 28. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed net short positions rose to almost 40K contracts from 37.7K a week before.
However, the weekly increase in bearish exposure has decelerated to around 2.3K contracts from 7K previously. That said, the non-commercial players are still building on their downside positions, but with less urgency than earlier this summer.
Open interest also increased slightly to around 229.8K contracts from just above 225K, indicating a slight increase in market participation. In addition, speculative exposure decreased as well to -17.4% (from -16.7%).
The broader trend points to a similar loss of momentum. Indeed, the 4-week change improved to -22.3K contracts from -24.7K, suggesting that cumulative bearish flows are gradually cooling.
Overall, speculators remain firmly bearish on the Aussie, but that view is becoming more established than aggressive. This means the AUD position is increasingly reliant on incoming economic data.
It also creates an interesting asymmetry. Disappointing data could reinforce the prevailing bearish bias, but a convincing improvement in the outlook could trigger a sharper reaction as crowded short positions are unwound.
Jobs data take centre stageAustralia’s July Labour Force report will be the next major domestic test for the Australian Dollar. The release could influence expectations for the RBA’s next move and determine whether AUD/USD can establish itself above 0.7000.
Stronger-than-expected labour data
A solid increase in employment, particularly full-time employment, combined with a stable or lower jobless rate would reinforce the view that the labour market remains tight.
Firm participation and hours-worked figures would add credibility to the headline result. Such an outcome could strengthen expectations of another RBA rate increase and support a sustained move above 0.7000 of the pair.
A broadly balanced report
Employment growth close to expectations, accompanied by little change in unemployment or participation, would probably leave the RBA outlook largely unchanged.
In that case, AUD/USD could remain confined between resistance around 0.7000 and the 200-day SMA just past 0.6900, with its direction determined primarily by the US Dollar and global risk sentiment.
A clear deterioration in the labour market
Weak or negative employment growth, particularly alongside a rise in the Unemployment Rate, would raise questions about the resilience of the Australian economy.
A drop in hours worked or a result driven mainly by part-time employment would make the report look even softer. This could reduce expectations of further RBA tightening and leave spot vulnerable to a renewed test of 0.6900.
Participation will require careful attention. A lower Unemployment Rate caused by people leaving the labour force would be less encouraging than the headline figure might initially suggest.
Beyond the domestic data, traders should continue to monitor US yields, Federal Reserve expectations, Chinese developments, global risk appetite and geopolitical headlines.
Technical landscapeIn the daily chart, AUD/USD trades at 0.6994, holding above the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) at 0.6913 but still capped by the 55-day SMA at 0.7019 and the 100-day SMA at 0.7053, which keeps the near-term tone neutral-to-bearish. Momentum is modestly constructive, with the Relative Strength Index (14) hovering near 51, while the Average Directional Index (14) around 15 suggests a weak, non-trending environment where price is more likely to consolidate beneath these moving average barriers than to embark on a decisive directional move.
On the topside, immediate resistance is clustered at the short-term SMAs, with the 55-day SMA at 0.7019 followed by the 100-day SMA at 0.7053, ahead of a horizontal cap near 0.7079; higher up, the 0.7278–0.7283 region and then 0.7661 mark more substantial medium-term hurdles. On the downside, initial support aligns with the 200-day SMA at 0.6913, before the horizontal floor at 0.6833, while deeper retracements would expose 0.6660 and 0.6593, with 0.6414 and 0.6373 acting as longer-term bearish objectives if selling pressure resumes.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
The line in the sand remains 0.6900AUD/USD retains a constructive medium-term structure above its 200-day SMA, but the immediate outlook remains uncertain while the pair struggles to secure a foothold above 0.7000.
The most attractive setup remains conditional. Confirmed acceptance above 0.7000 would favour additional gains and could trigger a positioning-driven short squeeze. Another rejection, however, would leave the pair exposed to a return toward 0.6900.
Until one of these boundaries breaks, AUD/USD remains caught between supportive Australian fundamentals and an external backdrop still dominated by the US Dollar, geopolitical uncertainty and only moderate support from China.
Employment FAQs Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.
The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.
The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.
Hilton ve 2. čtvrtletí zvýšil tržby z franšíz a licencí o 8,5 % na 808 mil. USD a upravený zisk na akcii byl 2,29 USD. Zároveň má rekordní pipeline 541 300 pokojů, ale obchoduje se za 32,3násobek forward zisku.
Key Takeaways Hilton's fee-heavy model lifted franchise and licensing fees 8.5% to $808 million in the second quarter.Hilton's record pipeline reached 541,300 rooms, with 6% to 7% net unit growth expected in 2026 and beyond.HLT trades at 32.3X forward earnings as regional weakness and rising interest expense raise execution risks. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (HLT - Free Report) combines improving travel demand, a record development pipeline and a fee-heavy business model that supports earnings and cash generation.
The trade-off is price. Hilton’s valuation sits above industry and market benchmarks, while regional weakness, renovation costs and rising interest expense leave less room for execution missteps.
Hilton’s Fee Model Keeps Growth Capital-LightHilton expands mainly through management, franchise and licensing agreements, allowing hotel owners to fund most property investment. In the second quarter of 2026, franchise and licensing fees rose 8.5% year over year to $808 million, while base and other management fees increased 2.1% to $99 million.
That structure supports cash generation without requiring Hilton to own most new hotels. The company returned $966 million through buybacks and dividends during the quarter and expects approximately $3.5 billion in total capital returns during 2026.
HLT’s Pipeline Supports Durable Unit ExpansionHilton ended June with a record pipeline of 541,300 rooms across 132 countries and territories. Almost half were under construction, and management expects net unit growth of 6% to 7% in 2026 and beyond.
More than 70% of second-quarter signings came from international markets. Conversions represented 36% of openings, while newer brands are expected to drive more than half of future net unit growth. Marriott International (MAR - Free Report) and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H - Free Report) are relevant peers because both also compete for owners and emphasize capital-efficient network expansion.
Hilton’s Premium Valuation Raises the BarHLT trades at 32.3X forward 12-month earnings, above 21.3X for its Zacks sub-industry, 16.4X for the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and 20.3X for the S&P 500.
The multiple also exceeds Hilton’s five-year median of 29.3X. Sustained fee growth, unit expansion and RevPAR gains may support that premium, but the current price leaves limited tolerance for weaker demand or slower earnings growth.
HLT Faces Regional and Financing RisksMiddle East and Africa RevPAR fell 29.5% year over year in the second quarter, while China RevPAR declined 2.2%. Hilton also expects renovations and closures at three owned hotels to reduce 2026 Adjusted EBITDA by approximately $20 million to $25 million.
Debt reached $13.4 billion at June 30, with a weighted average interest rate of 5.03%. Second-quarter interest expense rose to $183 million from $151 million, and the expiration of a $1.6 billion interest-rate swap increased exposure to floating benchmark rates.
Hilton’s Earnings Outlook Offers Mixed SignalsSecond-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.29 per share matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenues of $3.34 billion missed the consensus mark by 0.6%, though they increased 6.5% year over year.
Management raised full-year system-wide RevPAR growth guidance to 3% to 3.5% compared with the prior expectation of 2%-3% range. Still, the current-year earnings estimate has edged 0.3% lower over the past four weeks, indicating a more measured near-term outlook.
Hilton’s Hold Signal Matches a Balanced SetupHilton’s operating growth remains credible, but its premium valuation and financial risks support patience rather than an aggressive entry. Investors may want clearer evidence that fee growth and unit expansion can offset regional volatility and higher financing costs.
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Its Value Score of D, Growth Score of D and Momentum Score of D, together with a VGM Score of F, do not signal a favorable combination across the major investing styles. These measures support a balanced stance while Hilton works to convert its pipeline and demand recovery into sustained earnings growth.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Hilton zvýšil celoroční výhled růstu RevPAR na 3 % až 3,5 % z původních 2 % až 3 % po růstu o 3,9 % ve 2. čtvrtletí. Zároveň ale roste dluh i úrokové náklady.
Key Takeaways Hilton raised its 2026 RevPAR growth outlook to 3%-3.5% from its earlier projection of 2%-3%.HLT opened 207 hotels and expanded its development pipeline to a record 541,300 rooms.Hilton faces rising debt, higher interest expense, overseas weakness and renovation-related EBITDA pressure. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (HLT - Free Report) entered the second half of 2026 with stronger travel demand, faster hotel expansion and a higher RevPAR outlook. These gains reinforce its fee-based growth model, but investors must weigh them against regional disruptions, renovation pressure and rising financing costs.
Hilton’s RevPAR Beat Raises the Stakes for 2026Hilton’s system-wide comparable revenue per available room, or RevPAR, increased 3.9% year over year in the second quarter, exceeding the modeled 2.1% gain. The increase reflected improvements in both occupancy and average daily rate.
The better-than-expected performance prompted management to raise its full-year system-wide RevPAR growth outlook to 3% to 3.5% from the earlier 2% to 3% forecast. The midpoint increased 75 basis points to 3.25% from 2.5%, signaling greater confidence in demand trends through the remainder of 2026.
Hilton also expects roughly 4% RevPAR growth in the third quarter, supported by the World Cup and favorable calendar shifts. Fourth-quarter growth is expected to fall below the full-year range because of unfavorable calendar effects and the midterm elections.
HLT’s U.S. Demand Engine Is Running HotComparable U.S. RevPAR rose 5.4% in the second quarter, supported by business transient, leisure and group demand. Business transient RevPAR increased 5.7%, helped by stronger midweek travel from small and medium-sized businesses, while group RevPAR gained 3.7% on higher company-meeting demand and favorable event timing.
Management expects U.S. RevPAR to grow in the mid-single digits for full-year 2026. Business travel is positioned as the leading driver as midweek demand broadens. Historically low U.S. hotel supply growth of less than 0.5% could also support pricing and occupancy.
Marriott International, Inc. (MAR - Free Report) and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H - Free Report) also compete with Hilton for travelers, hotel owners and asset-light development opportunities. RevPAR trends, conversion activity and net unit growth are therefore important comparative measures across the three lodging companies.
Hilton’s Expansion Wave Adds More Fee PotentialHilton opened 207 hotels totaling 24,100 rooms during the quarter and added 21,600 net rooms. The additions supported net unit growth of 6.1% from June 30, 2025.
The company also approved 42,900 rooms for development, lifting its pipeline to a record 541,300 rooms across 132 countries and territories. Almost half of the pipeline was under construction, while more than half of the rooms were outside the United States.
Conversions represented 36% of second-quarter openings across 12 brands and nearly 30 countries. Management expects conversions to account for approximately 40% of full-year openings, giving Hilton another channel for expanding its fee-generating network without relying entirely on new construction.
HLT’s Overseas Weakness Threatens the MomentumHilton’s regional performance remained uneven. Europe delivered 4.3% RevPAR growth, supported by business and leisure demand, but RevPAR in the Middle East and Africa declined 29.5%.
The regional drop reflected a 16.1-percentage-point decrease in occupancy and an 8.1% decline in average daily rate. Although the result was better than management previously expected, the timing and pace of recovery remain uncertain.
China presented another challenge. RevPAR declined 2.2% because of weaker group travel related to continued government restrictions. This contrasted with 6.3% growth across Asia Pacific excluding China. Persistent weakness in the Middle East, Africa or China could restrain management and franchise fee growth despite healthier demand in the United States and Europe.
Hilton’s Debt and Renovations Create a Reality CheckHilton’s total debt increased to $13.44 billion as of June 30, 2026, from $12.46 billion at the end of 2025. The company issued $1 billion of 5.5% senior notes due in 2031 during the quarter.
Second-quarter interest expense climbed to $183 million from $151 million a year earlier. Hilton’s $1.6 billion interest-rate swap also matured in March 2026, leaving the company without outstanding swaps and increasing its exposure to movements in benchmark rates on variable-rate borrowings.
Renovation activity is creating another near-term drag. The Munich Park and Amsterdam hotels are fully closed, while Hilton’s Tokyo property is undergoing a major renovation. Management expects the projects to reduce 2026 adjusted EBITDA by approximately $20 million to $25 million.
The investments may improve the properties’ future performance, but they lower the ownership segment’s current contribution and introduce execution risk around reopening schedules and operating recovery.
HLT’s Ratings Keep the Travel Boom in PerspectiveHilton’s improving demand trends, growing development pipeline and capital-light expansion model support its long-term fee outlook. Still, overseas volatility, renovation disruptions and higher interest costs limit the near-term investment case.
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). It has a Value Score of D, Growth Score of D and Momentum Score of D, along with a VGM Score of F. These ratings suggest that Hilton does not presently screen favorably across the major investment styles, despite its operating momentum.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Shopify čeká za 2. čtvrtletí růst tržeb v horní části 20% pásma meziročně, tažený GMV, Shopify Payments a Shop Pay. Ziskovost ale může tlačit dolů slabší marže a vyšší náklady na AI a úvěrové ztráty.
Key Takeaways Shopify expects Q2 revenue growth in the high-20% range, supported by broad-based GMV gains.Payments, Shop Pay, B2B, offline commerce and enterprise wins are expected to drive Shopify's growth.Shopify faces margin pressure from revenue mix, rising AI costs, credit losses and a premium valuation. Shopify (SHOP - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5.
For the to-be-reported quarter, Shopify expects revenue growth in the high-20% range year over year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is currently pegged at $3.43 billion, suggesting growth of 28.11% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at 39 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days and indicating 11.43% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
Consensus Estimate Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SHOP’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, matched once and missed once, the earnings surprise being 7.38%, on average.
Let’s see how things have shaped up prior to this announcement.
Key Factors to Note for SHOP’s Q2Shopify’s second-quarter 2026 results are expected to have benefited from sustained growth in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) across merchant sizes, geographies and sales channels. Continued strength in North America and Europe, rising international adoption and balanced contributions from new merchants and same-store sales are likely to have supported revenues. Momentum among large merchants, including enterprise brands migrating from legacy commerce systems, is also expected to have driven Shopify Plus subscriptions, variable platform fees and merchant solutions revenues.
Higher adoption of Shopify Payments and Shop Pay is likely to have been another major growth driver. In the first quarter, Shopify Payments processed $67 billion of GMV, up 41% year over year, while penetration expanded 3% to 67%. Shop Pay GMV grew 59%, supported by more than 70% growth outside the United States. Continued payments adoption in recently entered European markets, Mexico and other international regions is expected to have boosted Merchant Solutions revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.
Shopify’s expanding omnichannel portfolio is also expected to have aided growth. Offline GMV increased 33% in the first quarter, while B2B GMV surged 80%, reflecting demand for unified online, physical retail and wholesale capabilities. The Shop app, which recorded 70% GMV growth, and Shop Campaigns are likely to have supported customer discovery and merchant sales. AI-driven traffic to Shopify stores increased eightfold, while orders originating from AI-powered searches rose nearly 13-fold, indicating growing contributions from emerging shopping channels.
However, Shopify’s second-quarter profitability is expected to have faced pressure from the faster growth of lower-margin Merchant Solutions revenues compared with Subscription Solutions revenues. Shopify projected gross profit dollar growth in the mid-20% range, below expected revenue growth in the high 20s, primarily due to revenue mix and continued payments strength. Moreover, rising technology and credit-related costs might also have weighed on margins.
Increased merchant use of Sidekick is expected to have driven higher large-language-model infrastructure expenses, a trend Shopify expects to continue. Transaction and loan losses increased to $116 million in the first quarter from $75 million in the year-ago quarter, reflecting expansion of Shopify Capital, credit and payments products. The allowance for uncollectible loans also rose as the company expanded its merchant financing portfolio, increasing potential exposure to merchant defaults. Moreover, reduced foreign-exchange support is likely to have been headwind.
SHOP Shares Outperform SectorSHOP shares have dropped 27.2% year to date (YTD), underperforming the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s rise of 11.7%.
Shopify has outperformed peers including Wix.com (WIX - Free Report) and Commerce.com (CMRC - Free Report) but lagged Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) . YTD, Amazon shares have returned 17.6% while Wix.com and Commerce.com shares have dropped 47% and 24%, respectively.
SHOP Stock’s Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Moreover, the Value Score of F suggests a stretched valuation for Shopify at this moment.
SHOP stock is trading at a premium with a forward 12-month price/sales of 9.11X compared with the sector’s 6.28X, Amazon’s 3.26X, Wix.com’s 1.33X and Commerce.com’s 0.72X.
Shopify’s Current Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AI Push, Expanding International Footprint to Aid SHOPShopify’s long-term prospects are supported by its expanding role across the entire commerce lifecycle. The company is moving beyond storefront and checkout services toward product discovery, advertising, payments, financing, B2B, point-of-sale and international commerce. The company’s unified platform allows merchants to manage online, offline, wholesale and cross-border operations through a single system. The number of merchants generating more than $100 million in annual GMV has nearly doubled over the past two years, highlighting Shopify’s growing appeal to large enterprises.
AI represents another significant long-term opportunity. Sidekick’s weekly active merchant base increased roughly fourfold year over year, with merchants using it to create applications, automate workflows and modify storefronts. Shopify’s catalog contains more than one billion structured products with current pricing and inventory information, enabling AI platforms to surface more relevant products. Integrations with ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google and Meta, along with Shopify’s role in developing the Universal Commerce Protocol, should strengthen its position in agentic commerce.
International expansion and deeper monetization of Shopify Payments offer additional upside. Shopify currently provides Payments in 39 countries and sees opportunities to increase penetration in existing regions and launch in additional markets. Localization through regional currencies, payment methods, merchant financing and language recommendations should reduce barriers to adoption. Strong growth in B2B, Shop Pay, the Shop app and offline commerce could further increase the number of services used by each merchant and strengthen Shopify’s recurring revenue base.
However, Shopify operates in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving commerce market. The company must continue investing in AI, payments, security, infrastructure and international localization to remain competitive against commerce platforms, marketplaces and specialized software providers. Increasing reliance on AI also creates uncertainty regarding infrastructure costs, product adoption and the ability to generate returns sufficient to offset growing model-compute expenses.
ConclusionShopify’s second-quarter results are likely to reflect robust GMV growth, increasing adoption of Shopify Payments and Shop Pay, enterprise merchant wins and continued momentum across B2B, offline and international commerce. AI-driven tools and emerging shopping channels provide additional growth opportunities.
Shopify currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which implies that investors should start accumulating the stock ahead of the second-quarter earnings. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways IBM posted 1% revenue growth as software and financing offset weakness in its infrastructure business. IBM views low-single-digit infrastructure unit growth and stronger AI adoption to support 2026 performance. ETFs like SPDG hold significant IBM positions, offering diversified exposure to the tech company. Shares of International Business Machines (IBM - Free Report) inched up 0.4% on July 23, immediately after its weaker-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results. Despite missing Wall Street estimates on both revenues and earnings, the stock has continued its recovery, gaining 8.7% since the results were reported.
This resilient price action indicates that the sell-off following IBM's mid-July preliminary earnings release had already priced in the worst-case scenario, clearing the way for a relief rally once official numbers were delivered.
Looking ahead, IBM expects to deliver 100 basis points of operating pretax margin expansion, with productivity more than offsetting the revenue-related headwinds. IBM also continues to project that free cash flow will increase approximately $1 billion.
While IBM continues to see strong underlying demand in subscription and consumption-based software, its transactional revenues have been performing poorly owing to the shift in buying patterns. Notably, IBM’s transactional revenues have been declining lately because enterprise clients temporarily shifted capital budgets toward scarce AI hardware, causing delays in high-margin mainframe and transaction-processing software orders.
Amid this backdrop of transactional volatility, investors seeking exposure to IBM’s long-term enterprise AI momentum, without absorbing single-stock earnings risk, may prefer a basket strategy via Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) heavily weighted in the tech giant.
But before suggesting those ETFs, let us delve a bit deeper into IBM’s second-quarter results to assess the company’s performance across other metrics.
A Closer Look at IBM’s Q2 EarningsIBM’s second-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.93 came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, while its revenues missed the consensus mark by a whisker.
The company delivered revenue growth of 1%, while its operating margin (pre-tax) expanded 30 basis points (bps).
Segment-wise, the company delivered solid revenue growth in its software and financing businesses, whereas its infrastructure unit posted a 7% slump in the top line. Poor performance of its Z application primarily hurt the infrastructure business segment.
In response to tight infrastructure supply, IBM has been strengthening its supply chain throughout the first half of the year. This proactive move positions the company to meet robust second-half customer demand in its Infrastructure unit.
As of the end of the second quarter, the company generated net cash from operating activities of $2.6 billion, up $0.9 billion year over year.
However, IBM's free cash flow went down $0.3 billion year over year to $2.5 billion. The company returned $3.2 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends through the first half of 2026.
Looking ahead, IBM expects rapid uptake for its latest AI tools, with almost 50% of z17 clients already adopting the Spyre Accelerator and watsonx Code Assistant for Z users expanding MIPS workload capacity three times faster than their peers.
For its infrastructure business, the company expects revenues to grow by low single digits in 2026, driven by growth in Distributed Infrastructure and continued strong program-to-program performance in IBM Z through the second half of 2026.
IBM-Heavy ETFs to WatchConsidering IBM’s aforementioned outlook, investors may want to keep the following ETFs on their watchlist and invest when appropriate to gain exposure to IBM while minimizing single-stock concentration risk.
First Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund (TDIV - Free Report)
This fund, with net assets worth $4.18 billion, offers exposure to 94 technology and telecommunications companies that pay a regular or common dividend. IBM holds the fourth position in this ETF, with 6.71% weightage in the fund.
TDIV has surged 21.8% over the past year. It charges 50 basis points (bps) as fees.
FT Vest Technology Dividend Target Income ETF (TDVI - Free Report)
This fund, with net assets worth $524 million, seeks to provide investors with current income with a secondary objective of providing capital appreciation. IBM holds the fourth position in this ETF, with 6.70% weightage in the fund.
TDVI has soared 13.7% over the past year. It charges 75 bps as fees.
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P Sector Neutral Dividend ETF (SPDG - Free Report)
This fund, with net assets worth $12.8 million, offers exposure to 275 large, mid, and small-cap companies that have increased or maintained their dividend for seven or more consecutive years. IBM holds the third position in this ETF, with 5.04% weightage in the fund.
SPDG has gained 19.7% over the past year. It charges 5 bps as fees.
Chevron oznámil za 2. čtvrtletí 2026 zisk lepší, než se očekávalo: upravené EPS bylo 6,06 USD, proti odhadu 5,56 USD, a výnosy a ostatní příjmy dosáhly 70,06 mld. USD, nad odhadem 61,97 mld. USD. Po výsledcích analytici Barclays a Bernstein zvýšili cílové ceny z 213 na 216 USD, respektive z 204 na 209 USD.
Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) on Friday reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results.
Adjusted EPS of $6.06 beat the $5.56 estimate. Total revenues and other income rose 56.3% to $70.06 billion, topping the $61.97 billion estimate.
“Faced with geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility, Chevron’s people remain focused on safely delivering the reliable energy the world needs,” Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said. “Our strong second quarter performance is a result of disciplined investment and strong execution that drove record U.S. upstream production, record crude throughput in our U.S. refineries, and exceptional reliability across key assets.”
Chevron shares fell 0.8% to trade at $195.38 on Monday.
These analysts made changes to their price targets on Chevron following earnings announcement.
Barclays analyst Betty Jiang maintained the stock with an Equal-Weight rating and raised the price target from $213 to $216. Bernstein analyst Bob Brackett maintained the stock with a Market Perform and raised the price target from $204 to $209. Considering buying CVX stock? Here’s what analysts think:
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Key Takeaways MET is expected to post Q2 EPS growth of 13.9% on 7.9% higher revenue year over year.MetLife may benefit from growth in Group Benefits and Retirement & Income Solutions results.MET's Q2 premiums are projected to increase 10.7% year over year. Insurance provider MetLife, Inc. (MET - Free Report) is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5, 2026, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings is currently pegged at $2.30 per shareon revenues of $19.34 billion.
The second-quarter earnings estimate witnessed six upward revisions and no movement in the opposite direction over the past 60 days. The bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.9%. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests a year-over-year growth of 7.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
For full-year 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MetLife’s revenues is pegged at $79.33 billion, implying a decline of 0.6% year over year. However, the consensus mark for 2026 EPS is pegged at $9.89, implying 12% year-over-year growth.
MetLife beat earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 2.4%. This is depicted in the figure below.
Q2 Earnings Whispers for MetLifeOur proven model predicts a likely earnings beat for the company this time around. 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. That is precisely the case here.
MET has an Earnings ESP of +0.66% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
What’s Shaping MetLife’s Q2 Results?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter premiums indicates a 10.7% year-over-year increase. While the consensus mark signals 3.3% growth in Group Benefits adjusted revenues, the same from Retirement & Income Solutions is projected to jump 28% in the second quarter.
The consensus estimate indicates a 10.3% year-over-year increase in adjusted earnings from the Retirement & Income Solutions segment and 7.9% growth in adjusted earnings from the Group Benefits unit. MetLife Investment Management’s adjusted earnings are pegged at $60.7 million. Further, adjusted earnings from Asia are expected to grow 14.1% year over year and 3.4% from the Latin America business.
These are likely to have positioned the company for year-over-year growth and an earnings beat. The positives are likely to be partially offset by a 2.8% decline in net investment income. Also, adjusted earnings from the EMEA region are expected to decline 6.3% year over year.
How Did Other Insurers Fare This Quarter?Several insurance companies, including Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MRSH - Free Report) , AMERISAFE, Inc. (AMSF - Free Report) and RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR - Free Report) , have already reported their financial results for the June quarter of 2026. Here’s how they performed:
Marsh reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $2.96, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. The bottom line advanced 8.8% year over year.Its strong quarterly results benefited from solid growth in the Risk and Insurance Services and Consulting units. However, the upside was partially offset by Marsh’s elevated operating expenses, primarily due to increased compensation and benefits.
AMERISAFE reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 44 cents, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 17%. The bottom line also declined 17% year over year. The quarterly result was affected by higher expenses and weaker underwriting margins, with additional pressure from lower investment income. AMSF’s strong premium growth partly offset these headwinds.
RenaissanceRe reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.92 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. The bottom line also improved 5.1% year over year. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower expenses, higher net investment income and an improved total combined ratio. However, the upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in RNR’s Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income.
Kimberly-Clark očekává výsledky za 2Q fiskálního roku 2026; tržby mají dosáhnout 4,2 miliardy USD a EPS 2,00 USD. Firma těžila z inovací, ale čelila vyšším nákladům na energie.
Key Takeaways KMB's innovation-led portfolio likely supported volume, mix and demand across key product categories.KMB's productivity initiatives and supply chain investments likely improved efficiency and funded innovation.KMB likely faced higher energy-related input costs tied to Middle East geopolitical developments. As Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB - Free Report) prepares to unveil its second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 04, after market close, investors are eager to see if the company can beat market expectations.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $4.2 billion, implying 1.7% growth from the prior year. Meanwhile, the consensus mark for earnings has remained unchanged at $2.00 per share in the past seven days, indicating 4.2% growth from the year-ago period. KMB has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.1%, on average.
Key Factors to Note for KMB's Q2 EarningsKimberly-Clark’s performance is likely to have been supported by continued execution of its innovation-led strategy, with differentiated, science-backed products across its good, better and best portfolio helping address a broad range of consumer needs and price points. In the last earnings call, the company highlighted that innovation was driving organic growth and improving volume and mix trends. Continuation of these trends is likely to have supported performance during the second quarter.
The company’s focus on expanding its presence across key growth categories is also likely to have remained a positive contributor. The continued innovation in Baby Care, Women’s Health and Active Aging might have helped the company strengthen its market share and broaden the company’s product portfolio. These initiatives were designed to reinforce Kimberly-Clark’s value propositions and sustain its underlying business momentum.
Productivity initiatives might have provided an additional tailwind during the quarter. Kimberly-Clark’s strong productivity pipeline, progress on its previously announced $2 billion investment in the North American supply chain and broader Powering Care efficiency initiatives might have supported operational efficiency and helped fund continued investments in innovation and brand building.
That said, the company likely continued to face cost headwinds from geopolitical developments in the Middle East.
What the Zacks Model Says About KMBOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for KMB this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here.
KMB has an Earnings ESP of +1.43% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Other Stocks With Favorable CombinationHere are three other companies you may also want to consider, as our model shows that these too have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season:
The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.08% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings per share is pegged at 53 cents, implying a 23.2% year-over-year decline. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $6.2 billion, which indicates a decrease of 3% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. KHC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.2%, on average.
US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.10% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share is pegged at $1.37, implying a 15.1% year-over-year decline.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $10.5 billion, which indicates growth of 3.8% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. USFD has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.4%, on average.
Sysco Corporation (SYY - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.56% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share is pegged at $1.51, implying a 2% year-over-year increase.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $21.9 billion, which indicates an increase of 3.7% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. SYY has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 2.1%, on average.
Costco ve 3. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 zvýšila míru obnovy členství v USA a Kanadě na 92,2 % a globálně ji udržela na 89,7 %. Prémiová členství Executive vzrostla o 9,6 % na 41,2 milionu a tvořila 75 % celkových tržeb.
Key Takeaways Costco's U.S.-Canada renewal rate rose 10 basis points to 92.2%, while global renewal held at 89.7%.Digital outreach offset weaker online renewal trends as e-commerce sign-ups grew within Costco's member mix.Executive memberships climbed 9.6% to 41.2 million and generated 75% of Costco's total sales. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) continues to demonstrate exceptional member retention across its global network, showcasing sustained brand engagement and customer trust. At the close of the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the company reported a robust U.S. and Canada membership renewal rate of 92.2%, representing a 10-basis-point increase from the preceding quarter. Meanwhile, the worldwide renewal rate held steady at an impressive 89.7%.
These strong retention metrics highlight Costco’s effective management of changing member demographics. Management acknowledged that online sign-ups have historically renewed at slightly lower rates than warehouse enrollments, creating pressure on overall renewal metrics as digital adoption expands. However, the company said targeted digital communications and retention initiatives more than offset that headwind during the quarter, allowing renewal rates to stabilize despite the evolving member mix.
Membership engagement remains deep, reflected in the steady growth of premium tiers. Paid memberships increased 4.1% year over year to 82.9 million, executive memberships climbed 9.6% to 41.2 million, and membership income rose 10.7%, or 9.9% excluding foreign exchange. Executive members also accounted for 75% of total sales, underscoring the importance of Costco’s highest-value customers. The company also highlighted strong early adoption of executive memberships following the program’s launch in China.
Management also noted that executive membership growth reflected both upgrades by existing Gold Star members and a higher proportion of new members selecting the executive tier. These members typically shop more frequently and spend more than standard members. Together, stable renewal rates, improved retention among digitally acquired members and rising executive participation indicate that Costco’s membership base remains highly engaged.
How Walmart & BJ's Wholesale Compare With CostcoWalmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) is also seeing strong momentum in membership, reinforcing customer engagement across its ecosystem. In first-quarter fiscal 2027, Walmart reported a 17.4% increase in global membership fee revenues, while Walmart+ posted a record first-quarter high in net member additions. Management noted that Walmart+ members spend about four times more than non-members and make seven times more e-commerce visits, highlighting the program's growing contribution to recurring revenues and customer loyalty.
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ - Free Report) also continued to strengthen its membership business during first-quarter fiscal 2026. BJ's Wholesale reported a 9.9% year-over-year increase in membership fee income to $132.4 million, supported by solid membership acquisition, retention and higher-tier membership penetration across both new and existing clubs. Management said BJ's Wholesale remains focused on expanding its membership base while investing in growth, digital capabilities and club expansion to deepen long-term member engagement.
What the Latest Metrics Say About CostcoCostco has seen its shares tumble 6.1% over the past three months against the industry’s 0.6% rise.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Costco's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 42.61, higher than the industry’s ratio of 31.43. However, it is trading below its 12-month median level of 45.94, indicating some moderation in valuation despite sustained investor confidence in the stock.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Costco’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 9.6% and 13.5%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 7.8% rise in sales and 10.2% growth in earnings.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Costco currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
SolarEdge čeká za 2. čtvrtletí zisk 4 centy na akcii a tržby 341,7 milionu USD, tedy o 18 % více než loni. Pomoci mají expanze skladování v Evropě a Asii i širší hrubé marže.
Key Takeaways SolarEdge expects Q2 earnings of 4 cents per share and revenues of $341.7 million, up 18%.Storage expansion in Europe and Asia may support shipment growth and quarterly revenues.U.S. manufacturing, cost controls and wider gross margins may aid second-quarter performance. SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (SEDG - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5, before market open. The company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 86.96% in the last reported quarter.
Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results.
Factors at Play Ahead of SEDG’s Q2 ResultsIn April 2026, SolarEdge Technologies expanded its commercial and industrial storage portfolio with the launch of the CSS-OD 197 kWh integrated solar and storage solution across Europe and Asia. The rollout, along with growing customer adoption in Germany and other European markets, is likely to have supported shipment growth and contributed to the company's second-quarter top-line performance.
SolarEdge Technologies’ continued expansion of its U.S. manufacturing operations to meet domestic demand is likely to have supported shipment volumes and aided its second-quarter performance.
SEDG's cost-control initiatives, strong revenue growth expectations and expanding gross margins are likely to have boosted its second-quarter earnings.
Q2 Expectations for SEDGThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 4 cents per share, indicating a year-over-year improvement of 104.9%.
The company expects revenues to be $325-$355 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues stands at $341.7 million, which suggests a rise of 18% from the year-ago reported number.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Power optimizers shipped is pegged at 2,959.32 thousands, indicating a 7.9% increase from the year-ago reported level.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Inverters shipped is pegged at 82.13 thousands, indicating a 7.7% decline from the year-ago reported level.
What the Zacks Model Unveils for SEDGOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for SolarEdge Technologies this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as you will see below.
Stocks to ConsiderInvestors may consider the following players from the same sector, as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.
Devon Energy (DVN - Free Report) is expected to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 4, after market close. It has an Earnings ESP of +3.94% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DVN’s earnings is pegged at $1.30 per share, indicating a year-over-year surge of 54.8%. The consensus estimate for its sales stands at $6.30 billion, calling for a year-over-year jump of 47%.
Ormat Technologies Inc. (ORA - Free Report) is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5, after market close. It has an Earnings ESP of +73.47% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ORA’s earnings is pegged at 29 cents, implying a year-over-year fall of 39.6%. The consensus estimate for its sales stands at $253.9 million, suggesting a year-over-year rise of 0.8%.
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA - Free Report) is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 7, before market open. It has an Earnings ESP of +6.71% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PAA’s earnings is pegged at 41 cents per share, indicating a year-over-year rise of 13.9%. The consensus estimate for its sales stands at $14.87 billion, suggesting a year-over-year jump of 39.7%.
Kraft Heinz čeká ve 2. čtvrtletí pokles tržeb na 6,2 miliardy USD a zisku na 53 centů na akcii. Tlak mají vyvolat Velikonoce, nižší dávky SNAP a slabší poptávka po potravinách.
Key Takeaways Kraft Heinz is expected to post lower Q2 revenues and earnings than those reported in the year-ago quarter.KHC faces pressure from Easter timing, lower SNAP benefits and softer food category demand.Kraft Heinz expects emerging markets and Away From Home to help offset ongoing headwinds. The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC - Free Report) is likely to witness top and bottom-line declines when it reports second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 5, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $6.2 billion, indicating a 3% decrease from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings has been unchanged over the past 30 days at 53 cents per share, implying a decline of 23.2% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
KHC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.2%, on average. In the last reported quarter, the company’s bottom line topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 16%.
Things to Know About KHC’s Upcoming ResultsKraft Heinz's second-quarter top-line performance is expected to have been under pressure. On its first-quarter earnings call, management projected second-quarter organic net sales to decline 3-5% year over year due to the unfavorable timing of Easter, an approximately 100-basis-point headwind from lower SNAP benefits and continued softness across several food categories, which likely weighed on volumes during the second quarter. Our model suggests volumes to slip 4.3% in the second quarter of 2026.
The bottom line is likely to have been under pressure. Kraft Heinz continued increasing investments across marketing, sales, pricing, product superiority, and research and development to support its long-term growth strategy, while broader inflationary pressures likely remained a risk to margins despite productivity initiatives.
Despite these near-term pressures, Kraft Heinz’s second-quarter performance is likely to have benefited from continued execution improvements across targeted areas of its portfolio. Investments in product renovations, packaging enhancements, innovation and advertising have been driving stronger market-share trends, particularly within the U.S. Taste Elevation portfolio. The company planned to accelerate investments in e-commerce capabilities and add resources intended to improve retailer partnerships and strengthen in-store and online execution, supporting its market-share recovery efforts.
Emerging markets and the global Away From Home business are expected to have continued to offsets these headwinds. Continued support for the Heinz brand, distribution expansion in Emerging markets and expected improvement in Away From Home, together with disciplined price management and productivity savings, were expected to partially offset pressure from the Easter shift, SNAP-related headwinds and category softness.
Earnings Whispers for KHCOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for Kraft Heinz this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is exactly the case here.
Kraft Heinz currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has an Earnings ESP of +0.82%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Other Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are a few other companies worth considering, as our model shows that these, too, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.10% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for US Foods’ upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at $1.37, which implies 15.1% growth year over year. The consensus estimate for the quarterly revenues is pinned at $10.46 billion, which indicates 3.8% growth from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. USFD delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.4%, on average.
Primo Brands Corporation (PRMB - Free Report) presently has an Earnings ESP of +16.51% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The consensus estimate for the quarterly revenues is pegged at $1.76 billion, which indicates an increase of 1.8% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Primo Brands’ upcoming quarter’s EPS is pegged at 34 cents, which implies a 5.6% decrease year over year. PRMB delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.4%, on average.
Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.61% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The consensus mark for the upcoming quarter’s revenues is pegged at $2.42 billion, which indicates 14.5% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Monster Beverage’s quarterly earnings per share is pegged at 59 cents, implying an increase of 13.5% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. MNST delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.6%, on average.
GameStop varuje, že někteří držitelé dluhopisů mohou během 35 obchodních dnů kolem 3. srpna 2026 obchodovat s GME, což může ovlivnit cenu akcie. Firma mění zhruba 400 mil. USD dluhu za akcie a 1 mld. USD dluhu za akcie.
GME stock is dropping. See the chart and price action here. GameStop’s $1.4B Note-For-Stock SwapGameStop entered privately negotiated agreements to swap roughly $400 million of its Convertible Senior Notes due 2030 and $1 billion of its Convertible Senior Notes due 2032 for shares of Class A common stock.
No cash changes hands — the company simply retires debt by handing over equity instead. The catch is in how many shares are handed over and who’s incentivized to move the stock while that number is being calculated.
GameStop said the share count “will be based in part on the average volume-weighted average price of the Common Stock over a 35 consecutive trading day reference period beginning on August 3, 2026, subject to a per share price floor.”
In plain terms: for the next 35 trading sessions, into early September, GME’s average price directly determines how many new shares get printed.
A Built-In Incentive to Short GMEHere is where the hedging language comes in.
GameStop explicitly warned that “some or all of the Existing Noteholders that participate in the Exchange may purchase or sell shares of Common Stock in open market transactions or enter into or unwind various derivative transactions with respect to Common Stock to hedge or unwind their investments in the Exchange Notes.”
The company added that “these activities could increase or decrease the market price of the Common Stock or the Exchange Notes, the effect of which may be material.”
GameStop gave the warning because noteholders now have a built-in incentive to short GME or trade options against it during the VWAP window, since a lower average price could work in their favor depending on how the exchange terms are structured relative to the price floor.
The debt exchange is expected to close around Sep. 23, 2026, meaning this dynamic has weeks to play out.
For a stock already down double digits Monday, that’s a technical overhang worth tracking independent of the eBay headlines — and one that could keep GME choppy heading into the fall regardless of what happens with Cohen’s takeover push.
GME Stock Price Activity: GameStop stock was down 13.84% at $18.71 at the time of publication Monday, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT | ABT Price Prediction) currently trades at $105.70, while the Street’s consensus price target sits at $118.42, implying roughly 12% of upside. Barclays analyst Matt Miksic carries the highest active target at $143, translating to about 35% in gains from here.
Abbott is a diversified healthcare giant with a market cap near $182.9 billion, operating across medical devices, diagnostics, established pharmaceuticals, and nutrition. Wall Street prizes the company for its FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor franchise, structural heart pipeline, and a dividend record spanning 54 consecutive years of increases.
The gap matters because the S&P 500 is up 9.55% year to date while Abbott has declined.
Why Abbott Slid While the Market Rallied The catalyst was the $21 billion Exact Sciences acquisition that closed on March 23, 2026, creating earnings distortion. GAAP EPS in Q2 collapsed to $0.53 from $1.01 from $658 million in intangible amortization, $299 million in interest expense, and a $385 million legal reserve a year earlier. Quarterly earnings growth on a reported basis came in at negative 47.5%.
By the time Abbott filed Q2 results, shares had fallen from $127.12 Q3 2025 filing price to $89.79. Underneath the GAAP mess, adjusted EPS beat at $1.31 versus a $1.28 consensus, a fifth straight beat. Revenue reached $12.59 billion. The market focused on optics rather than operating trends.
Segment weakness reinforced caution. Nutrition fell 3.1%, U.S. Structural Heart dropped 9.8%, and rapid and molecular diagnostics slid 7.3% on soft respiratory season. Abbott is now down 14.08% year to date and 14.3% over the trailing year.
What Analysts Still See in the Setup The bull case rests on adjusted earnings power that GAAP figures obscure. Management raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $5.45 to $5.60 and reaffirmed 6.5% to 7.5% comparable sales growth, both despite roughly $0.20 dilution tied to the Exact Sciences deal. CEO Robert Ford said the company expects “accelerating sales and earnings growth in the second half of the year.”
Miksic’s $143 target is anchored on FreeStyle Libre 3 adoption, gross margin expansion in medical devices, and steady growth from Navitor and TriClip in structural heart. Continuous glucose monitor sales hit $2.19 billion in Q2, up 10.5%, and Cologuard is running at mid-teens growth after the American Cancer Society reaffirmed it as preferred screening.
Across 28 analysts, coverage breaks down as:
Strong Buy: 4 Buy: 17 Hold: 7 Sell: 0 Recent revisions have leaned lower even where Buy ratings stuck. UBS trimmed its target to $125 from $135 in late July while maintaining Buy. That pattern tells you analysts still like the underlying business but expect a slower path higher.
How Med-Tech Peers Are Trading Around Abbott Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) trades at $85.39, down 9.59% year to date, with an average target of $98.44 for roughly 15% upside. Coverage is split with 18 Buys against 12 Holds.
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Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) is the outlier. Shares sit at $46.73 after a 50.99% year-to-date collapse tied to two consecutive guidance cuts. The consensus target of $64.28 implies about 38% upside, with 27 of 31 analysts rating it Buy or better.
Danaher (NYSE:DHR) trades at $194.98, down 14.46% year to date. Its $227.96 target points to about 17% upside, with 22 Buys and 4 Holds.
Boston Scientific carries the largest implied upside, but only because it fell hardest. Against a more stable peer set, Abbott’s 12% consensus upside looks middle of the pack. Miksic’s 35% target is what makes the story interesting.
The Valuation Picture Abbott trades at $105.70, with a $118.42 consensus target across 28 analysts. Forward P/E is 19, and the dividend yields 2.35%.
Abbott is off 14.08% year to date while the S&P 500 is up 9.55%. Over one year, Abbott is down 14.3% versus 18.19% for the index. Shares have rallied 15.48% in the past month, suggesting the worst of the reset may be behind.
The Investment Case The bull case works if H2 2026 delivers the acceleration management has telegraphed. That means CGM sustaining double-digit growth against Dexcom, Cologuard compounding at mid-teens, Structural Heart U.S. stabilizing, and Exact Sciences dilution rolling off into 2027. If adjusted EPS lands at the high end of the $5.45 to $5.60 range and margins expand as Miksic expects, a re-rating toward the $130s becomes reasonable.
The bear case holds if GAAP earnings pressure lingers. Nutrition remains a drag, Structural Heart is bleeding U.S. share, and legal reserves keep appearing quarterly. If the CGM category compresses on price and Exact Sciences dilution stretches beyond guidance, this becomes a value trap.
The recent 15% monthly bounce, raised guidance, and fifth straight adjusted EPS beat point to a business executing while the tape catches up. At 19 times forward earnings for a healthcare compounder with 54 years of dividend hikes, the risk-reward profile favors a longer-term horizon.
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Thermo Fisher zvýšil výhled na rok 2026 po silném 2. čtvrtletí, kdy tržby i upravený zisk překonaly odhady. Firma nyní čeká tržby 47,4–48,1 mld. USD a upravený zisk 24,93–25,33 USD na akcii.
Key Takeaways Thermo Fisher raised 2026 revenue and earnings guidance after Q2 topped consensus estimates.TMO reported broad-based growth, with acquisitions and operating leverage supporting higher margins.TMO still faces risks from currency swings, uneven demand and macroeconomic uncertainty. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO - Free Report) raised its 2026 outlook after second-quarter earnings and revenues exceeded expectations. The update reflects stronger customer activity, better acquisition performance and improved operating leverage.
The key question is whether the higher forecast marks a durable recovery across end markets or a near-term improvement that could still be disrupted by currency swings, uneven regional demand and cost pressure.
Over the past 12 months, TMO stock has gained 23.1%, outperforming the industry’s 8% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Thermo Fisher’s Q2 Beat Reset ExpectationsAdjusted earnings increased 13% year over year to $6.03 per share, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.6%. Revenues rose 10% to $11.99 billion and beat the consensus mark by 2.7%, while organic revenue growth reached 5%.
Growth was broad across end markets. Pharma and biotech, industrial and applied, and diagnostics and healthcare each advanced at a mid-single-digit rate, while academic and government demand increased in the low single digits.
TMO’s Raised Guidance Points to Better DemandManagement lifted its 2026 revenue forecast to $47.4 billion-$48.1 billion and adjusted earnings guidance to $24.93-$25.33 per share. The earnings range implies growth of 9%-11% from 2025.
Thermo Fisher now expects organic revenue growth near the upper end of its 3%-4% range. The outlook includes all of the second-quarter outperformance and a modest improvement in the second half, supporting the view that customer activity is strengthening rather than merely shifting between quarters.
Here's what the consensus estimates suggest for the company's earnings and revenues.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Thermo Fisher’s Margins Show Operating LeverageAdjusted operating income increased 15% to $2.74 billion, and adjusted operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 22.8%. Productivity and volume leverage offset unfavorable mix while preserving investment in growth initiatives.
Profitability improved across all four reporting segments. Analytical Instruments delivered the largest margin gain, with adjusted operating margin rising 420 basis points to 23%, helped by productivity, volume leverage, foreign exchange and favorable mix.
TMO’s Acquisitions Increase the Guidance ImpactAcquisitions are expected to contribute $1.6 billion to 2026 revenues and 32 cents to adjusted earnings per share. Clario added digital endpoint data capabilities, while the filtration and separation business expanded Thermo Fisher’s bioproduction offering across upstream and downstream workflows.
Agilent Technologies Inc. (A - Free Report) also operates across life sciences, diagnostics and applied markets, making it a relevant comparison for laboratory demand and instrument spending. Danaher Corporation (DHR - Free Report) , with businesses spanning life sciences and diagnostics, provides another read on bioprocessing and healthcare-related customer activity.
TMO Faces Currency and Macro HeadwindsForeign exchange remains a restraint. Management reduced the expected 2026 revenue benefit from currency movements by $100 million to $200 million, and recent rate changes created a 5-cent adjusted earnings headwind for the second half.
Demand also remains uneven. North America and China each grew only in the low single digits during the quarter, while tariffs, inflation and geopolitical disruption could pressure costs, delay purchasing decisions and limit the volume leverage needed to achieve the planned margin expansion.
What TMO’s Ratings Say After the Guidance LiftThe raised outlook improves the operating picture, but the investment case remains balanced. Better demand, acquisition contributions and margin expansion support earnings growth, while currency volatility, macroeconomic uncertainty, leverage and competition remain meaningful offsets.
TMO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Its Momentum Score of A points to favorable recent price and earnings-estimate trends, but the Value Score of C, Growth Score of C and VGM Score of C suggest a more measured setup across valuation and growth factors.
You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Broadcom logo is seen in this illustration taken June 11, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesBRUSSELS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Broadcom (AVGO.O), opens new tab on Monday lost its bid to suspend a European Union antitrust request for U.S. legal documents protected by U.S. legal professional privilege in a case related to VMware, which it acquired in 2023, after an EU court sided with EU regulators.
The U.S. chipmaker in May asked the Luxembourg-based General Court for an interim measure against the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, after it was hit with a demand to present documents produced outside the EU.
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It said the request went against U.S. attorney-client privilege, which protects confidential communications between lawyers and their clients. In the EU, this status covers only communications between a company and its external lawyers but not in-house lawyers.
The General Court, Europe's second-highest, rejected Broadcom's arguments.
"It is for the Commission to decide whether a particular item of information is necessary to enable it to bring to light an infringement of the EU competition rules," the judge said.
"If the undertaking under investigation was itself able to decide which documents are, in its view, relevant for the purposes of that investigation, that would seriously undermine the Commission's powers of investigation," they said.
Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by Tomasz Janowski
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
An agenda-setting and market-moving journalist, Foo Yun Chee is a 21-year veteran at Reuters. Her stories on high profile mergers have pushed up the European telecoms index, lifted companies' shares and helped investors decide on their next move. Her knowledge and experience of European antitrust laws and developments helped her break stories on Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta and Apple, numerous market-moving mergers and antitrust investigations. She has previously reported on Greek politics and companies, when Greece's entry into the eurozone meant it punched above its weight on the international stage, as well as on Dutch corporate giants and the quirks of Dutch society and culture that never fail to charm readers.
Key Takeaways Republic Services' Q2 revenues are expected to rise 3% y/y to $4.4 billion, with EPS up 2.3% to $1.81.Collection revenues may grow 5.8%, supported by pricing and higher large-container and residential volumes.Landfill and transfer revenues are each projected to climb 6.7%, while environmental solutions may fall 4.4%. Republic Services, Inc. (RSG - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6, after market close.
RSG has an impressive earnings surprise history. In the trailing four quarters, it surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with an average surprise of 5.2%.
Republic Services’ Q2 ExpectationsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s revenues is set at $4.4 billion, implying a 3% uptick from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. Republic Services is expected to have driven this top-line improvement, riding on its collection segment that delivers the majority of its revenues.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the collection segment’s revenues is pegged at nearly $3 billion, suggesting 5.8% growth from the year-ago quarter’s actual. We expect an uptick in small container core price, accompanied by a volume hike in large container and residential, to have supported this growth. Small container is expected to contribute 44.5% to total revenues, with large container and residential accounting for 28.2% and 26.1%, respectively.
For Landfill revenues, the consensus estimate is set at $911.2 million, hinting at 6.7% year-over-year growth. Rising municipal solid waste is anticipated to have been the key driver of this segment. A persistent increase in special waste revenues is expected to have bolstered this growth trajectory.
The consensus mark for transfer revenues is pinned at $511.1 million, implying a 6.7% year-over-year rally. While prudent yield execution and core pricing are predicted to have delivered this growth, the company’s active capital allocation strategy, completing buyouts to solidify market density and widen regional transfer and recycling network, is expected to have added to this growth.
For the environmental solutions segment, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is $456.8 million. The metric is expected to decline 4.4% from the year-ago quarter’s actual. Despite this setback, we anticipate this segment to find its pace during the second half of the year on the back of its sales pipeline facilitating rising activity across multiple end markets.
The consensus estimate for revenues from the other segment is pinned at $210.8 million, suggesting a marginal year-over-year dip. We expect this marginal decline to have stemmed from weak recycling processing business, as evidenced by its consensus estimate of $107.4 million, indicating a decline from the year-ago quarter’s actual of $114 million.
The consensus estimate for earnings per share is pinned at $1.81, which implies a 2.3% uptick from the year-ago quarter’s actual. Our expectations behind this growth are vested in top-line growth, bolstered by margin expansion, which is facilitated by expense management and share buybacks resulting in a share count fall.
What Our Model Says About RSGOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Republic Services this time around. 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. But that is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Republic Services has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few stocks from the broader Business Services sector, which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this time around.
Enpro (NPO - Free Report) : The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is $322.9 million, indicating 12.1% year-over-year growth. For earnings, the consensus estimate is pinned at $2.3 cents per share, gaining 13.3% from the year-ago quarter. Over the four trailing quarters, the company has an average earnings surprise of 2%.
NPO has an Earnings ESP of +0.87% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The company is scheduled to announce second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 4.
Thomson Reuters (TRI - Free Report) : The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is $1.9 billion, hinting at a 7.3% increase from the year-ago quarter’s actual. For earnings, the consensus estimate is pegged at 96 cents per share, suggesting a 9.1% rally from the year-ago quarter’s reported number. Over the four trailing quarters, the company has an average earnings surprise of 3.1%.
TRI has an Earnings ESP of +2.35% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is scheduled to announce second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5.
Ingredion navrhuje zhruba 5 mld. USD akvizici Tate & Lyle, která má rozšířit jeho portfolio specialit a v prvním plném roce po dokončení zvýšit upravený EPS. Transakce ale stále čeká na schválení regulátorů, akcionářů i dalších podmínek uzavření.
Key Takeaways Ingredion aims to broaden its capabilities across texture, sweetening, sugar reduction and fortification. The deal is expected to boost adjusted EPS in the first full year, though no accretion rate was disclosed. Approvals, financing, integration planning and the ongoing Argo recovery remain key execution hurdles. Ingredion Incorporated (INGR - Free Report) has proposed an approximately $5 billion enterprise-value acquisition of Tate & Lyle PLC. The deal could accelerate Ingredion’s shift toward higher-value specialty ingredients and expand its global customer reach.
The strategic case is clear, but the benefits remain conditional. Regulatory approvals, shareholder approval and other closing requirements must be satisfied before the combination can affect Ingredion’s earnings profile.
Ingredion Targets a Broader Specialty PlatformThe recommended all-cash offer is designed to broaden Ingredion’s capabilities across texture, sweetening, sugar reduction and fortification. Those categories align with the company’s ongoing move away from more commodity-sensitive products and toward specialty solutions built around formulation expertise.
A wider specialty platform would also place Ingredion alongside companies such as International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF - Free Report) , which serves food, beverage, health and biosciences markets with ingredient and formulation capabilities. The comparison highlights the competitive importance of offering customers multiple technologies through one supplier.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
INGR Could Deepen Its Global Customer ReachManagement expects the combination to strengthen Ingredion’s geographic reach and broaden the tools available to its formulation teams. A larger portfolio could help the company address texture, sweetness, nutrition and fortification needs within a more integrated customer solution.
That approach is also visible across the industry. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM - Free Report) describes itself as a global human and animal nutrition provider with a broad portfolio of ingredients and solutions. Ingredion’s proposal points toward a similarly wider solutions model, although the company has not quantified the revenue benefit.
Ingredion Links the Deal to First-Year AccretionIngredion expects the acquisition to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share in the first full year after completion. That target gives investors a financial marker for the deal beyond the strategic rationale.
The available information does not specify an accretion percentage, synergy target or detailed integration timetable. Investors therefore have limited visibility into the expected pace of cost savings, financing effects and operational integration.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
INGR Still Faces Approval and Closing ConditionsThe offer remains subject to regulatory approvals, Tate & Lyle shareholder approval and customary closing conditions. Until those steps are completed, the transaction remains a proposed combination rather than an operating change.
Execution risk extends beyond obtaining approvals. Ingredion must preserve business momentum while preparing for a large integration, and the projected specialty-platform benefits cannot be realized unless the transaction closes successfully.
Ingredion’s Pakistan Sale Adds Portfolio ContextIngredion completed the sale of a 51% stake in Rafhan Maize for approximately $165 million. It retained an ownership interest of about 20%, preserving some financial exposure while giving up control.
The divestiture and the Tate & Lyle proposal point in the same strategic direction. Ingredion is simplifying selected holdings and redeploying capital toward businesses that more closely match its specialty-growth priorities.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
INGR’s Mixed Signals Temper Deal EnthusiasmThe transaction could materially reshape Ingredion’s portfolio, but the announcement alone does not resolve its existing operational and earnings risks. Investors still need evidence of progress on approvals, financing, integration planning and the company’s ongoing Argo recovery.
Ingredion currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), reflecting weak near-term estimate trends. Its Value Score of A and VGM Score of B indicate valuation appeal and a comparatively balanced style profile, while the Growth Score of D and Momentum Score of C are less supportive. Those mixed signals favor evaluating deal milestones alongside operating execution rather than treating the proposal as proof of an improved outlook. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ADP ve 4. čtvrtletí překonal odhady zisku i tržeb, když tržby vzrostly o 7 % a příjem z klientských fondů stoupl o 15 % na 355,4 mil. USD. Pro fiskální 2027 čeká růst EPS o 9 % až 11 %.
Key Takeaways ADP topped fourth-quarter earnings and revenue estimates as sales rose 7% year over year.Client funds interest climbed 15% to $355.4 million as balances and portfolio yields increased.ADP sees fiscal 2027 EPS up 9%-11%, while PEO margin pressure remains a key challenge. ADP (ADP - Free Report) closed fiscal 2026 with fourth-quarter earnings and revenues above expectations, supported by higher client funds income, broad-based segment growth and productivity gains.
The fiscal 2027 outlook points to another year of revenue growth, margin expansion and faster adjusted earnings growth. The key issue is whether client funds income and operating leverage can outweigh continued pressure in the Professional Employer Organization business.
ADP’s Quarter Beat ExpectationsAdjusted earnings of $2.64 per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.9%. Revenues of $5.47 billion exceeded the consensus mark by 0.9% and increased 7% year over year.
Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes rose 13% to $1.37 billion, while the adjusted margin expanded 140 basis points to 25.1%. Higher client funds income and operational productivity helped earnings grow faster than revenues. Employer Services also posted 7% revenue growth and a 90-basis-point margin increase.
Client Funds Income Lifts ADP’s ResultsInterest on funds held for clients increased 15% to $355.4 million. Average client funds balances rose 8% to $41 billion, while the average portfolio yield improved to 3.5% from 3.2% a year earlier.
The net contribution from the client funds extended investment strategy increased 24%. Higher balances, improved yields and a favorable financing spread made this activity a larger earnings contributor, adding support beyond ADP’s core payroll and human capital management operations.
ADP’s FY27 Guidance Signals More GrowthManagement expects consolidated revenues to increase 5% to 6% in fiscal 2027. Adjusted earnings per share are projected to rise 9% to 11%, with adjusted earnings before interest and taxes margin expanding another 70 to 90 basis points.
Client funds remain a measurable part of that outlook. ADP forecasts $1.54 billion to $1.56 billion in client funds interest revenue, based on 3% to 4% balance growth and an average yield of about 3.7%. The company also expects Employer Services revenues to grow 5% to 6%.
PEO Margin Pressure Tempers ADP’s StrengthProfessional Employer Organization Services revenues grew 7%, but the segment margin declined 100 basis points to 12.2%. Revenues excluding zero-margin benefits pass-throughs increased 5%, showing that the headline growth rate included activity that did not add margin.
Workers’ compensation costs and selling expenses also weighed on profitability. That pressure matters because Paychex, Inc. (PAYX - Free Report) also combines payroll, human resources and professional employer organization services, while Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC - Free Report) competes through cloud-based payroll and human capital management software. ADP’s ability to convert segment growth into profit remains an important differentiator.
What ADP’s Ratings Say After EarningsThe quarter and outlook support a constructive operating view, but ADP currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The rating indicates that the near-term earnings estimate picture does not provide a clear enough signal for a more positive stance.
The Momentum Score of B is encouraging and suggests favorable recent trading characteristics. However, the Value Score of C, Growth Score of C and VGM Score of D point to a less compelling combined profile. The mix supports a measured interpretation despite the earnings beat and fiscal 2027 growth outlook.
Sysco má ve 4. čtvrtletí vykázat tržby 21,9 mld. USD a EPS 1,51 USD, tedy meziročně o 3,7 % a 2 % více. Růst má táhnout hlavně U.S. Foodservice Operations a mezinárodní segment.
Key Takeaways Sysco is expected to post Q4 revenues of $21.9B and EPS of $1.51, up 3.7% and 2%, respectively.U.S. Foodservice growth may reflect stronger retention, new customer wins and improved sales productivity.International gains and supply-chain efficiencies may support growth, while higher costs pressure results. Sysco Corporation (SYY - Free Report) is likely to witness top and bottom-line growth when it reports fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $21.9 billion, indicating a 3.7% rise from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings has remained unchanged over the past 30 days at $1.51 per share, which implies a 2% increase from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. SYY has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 2.1%, on average.
Factors Likely to Influence SYY’s Upcoming ResultsSysco’s fiscal fourth-quarter performance is likely to have been supported by continued momentum in its core U.S. Foodservice business. In the fiscal third quarter, local case volumes increased 3.3%, marking the strongest quarterly growth in more than three years. The company has been witnessing improved sales productivity, stronger customer retention and healthy new customer wins. These factors are likely to have supported market share gains despite an industry backdrop marked by soft restaurant traffic. The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates an increase of 3.3% in the U.S. Foodservice Operations revenues.
The International segment is also likely to have contributed to revenue growth, backed by healthy local case expansion and continued operational strength across geographies. The business has been benefiting from expanded supply-chain capacity, greater availability of Sysco-branded products and higher sales headcount. These factors are likely to have continued supporting volume growth and operating performance in the fiscal fourth quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates an increase of 6.7% in the International Foodservice Operations revenues.
On the profitability front, the fiscal fourth quarter is likely to have benefited from strategic sourcing initiatives, a favorable customer mix and disciplined management of product costs, which contributed to gross margin expansion in the fiscal third quarter. Continued improvements in supply-chain productivity, including better warehouse efficiency, fill rates and order accuracy, are also likely to have supported earnings growth in the fiscal fourth quarter.
Despite these positives, results are likely to face some pressure from higher operating expenses. Continued investments in sales headcount and capacity expansion are likely to have kept costs elevated in the fiscal fourth quarter. In addition, persistent softness in restaurant foot traffic, particularly among national restaurant customers, might have weighed on overall volume growth, partly offsetting the benefits from continued productivity gains and margin expansion.
Earnings Whispers for SYYOur proven model conclusively predicts an earnings beat for Sysco this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here.
Sysco carries a Zacks Rank #3 and has an Earnings ESP of +0.20%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
More Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are a few other companies worth considering, as our model shows that these, too, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.82% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kraft Heinz’s upcoming quarterly earnings per share is pegged at 53 cents, implying a 23.2% year-over-year decline. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $6.2 billion, which indicates a decrease of 3% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. KHC has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.2%, on average.
US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.10% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for upcoming quarterly earnings per share is pegged at $1.37, implying 15.1% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $10.5 billion, which indicates growth of 3.8% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. USFD has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 1.4%, on average.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.43% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimberly-Clark’s upcoming quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.23 billion. The figure implies a 1.7% increase from the prior-year quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimberly-Clark’s quarterly earnings per share is pegged at $2.00, indicating a 4.2% gain from the year-ago period. KMB delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.1%, on average.
Trade Desk oznámí výsledky za 2. čtvrtletí 2026 6. srpna; výnosy mají vzrůst o 8,3 % na 751,6 milionu USD. Firma ale varuje před makroekonomickými tlaky, vyššími náklady na AI a silnější konkurencí.
Key Takeaways Trade Desk will report Q2 results on Aug. 6, with revenues expected to rise 8.3% to $751.6 million.CTV, retail media, JBP growth and international momentum are expected to support Trade Desk's results.Macro pressure, higher AI costs and intensifying competition could weigh on Trade Desk's margins. The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD - Free Report) will report its second-quarter 2026 results after market close on Aug. 6.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pinned at $751.6 million, up 8.3% from the prior-year reported number. The consensus estimate for earnings sits at 41 cents per share, flat year over year. The estimate has remained unchanged in the past 30 days.
For the June quarter, management expects revenues of at least $750 million and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $260 million.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Over the trailing four quarters, TTD’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate once, matched it once, and missed twice, resulting in an average negative surprise of 3.15%.
In the past year, shares of the company have lost 79.9% against the Zacks Internet Services industry’s growth of 72.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What Does Our Model Unveil for TTD?Our proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Trade Desk this time around. 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. This is not the case here.
Trade Desk has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Factors at Play Ahead of TTD’s Q2 ResultsContinued momentum in key business areas, such as Connected TV (“CTV”), is expected to have cushioned TTD’s top-line performance in the to-be-reported quarter. CTV is the fastest-growing segment of the digital ad market, given the ongoing shift from linear TV.
Increasing digital spending in CTV, particularly for premium content and live sports, is a key growth driver. The transition toward biddable CTV has been gaining momentum. The benefits of decision-based buying (like greater flexibility, control and performance) compared with traditional programmatic guaranteed or insertion-order models have been rendering it the logical choice for advertisers.
Beyond CTV, retail media has emerged as one of the fastest-growing areas in the digital advertising space. On the last earnings call, TTD highlighted that the retailers in its data marketplace now represent more than 80% of sales from top U.S. retailers, compared with Amazon’s (AMZN - Free Report) roughly 15% share. The company is also extending its Audience Unlimited offering and adding new retail media partnerships. This is likely to have supported second quarter revenue performance.
Further, explosive growth in Joint Business Plans (“JBP”) bodes well. In the first quarter, the company reported a 55% increase in JBP count, with new deal spend (excluding renewals) rising 40% year over year. It signed some 45 deals in March alone.
Management remains highly optimistic regarding its international business. The company noted strong momentum across EMEA and APAC, reflecting multi-year investments in those regions. International business currently represents roughly 18% of total revenues, a clear opportunity for long-term growth.
The Trade Desk Price and Consensus
The Trade Desk price-consensus-chart | The Trade Desk Quote
Management continues to view AI as the next major evolution of programmatic advertising. TTD expanded its AI portfolio through the launch of Koa Agents, an AI-powered agentic capability with Stagwell as the partner, and OpenTTD, a unified login and analytics platform. On the call, TTD added that it believes large language models and AI-powered search platforms could eventually create a new premium advertising channel, expanding its addressable market.
However, macro headwinds remain the primary risk. TTD highlighted ongoing pressure in key verticals such as Food & Drink and Home & Garden as CPG brands face geopolitical tensions, inflation and consumer softness. While automotive remains strong, it is also impacted by tariffs. These factors contributed to a more cautious second-quarter revenue outlook despite confidence in the company's long-term positioning.
TTD is focused on embedding AI across the portfolio, which will further raise capex and operational costs. Rising expenses coupled with investments could compress margins if revenue growth slows. In the last reported quarter, total operating costs (excluding stock-based compensation) surged 18% year over year to $513 million. Expenses soared due to continued investments in enhancing platform capabilities, particularly in more AI-powered tools.
The company expects adjusted EBITDA margins in 2026 to remain in line with 2025, as it continues investing in AI capabilities, product innovation and go-to-market infrastructure.
Further, the competitive environment is intensifying. Walled gardens like Meta Platforms, Apple, Alphabet and Amazon offer fierce competition in this space as they control their inventory and first-party user data, allowing for highly targeted ad campaigns. AMZN’s expanding DSP business is giving tough competition to TTD, especially in this space.
Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few stocks that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season.
Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.08% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
ANET is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on Aug. 4, 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ANET’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at 89 cents per share and $2.83 billion, respectively. Shares of ANET have gained 49.8% in the past year.
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.56% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. AMD is scheduled to report quarterly figures on Aug. 4, 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMD’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $1.61 per share and $11.32 billion, respectively. Shares of AMD have skyrocketed 169.3% in the past year.
Cloudflare má 6. srpna oznámit výsledky za 2. čtvrtletí 2026 s výnosy kolem 664–665 mil. USD a ziskem 27 centů na akcii. Firma těží z adopce AI a Zero Trust, ale marže tlačí vyšší náklady na infrastrukturu.
Key Takeaways Cloudflare reports Q2 2026 results on Aug. 6, with revenues expected around $664-$665 million.NET is expected to benefit from AI adoption, Workers growth and Zero Trust demand.Cloudflare faces margin pressure from higher AI infrastructure costs and network utilization. Cloudflare (NET - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6, 2026. NET anticipates revenues between $664 million and $665 million for second-quarter 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NET’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $665.4 million, indicating year-over-year growth of 30%.
For the second quarter, the company expects non-GAAP earnings of 27 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NET’s second-quarter earnings is pegged at 27 cents per share, suggesting growth of 28.6% from the same quarter last year. The consensus mark for earnings has remained unchanged over the past 30 days.
Cloudflare’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 11.62%.
Factors Likely to Influence Cloudflare’s Q2 ResultsCloudflare’s second-quarter results are likely to benefit from the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and the emergence of the agentic Internet. As enterprises increasingly deploy AI agents and autonomous workflows, demand for Cloudflare’s global network, application services and security offerings is expected to have remained strong in the to-be-reported quarter. Management continues to view AI-driven traffic as a structural growth opportunity for its platform.
Growing adoption of Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform is expected to have been another key growth driver in the to-be-reported quarter. Enterprises are increasingly building and deploying AI-native applications closer to end users, while developers continue to embrace AI-assisted coding and inference workloads. Rising demand for AI Gateway, Agent Cloud, AI Crawl Control and related offerings is likely to have supported Cloudflare’s top-line performance in the second quarter.
The ongoing shift toward Zero Trust cybersecurity architectures is also expected to have benefited Cloudflare’s second-quarter performance. Enterprises continue to consolidate networking and security vendors in favor of unified platforms that simplify operations while enhancing security. Strong adoption of Cloudflare One, SASE, Browser Isolation, Gateway and Access solutions is likely to have remained a tailwind in the to-be-reported quarter.
Cloudflare is also benefiting from enterprises moving away from traditional hyperscaler-centric architectures toward more flexible, developer-friendly and cost-efficient networking platforms. Its unified platform approach, combined with usage-based services and global edge infrastructure, is expected to have attracted customers looking to modernize applications and AI workloads during the second quarter.
However, higher network utilization and the growing mix of developer-focused products are likely to have continued pressuring gross margins in the second quarter. Increasing infrastructure costs associated with rising AI and application traffic, along with continued investment in platform expansion, are anticipated to have weighed on profitability in the to-be-reported quarter. Additionally, persistent macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty is expected to have continued affecting enterprise spending decisions.
Earnings Whispers for CloudflareOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Cloudflare this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.
Though Cloudflare carries a Zacks Rank #2, it has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few companies worth considering in the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector, as our model indicates that these possess the right combination of factors to exceed earnings expectations in their upcoming releases:
SanDisk Corporation (SNDK - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 5. Currently, it 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 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. Shares of SanDisk have soared 457.3% year to date (YTD).
Western Digital Corporation (WDC - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 5. Currently, it has an Earnings ESP of +3.22% and flaunts a Zacks Rank #1.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Western Digital’s 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. Shares of Western Digital have surged 217.5% YTD.
MKS Inc. (MKSI - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5. Currently, it 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. Shares of MKS have rallied 83.5% YTD.
Easterly Government Properties zvýšila celoroční výhled na Core FFO na akcii za fiskální rok 2026 na 3,07 až 3,13 USD po růstu tržeb ve 2. čtvrtletí o 10 % na 92,4 milionu USD. Core FFO na akcii ve 2. čtvrtletí činil 0,78 USD, což představuje meziroční růst o 5,4 %.
Easterly Government Properties NYSE: DEA reported higher second-quarter revenue and per-share earnings, raised its full-year Core FFO guidance and said it is nearing a point where improving equity-market valuation could support more accretive external growth.
President and CEO Darrell Crate said Core FFO per share rose 5.4% from a year earlier, exceeding the company’s stated long-term growth target of 2% to 3%. He attributed the performance to steady earnings growth, capital allocation and efforts to improve portfolio quality.
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Crate emphasized that the company’s portfolio differs from traditional office real estate because it is centered on mission-specific facilities leased to federal agencies, state and municipal tenants, and defense-related companies. He said many properties provide secure, purpose-built environments that are difficult to replicate and are integral to tenant operations.
Second-Quarter Results Total revenue increased 10% year over year to $92.4 million from $84.2 million, according to Allison, who said the gain reflected acquisitions and development completed over the past year, lease renewals, and tenant-improvement and building-specific allowance income.
EBITDA increased about 8% to $58.4 million, compared with $54.3 million in the prior-year quarter. Net income was $0.07 per fully diluted share. Both FFO per share and Core FFO per share were $0.78, up from $0.74 a year earlier.
Occupancy was 98% at quarter-end. Weighted average lease term was 9.2 years. Cash available for distribution was approximately $25.8 million. Net debt to annualized quarterly EBITDA was 7.3 times, down from the first quarter. Allison said the company’s three active development projects continued to advance: an FDLE laboratory in Fort Myers, Florida; a U.S. courthouse in Flagstaff, Arizona; and a U.S. courthouse in Medford, Oregon. The Fort Myers project, which broke ground in August 2025, remains on track for delivery later in 2026.
Financing and Updated Outlook During the quarter, Easterly closed a new $200 million unsecured term loan with a five-year maturity, a $50 million accordion feature and an initial spread of 130 basis points over SOFR. The company used the proceeds to repay borrowings on its revolving credit facility, increasing available liquidity for future investments.
Allison said the financing was priced more favorably than the company had expected for a comparable long-term capital solution. She also said development-project reimbursements and future revenue from delivered projects are expected to support deleveraging.
The company raised its full-year 2026 Core FFO per-share guidance range to $3.07 to $3.13, an increase of $0.01 at the midpoint from the prior $3.09 to $3.10 midpoint range. At the midpoint, guidance assumes $50 million to $100 million of gross development-related investment and $50 million of wholly owned acquisitions during the year.
Management said it continues to pursue an additional investment-grade credit rating in 2027. In discussing the planned refinancing of the $127.5 million Loma Linda mortgage, which matures next summer and carries a 3.6% rate, Allison said an investment-grade unsecured issuance would be the company’s preferred option. She added that Easterly has enough revolver capacity to temporarily carry the debt while pursuing a long-term solution.
Pipeline and Capital Allocation Crate said Easterly maintains a $1.5 billion acquisition and development pipeline that has been cultivated over several years. He said the company is beginning to see opportunities to fund external growth on an accretive basis as its share price improves.
In response to analyst questions, Crate said the company could find “nice transactions” if its stock trades in the $24.50 to $25.50 range, while a share price of $26 to $27 could support a couple hundred million dollars of growth. At higher valuation levels, he said the company could potentially pursue acquisition volume materially above its historical activity.
The pipeline has remained relatively stable, though management said approximately $100 million to $200 million of opportunities may rotate in and out during a quarter. Crate said the company passed on one potential acquisition because it was not a must-have asset and offered an estimated 60 to 75 basis points above its cost of capital.
Management said it is pursuing both General Services Administration-leased properties and assets in state, local and government-adjacent categories. Crate said the company would ideally add assets in an approximately even mix between GSA and alternative categories, with the latter offering 2% to 3% annual escalators that could improve same-store growth.
Easterly also continues to evaluate mezzanine financing opportunities, with management maintaining a target program size of $30 million to $50 million. The company said it has received substantial interest but intends to lend only alongside trusted developers and on assets it would want to own in its portfolio over time.
Leasing, Dispositions and Joint Ventures Management said it is actively working through lease procurements for expirations extending through much of 2027 and does not expect results outside its current assumptions. Those assumptions include mid- to high-teens net effective rent growth and average tenant-improvement and building-specific allowance spending of about $35 per square foot.
The company said an FAA tenant expected to move out in October will remain through at least the end of its lease term because its notice provisions have expired. Allison said management is hopeful the tenant may remain longer but advised analysts not to include additional revenue in estimates at this point.
Crate said dispositions could be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, including for properties that are geographically isolated from the company’s other assets, but he does not anticipate significant portfolio turnover as a means of raising capital for growth.
The company is also maintaining and expanding relationships with joint-venture partners. Crate said Easterly has worked with a sovereign wealth fund and other potential partners, and that joint ventures could provide an additional avenue for funding growth if equity-market conditions are less favorable.
About Easterly Government Properties (NYSE:DEA)Easterly Government Properties, Inc is a real estate investment trust that specializes in the acquisition, development and management of commercial properties leased to U.S. government agencies. Structured as a triple-net lease REIT, the company focuses on single-tenant assets with long-term, credit-backed leases that transfer most property-level responsibilities—including taxes, insurance and maintenance—to its government tenants.
The firm’s portfolio encompasses a variety of facility types, including office buildings, training centers, laboratories and mission-critical installations used by federal agencies.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Key Takeaways TransDigm's acquisitions are expected to expand its aerospace components and aftermarket portfolio.TDG may benefit from strong commercial aftermarket demand and steady defense sales backed by backlog.TDG is expected to post 19.5% EPS growth and 7.2% higher revenue year over year. TransDigm Group Incorporated (TDG - Free Report) is slated to report third-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 4, before market open. The company delivered an earnings surprise of 5.69% in the last reported quarter.
Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results.
Factors Likely to Affect TDG’s Q3 ResultsDuring the fiscal third quarter of 2026, TransDigm completed the acquisitions of Jet Parts Engineering and Victor Sierra. These acquisitions are expected to have contributed to fiscal third-quarter sales by expanding the company's portfolio of proprietary aerospace components and strengthening its aftermarket offerings. Management also noted continued progress in integrating earlier acquisitions, including Simmonds Precision and Servotronics, which is expected to have supported operational performance.
Healthy demand in the commercial aftermarket, supported by favorable booking trends and continued aircraft utilization, is likely to have supported revenue growth in the quarter. Ongoing recovery in commercial OEM production and sustained defense demand, backed by a healthy backlog, are also expected to have contributed positively to sales, despite uncertainty surrounding the evolving situation in the Middle East.
Overall, higher revenues and a favorable commercial aftermarket mix are likely to have supported margin improvement. Continued focus on operational efficiency, cost discipline and improving performance in recently acquired businesses is also expected to have strengthened profitability, supporting the company's quarterly earnings.
Estimates for TDGThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $10.29 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 19.5%.
The consensus estimate for revenues is pinned at $2.67 billion, indicating a year-over-year improvement of 7.2%.
What the Zacks Model Unveils for TDGOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for TransDigm this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as you will see below.
TDG’s Earnings ESP: TDG has an Earnings ESP of -0.36%. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
TDG’s Zacks Rank: TDG currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Stocks to ConsiderBelow, we have mentioned a few players from the same sector that have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in the upcoming releases:
CurtissWright (CW - Free Report) is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5, after market close. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.36% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
CW’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 14.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $3.62 per share, which suggests a year-over-year rise of 12.1%.
ATI INC (ATI - Free Report) is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6, before market open. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.32% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.
ATI’s long-term earnings growth rate is 28%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.03 per share, which suggests a year-over-year rise of 39.2%.
Vertical Aerospace (EVTL - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 13, before market open. It has an Earnings ESP of +15.39% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EVTL’s loss is pegged at 39 cents per share, indicating year-over-year improvement. The company delivered an earnings surprise of 4.76% in the last reported quarter.
Kosmos Energy oznámila ve 2. čtvrtletí zhruba 12% meziroční růst produkce a asi 25% pokles absolutních provozních nákladů. Firma zároveň snížila dluh o přibližně 420 milionů USD v prvním pololetí.
Kosmos Energy NYSE: KOS reported higher second-quarter production, lower operating costs and continued balance-sheet progress as new wells in Ghana and the ramp-up of its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project supported first-half performance.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andy Inglis said the company had made progress on its four priorities for 2026: increasing production, reducing costs, lowering debt and advancing its growth portfolio while limiting capital spending.
Production in the first half was up 18% from the same period of 2025, while absolute operating costs declined 24%, Inglis said. Chief Financial Officer Neal Shah said second-quarter production was approximately 12% higher year over year, driven by new Jubilee wells and GTA's ramp-up. Absolute operating costs during the quarter were about 25% lower than a year earlier.
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Jubilee wells support Ghana outlook Kosmos said its Jubilee field offshore Ghana continued to benefit from an active drilling campaign. Two producer wells, J76 and J77, began production following the company’s first-quarter report, while J50, the completion of a previously drilled well, was expected to start in the coming days.
With J50 online, Kosmos expects Jubilee gross production to exceed 90,000 barrels of oil per day. The company maintained its full-year Jubilee guidance of 70,000 to 80,000 barrels per day, with Inglis saying the latest well performance supported the upper end of that range.
Inglis described J76 as the best Jubilee well drilled in more than a decade. He said the well identified up-dip, unswept opportunities in the core part of the field and encountered deeper horizons that could provide additional resources.
The company is working with the field operators to secure a rig for a 2027-28 drilling campaign of up to 10 wells, targeted to begin around the middle of 2027. The program is expected to incorporate fully processed 4D seismic data and fast-track ocean-bottom-node seismic results.
Management also identified water injection as an operational focus. Inglis said water replacement volumes were about 130% in the first quarter but fell to roughly 65% in the second quarter, partly because of planned maintenance and water-pump availability. He said the issue was operational rather than reservoir-related and would be a focus through the remainder of 2026.
GTA meets LNG cargo expectations as domestic gas work advances At the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project offshore Mauritania and Senegal, gross LNG production in the second quarter was approximately 2.65 million tonnes per annum equivalent. The project lifted nine gross LNG cargoes during the quarter, bringing first-half cargoes to 18.5.
Kosmos maintained its full-year guidance for 32 to 36 gross LNG cargoes. The company said daily LNG production is expected to be somewhat lower during the summer because warmer air and sea temperatures affect operations, with volumes expected to improve later in the year.
The project also lifted one condensate cargo during the second quarter, representing about 300,000 barrels net to Kosmos. A further condensate cargo, estimated at about 400,000 barrels net to Kosmos, is expected late in the third quarter.
Kosmos said it remains on track to reduce GTA operating expense per MMBtu by 50% this year and sees potential for further reductions in 2027. Inglis said increased domestic gas sales could further reduce unit costs because additional gas volumes can be processed without material added costs.
In Senegal, land has been cleared for the onshore section of a pipeline intended to connect GTA gas to the 250-megawatt Gandon power station near Saint Louis. In Mauritania, the country signed a 25-year agreement with Saudi Power Company for a 230-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Nouadhibou that is expected to use GTA gas.
Gulf of Mexico portfolio advances Gulf of Mexico production was in line with Kosmos’ expectations, supported by its operated Odd Job and Kodiak fields. However, the operator of the Winterfell development temporarily abandoned the No. 5 well after encountering casing issues during drilling.
Shah said Winterfell contains significant reserves and has shown good pay, but Kosmos was dissatisfied with the drilling performance and resulting additional costs. The partners have paused activity to understand and resolve the issues before committing further capital, he said.
Kosmos also completed a farm-down of its Tiberius project, bringing Navitas in as a 33.33% partner. Kosmos will remain operator with a 33.34% interest, while OXY will hold the remaining 33.33% interest and operates the nearby Lucius facility.
Shah said the transaction included upfront cash, a development capital carry and future milestone payments. The carry is expected to cover Kosmos’ Tiberius capital expenditures in 2026 and fund its share of development through the first half of 2027. First oil remains expected in the second half of 2028.
The first Tiberius well is targeting roughly 40 million barrels of recovery, according to Shah, with production estimated at about 10,000 barrels per day gross per well. Kosmos also said Shell plans to drill the Trailblazer prospect in the first quarter of 2027 under their exploration alliance. Trailblazer is targeting about 200 million barrels of oil equivalent gross, with Kosmos holding an interest representing just under 60 million barrels, Shah said.
Debt reduction and refinancing plans Kosmos paid down approximately $420 million of debt in the first half through free cash flow, an equity raise and proceeds from the sale of its Equatorial Guinea assets. It ended the quarter with more than $500 million of available liquidity.
The company said S&P and Fitch upgraded its rating to B-minus. Kosmos is targeting about a 20% reduction in net debt for 2026 and expects leverage to move toward two times by year-end, depending in part on commodity prices.
Shah said Kosmos has started discussions with lenders to amend and extend its reserve-based lending facility, targeting completion in the fourth quarter and a facility size of about $1.2 billion. After addressing that facility, the company expects to consider options for its 2028 notes, including opportunistic repurchases or refinancing.
About Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS)Kosmos Energy Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Since its founding in 2003, the company has focused on identifying and developing hydrocarbon reserves in frontier and emerging basins around the world. Kosmos combines geological and geophysical expertise with a disciplined approach to acreage acquisition and partner selection to pursue high‐impact offshore exploration opportunities.
The company's portfolio is anchored by assets in West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Southwest Airlines zavádí pro Southwest Business nové výhody Business Priority a propojení NDC. Cílem je větší flexibilita při rezervaci i během dne cesty. Business Priority bude dostupný od začátku roku 2027 a přímé propojení NDC má být partnerům k dispozici do konce roku 2026.
New Business Priority product and NDC solutions give businesses greater flexibility and choice throughout the journey
, /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announces new benefits for Southwest Business with the introduction of Business Priority and New Distribution Capability (NDC) connectivity. Designed for corporate travel programs, these new offerings provide eligible business travelers with day-of-travel assistance and partners with greater flexibility and choice to access Southwest® content through participating third-party booking tools.
"Southwest is focused on elevating the travel experience to meet the expectations of today's and tomorrow's business Customers through initiatives like assigned and Extra Legroom seating, cabin upgrades, including in-seat power, Starlink ultra-fast WiFi,1 larger overhead bins, and international partnerships," said Aileen Furlong, Vice President of Sales. "And Southwest Business is building on that by making it easier for corporate buyers to access these enhancements through expanded distribution options and priority travel from booking to boarding."
Advancing Managed Travel
Beginning in early 2027, Southwest's new Business Priority product will become available as an option for inclusion in corporate travel agreements for qualified Customers. Business Priority will aim to give business travelers of companies who receive its benefits access to preferred reaccommodation, standby, and boarding benefits that provide greater flexibility and confidence on the day of travel.
More Ways to Access Southwest
The airline is introducing NDC capabilities to provide new connectivity options and ensure Customers have access to Southwest's fare products and seating ancillary services in the channels they use every day. As part of this effort, Southwest is evolving its industry-leading, in-house API. This new direct-connect option is expected to be available to partners by the end of 2026.
Additionally, Southwest has selected Amadeus Altéa NDC, the Amadeus solution enabling personalized and enriched offers for Customers and their travelers through the third parties of their choice, including the Amadeus Travel Platform. This option is expected to be available later in 2027.
"As NDC adoption continues to accelerate across corporate travel, we are pleased to deepen our technology collaboration with Southwest and bring its NDC content to a wider audience. For travel management companies and business travel agencies, access to relevant airline content within existing workflows–including booking and servicing capabilities–is essential to supporting modern managed travel programs and delivering the choice, consistency and efficiency corporate customers increasingly expect," said Meg O'Keefe, Senior Vice President, Airlines, Americas at Amadeus.
These NDC enhancements reflect Southwest's commitment to delivering modern technology solutions across all channels, giving Customers and partners reliable access to consistent fare content, preferred seating products, and travel management capabilities.
Together, these new business travel benefits and distribution capabilities underscore Southwest's continued investment in its corporate travel product.
Visit Southwest.com/aboutbusiness to learn more, including how Southwest Business can be your organization's trusted business travel advisor.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 12 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline.2 By empowering its more than 73,0003 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 134 million Customers carried in 2025. Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.
1 Where available. Available only on select WiFi-enabled designated aircraft.
2 Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey as of Q4 2025
3 Fulltime-equivalent active Employees as of March 31, 2026.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to (i) the Company's initiatives, strategic priorities, focus areas, core strengths, goals, and opportunities, including delivering more for business travelers, elevating the travel experience to meet the expectations of today's and tomorrow's business Customers through initiatives, providing greater flexibility, choice, and confidence for travel, and continued investment in the Company's corporate travel product; (ii) the Company's expectations with respect to delivering modern technology solutions across all channels, giving Customers and partners reliable access to consistent fare content, preferred seating products, and travel management capabilities; (iii) the Company's expectations with respect to enhanced benefits and booking options, Business Priority, and New Distribution Capability connectivity options and adoption, including Amadeus Altéa NDC and including the timing of introduction; and (iv) the Company's plans and expectations with respect to evolving the Company's industry-leading, in-house API, ensuring access to the Company's fare products and seating ancillary services, and making it easier to access product offering enhancements through expanded distribution options and priority travel. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current estimates, intentions, beliefs, expectations, goals, strategies, and projections for the future and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the impact of geopolitical conflicts, fears or actual outbreaks of diseases, extreme or severe weather and natural disasters, actions of competitors (including, without limitation, pricing, scheduling, capacity, and network decisions, and consolidation and alliance activities), governmental actions, consumer perception, consumer uncertainties with respect to trade policies or government shutdowns (including the imposition of tariffs), economic conditions, banking conditions, fears or actual acts of terrorism or war, sociodemographic trends, and other factors beyond the Company's control, on consumer behavior and the Company's results of operations and business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (ii) the Company's ability to timely and effectively implement, transition, operate, and maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives; (iii) consumer behavior and response with respect to the Company's commercial products and policies; (iv) the impact of fuel price changes, fuel price volatility, and fuel availability on the Company's business plans and results of operations; (v) the impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions, including with respect to government shutdowns, as well as the Company's ability to obtain any required governmental approvals, on the Company's business plans, results, and operations; (vi) the Company's dependence on The Boeing Company ("Boeing") and Boeing suppliers with respect to the Company's aircraft deliveries, Boeing MAX 7 aircraft certifications, fleet and capacity plans, operations, maintenance, strategies, and goals; (vii) the Company's dependence on the Federal Aviation Administration with respect to, among other things, the certification of the Boeing MAX 7 aircraft; (viii) the Company's dependence on other third parties, in particular with respect to its technology plans, its plans and expectations related to revenue management, online travel agencies, operational reliability, fuel supply, maintenance, Global Distribution Systems, environmental sustainability, and the impact on the Company's operations and results of operations of any third-party delays or nonperformance; (ix) the Company's ability to timely and effectively prioritize its initiatives and focus areas and related expenditures; (x) the impact of labor matters on the Company's business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (xi) the Company's ability to obtain and maintain adequate infrastructure and equipment to support its operations and initiatives; (xii) the Company's dependence on its workforce, including its ability to employ and retain sufficient numbers of qualified Employees with appropriate skills and expertise to effectively and efficiently maintain its operations and execute the Company's plans, strategies, and initiatives; (xiii) the cost and effects of the actions of activist shareholders; and (xiv) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
Zoetis má 6. srpna oznámit tržby 2,49 miliardy USD a zisk na akcii 1,84 USD za 2. čtvrtletí. V USA může být prodej slabší, zatímco mezinárodní segment má růst.
Key Takeaways Zoetis is expected to report Q2 revenues of $2.49B and earnings of $1.84 per share on Aug. 6, 2026. ZTS may see weaker U.S. sales amid competition and Librela pressure, offset by international growth.Zoetis could benefit from demand for Apoquel, Cytopoint, Simparica Trio and livestock products. Zoetis, Inc. (ZTS - Free Report) is slated to report second-quarter results on Aug. 6, 2026, before the opening bell.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s revenues is pegged at $2.49 billion. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.84 per share.
Let's see how things might have shaped up for Zoetis in the soon-to-be-reported quarter.
Factors to Consider Regarding ZTS’ Q2 EarningsZoetis derives the majority of its revenues from a diversified product portfolio of medicines and vaccines used to treat and protect livestock and companion animals. The company reports business results under two geographical operating segments — the United States and International.
First-quarter revenues in the U.S. segment are likely to have decreased from the year-ago quarter, primarily due to lower sales of Zoetis’ companion animal products and an increasingly competitive landscape. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues generated from this segment is pegged at $1.33 billion.
Revenues from the International segment are expected to have increased in the to-be-reported quarter due to higher sales of companion animal and livestock products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues generated from this segment is pegged at $1.14 billion.
Year to date, Zoetis shares have plunged 38.6% compared with the industry’s 4.5% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Companion animal products sales, particularly ZTS’ parasiticides portfolio, including Simparica and ProHeart franchises, and its key dermatology products, including Apoquel and Cytopoint, are expected to have driven revenues in both the U.S. and International segments in the to-be-reported quarter.
However, Zoetis’ monoclonal antibody products for osteoarthritis pain, Librela for dogs and Solensia for cats, are expected to have posted a decline in sales in the U.S. segment due to fears of side effects in some dogs.
Apoquel is also approved as the first and only chewable treatment in the United States for controlling pruritus related to allergic dermatitis and control of atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 12 months of age. The drug’s expanded label is likely to have boosted sales in the first quarter.
In 2025, the FDA approved a new indication for Zoetis’ Simparica Trio to prevent flea tapeworm infections by targeting and killing vector fleas in treated dogs. With this approval, the triple combo drug is now the only canine combination parasiticide indicated to prevent flea tapeworm infections at the source by eliminating carrier fleas before they can transmit the parasite. The label expansion is expected to have driven sales in the to-be-reported quarter.
Zoetis' livestock product sales are expected to have increased in the second quarter, supported by continued broad-based strength across its core species portfolio. In the United States, growth is likely to have been driven by cattle, poultry and swine products, while the International segment is expected to have benefited from broad-based demand across cattle, swine, poultry and fish.
ZTS Earnings Surprise HistoryZoetis has a mixed earnings surprise history so far. The bottom line surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, delivering an average surprise of 3.58%. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a negative surprise of 4.97%.
Earnings Whispers for ZTSOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Zoetis this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as you will see below. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP: ZTS has an Earnings ESP of -0.75%.
Zacks Rank: Zoetis currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Stocks to ConsiderHere are some stocks worth considering from the healthcare space, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
Harmony Biosciences (HRMY - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +14.14% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Shares of HRMY have lost 5.9% year to date. The company’s earnings missed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average negative surprise of 25.16%. Harmony is scheduled to report second-quarter results on Aug. 4, before the opening bell.
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (ACAD - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +25.00% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
Shares of ACAD have lost 3.1% year to date. The company’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, delivering an average surprise of 20.83%. Acadia is scheduled to report second-quarter results on Aug. 4.
CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.94% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
Shares of CRSP have lost 8.4% year to date. CRISPR’s earnings beat estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining two occasions, delivering an average negative surprise of 1.95%.
Marriott v předobchodní fázi klesl o 4 %, protože tržby ve výši 7,07 miliardy USD zaostaly za odhady a výhled na třetí čtvrtletí naznačil zpomalení růstu upraveného zisku o 7 % až 9 %.
Shares in Marriott International Inc (NYSE:MAR) fell 4% in pre-market trading in New York despite the hotel group beating profit forecasts and raising its full-year outlook for room revenue growth.
Adjusted earnings of $3.19 a share for the three months to June came in comfortably ahead of the $3.05 to $3.08 that analysts had pencilled in.
The problem lay on the top line, where revenue of $7.07 billion undershot consensus estimates ranging from $7.17 billion to $7.26 billion.
That figure is a blunt instrument for a company like Marriott, since more than $5 billion of it is cost reimbursement revenue that the company collects from hotel owners and passes straight back out with no mark-up.
Stripped of that, adjusted revenue rose 11% to $2.01 billion. The more substantive concern is the shape of the second half.
Marriott guided to third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.74 to $2.82 a share and adjusted profit growth of 7% to 9%, a marked deceleration from the 13% delivered in the second quarter.
Full-year adjusted earnings guidance of $11.64 to $11.81 sits barely above the $11.64 consensus, meaning the second-quarter beat has not been carried through to the annual number.
The company also pointed to the low end of its 4.5% to 5% range for net room growth.
International trading remains the weak spot, with revenue per available room down 0.5% as a 43% collapse in the Middle East swamped a 5% gain in Europe and modest growth in Greater China.
The quarter also absorbed a $68 million impairment on the sale of a hotel in the United States and a $27 million litigation accrual.
Set against a share price up more than 40% over the past year, the bar for a positive reaction was high.
Robinhood získal povolení od FCA nabízet kryptoměnové služby ve Spojeném království. Firma je na seznamu společností registrovaných pro kryptoaktiva od 31. července.
Robinhood received regulatory permission to begin offering cryptocurrency services in the United Kingdom.
The traditional platform has been part of the Financial Conduct Authority’s list of registered cryptoasset companies since July 31.
The company’s inclusion by the FCA was flagged in a Monday (Aug. 3) CoinDesk report, which said Robinhood’s new permission has special significance ahead of the adoption of a more comprehensive framework for digital asset regulation in the U.K.
Legislation earlier this year placed crypto under the FCA’s regulatory umbrella. New rules that go into effect in October 2027 will keep the authority’s oversight of crypto limited to financial promotions and anti-money laundering controls.
“This is a significant moment for crypto regulation in the U.K.,” David Geale, the FCA’s executive director of payments and digital finance, said earlier this year. “We’ve created a framework that doesn’t force firms to choose between regulatory certainty and room to innovate. This regime means they can have both in a stable, competitive home to build and grow. For consumers, it means firms will be held to similar standards to other financial providers, though we can’t regulate away risk.”
The relatively short window for businesses to register and win full regulatory approval means those companies already registered under the FCA’s regime might have done a substantial amount of advanced work, the CoinDesk report said.
Robinhood last week reported earnings showing record quarterly revenue of $1.3 billion, a 32% increase from a year earlier, along with new highs in the company’s equities, options and prediction market business.
However, management said Robinhood’s next phase is not mainly about processing more trades.
“Across prediction markets, tokenized assets, banking and credit cards, the financial platform is attempting to control more of the customer relationship and more of the transaction stack beneath it,” PYMNTS reported Wednesday (July 29).
The company is also preparing for the day when financial activity is initiated by software agents, not by customers navigating applications on their own.
Robinhood’s first agentic trading product still has some bugs, but its long-term implication is greater than user experience.
“The next stage will not be decided by whether Robinhood can launch another popular feature,” the PYMNTS report said. “It will be decided by whether it can make a complex portfolio of products behave like one financial system.”
Robinhood ve 2. čtvrtletí překonal odhady zisku na akcii i tržeb, když vykázal zisk na akcii 0,62 USD při tržbách 1,31 miliardy USD, ale akcie po výsledcích oslabily. Firma zároveň snížila odhad upravených provozních nákladů a kompenzací v akciích na 2,675 až 2,775 miliardy USD, zatímco dříve počítala s 2,7 až 2,825 miliardy USD.
Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) reported its second-quarter results after the market closed on July 29, and the company posted sales and earnings that topped Wall Street's expectations. The company posted earnings per share of $0.62 on revenue of $1.31 billion, beating the average analyst estimate of $0.43 per share on revenue of $1.28 billion.
Robinhood recorded an earnings benefit of $0.14 per share in the quarter stemming from its deconsolidation of Robinhood Ventures Fund I, but even after backing out that one-time benefit, earnings per share of $0.48 still came in significantly ahead of the average forecast. Despite Q2 sales and earnings beats, the stock lost ground in subsequent trading. How should long-term investors view and respond to the stock's moves following its recent earnings report?
Image source: Getty Images.
What's next for Robinhood? With its Q2 report, Robinhood revised its guidance for non-GAAP (adjusted) operating expenses and stock-based compensation down to between $2.675 billion and $2.775 billion. Previously, the company targeted adjusted operating expenses and stock-based compensation between $2.7 billion and $2.825 billion.
While moves from companies to cut spending can sometimes be a sign that management is adapting to a growth outlook that has become less promising, there's no real indication that is the case here. Robinhood says it lowered its expense outlook in response to new efficiencies it has achieved. The company also noted that the new efficiencies it captured had been used to fund its new Rothera and WonderFi businesses, so the operating efficiency improvements could actually be significantly better than the new, lower guidance range suggests.
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On the heels of very strong growth momentum in Q2, Robinhood's guidance for lower adjusted operating costs and stock-based compensation looks quite encouraging. The business's second-quarter report showed strong growth momentum across virtually all vectors.
Sales were up roughly 32% year over year, buoyed by a 44% increase for transaction-based revenue. While transaction revenue for cryptocurrencies declined 38% year over year to land at $100 million, sales in the company's event contracts, options, and equities categories each posted very strong growth. Meanwhile, revenue from the net interest segment increased 9% year over year to $389 million, and the company's other revenue segment jumped 54% compared to the prior-year period to reach $573 million.
With Robinhood trading at roughly 35 times this year's expected earnings, the market is already pricing some strong growth into the company's valuation. Conversely, I think there's a good case to be made that the company actually isn't getting enough credit for its recent wins.
Robinhood has continued to record strong double-digit growth for total platform assets, net deposits, and average revenue per user. The company has also seen continued double-digit growth for Robinhood Gold subscribers, and it's still pushing into new business verticals that could help supercharge sales and earnings growth over the long term. While the market didn't have a bullish reaction to Robinhood's second-quarter report, I think it would be a mistake for long-term investors to give up on the stock at this point.
Robinhood Ventures Fund II má 13. srpna vstoupit na NYSE pod tickerem RVII za očekávanou cenu 25 USD za akcii. Fond nabídne retailovým investorům expozici vůči 80 soukromým firmám v rané fázi.
MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Historically, retail investors have been locked out of private companies in their earliest stages, which can be among the biggest wealth creation opportunities available. Today, Robinhood sets out to change that.
Robinhood Ventures Fund II (RVII), the second fund from Robinhood Ventures, is expected to IPO on August 13 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol RVII at an expected price of $25 per share. Robinhood Financial customers can request IPO shares of RVII through Robinhood, and investment advisers on the TradePMR Fusion platform may also seek an allocation for their clients. The window to request IPO shares is expected to close on August 12.
Introducing RVII
RVII is a business development company (“BDC”), a type of closed-end fund, that provides retail investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of private companies in their earliest stages. A closed-end fund is a professionally managed pool of assets—in this case, investments in private companies—that issues a fixed number of shares and trades on an exchange like a stock.
Today, RVII includes 80 private companies, with others expected to be added over time. RVII’s goal is to make seed investments in promising companies across sectors that demonstrate significant growth potential, with a focus on companies that are current or previous participants in the Y Combinator startup accelerator program or companies with a founder or co-founder that has participated in the Y Combinator startup accelerator program. Since 2005, Y Combinator has funded over 5,000 companies with a combined value of over $1.3 trillion, including 100 "unicorns" with valuations over $1 billion.*
"The next generation of promising startups is being built today," said Sarah Pinto, Head of Robinhood Ventures. "With Robinhood Ventures Fund II, retail investors no longer have to wait until a company's IPO to be part of an early growth journey."
“Y Combinator has one of the strongest track records in venture, and having participated in the program myself as both a founder and a visiting partner, I firmly believe its level of access to promising startups is extraordinary," said Rich Aberman, Robinhood Ventures Fund II Portfolio Manager. "As Robinhood Ventures scales, our mission is for it to become the norm that retail is represented in your seed or Series A cap table. This is a great first step in making that dream a reality."
RVII is meant to be accessible to all investors, with no accreditation requirements, no investment minimums, a competitive management fee, and daily liquidity as a publicly traded fund on the NYSE.
RVII pays Robinhood Ventures, the investment adviser, a management fee consisting of two components. A base management fee that is calculated and payable quarterly at an annual rate of 2.00% of net assets, as well as an incentive fee that is determined and payable annually, and is equal to 20% of the realized capital gains from inception through the end of the fiscal year, less realized capital losses, unrealized capital depreciation, and the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees paid for prior periods.
Why Now?
The U.S. venture capital market has become a massive and fast-growing asset class, with $320 billion deployed in 2025 and $1.38 trillion in total assets under management.** However, companies are staying private much longer than they used to, with the median time to IPO growing from 5 years in 1999 to 14 years in 2024,*** meaning much of the foundational growth is happening out of reach of the investing public. At the end of 2025, there were approximately 859 VC-backed private companies valued at $1 billion or more, representing approximately $4.34 trillion in value. Whether that value is realized through acquisitions, public offerings, or secondary transactions, most of the returns will flow to those who were able to invest early, when the companies were private.****
Many startups don’t make it, but the ones that do can change the world. The risks may be higher, but so are the potential rewards, and RVII aims to expand access to this crucial and often closed-off part of the market.
That same mission now extends to the Robinhood team. With the recent launch of the Robinhood Employee Fund, eligible employees can now invest their own money into a fund providing exposure to Robinhood Ventures funds, including RVII.
How to Participate
Starting today, self-directed retail investors can learn more about RVII and request IPO shares directly through Robinhood. Following the launch of Advisor IPO Access, eligible RIAs on TradePMR can submit an Indication of Interest (IOI) and request shares on behalf of clients and then confirm client interest during the Conditional Offer to Buy (COB) window ahead of the final pricing and allocation.
Following the IPO, everyone will be able to see fund performance metrics, charts, and updates, including the new companies joining the fund each quarter. Every quarter, RVII expects to meet with dozens of new companies from the Y Combinator program and beyond, picking the most promising ones to invest in.
Interested investors can review the preliminary prospectus or learn more at https://robinhood.com/us/en/ventures/rvii. Companies interested in joining RVII or learning more about Robinhood Ventures can contact [email protected].
Disclosures:
*Source: Y Combinator; data as of July 2026.
**Source: NVCA 2026 Yearbook (National Venture Capital Association / PitchBook Data, Inc., 2026); data as of December 31, 2025. Y Combinator statistics are for past performance and are not indicative or predictive of future returns, including for RVII.
***Source: Jay R. Ritter, “Initial Public Offerings: Median Age of IPOs Through 2025,” University of Florida IPO Initiative, updated December 31, 2025. Based on 9,343 IPOs from 1980–2025.
****Source: NVCA 2026 Yearbook (National Venture Capital Association / PitchBook Data, Inc., 2026); data as of December 31, 2025.
This communication has been made available to you with the consent of Robinhood Ventures Fund II (“RVII” or the “Fund” ). RVII has filed a registration statement (including a preliminary prospectus) on Form N-2 (File No. 333-297168) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this free writing prospectus relates. The registration statement has not yet become effective. Before you invest, you should read the preliminary prospectus in that registration statement and other documents RVII has filed with the SEC for more complete information about RVII and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the prospectus may be obtained by contacting Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing [email protected]; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or email: [email protected] and [email protected]; Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146); Wells Fargo Securities LLC, 608 2nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55402, at 800-645-3751 (option #5) or email a request to [email protected]; or UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate, 11 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, by telephone at (888) 827-7275, or by email at [email protected]. Investors are advised to carefully consider the investment objectives, risks and charges and expenses of RVII before investing. This presentation shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
An investment in the Fund is speculative and involves a high degree of risk with substantial risk of loss.
RVII is a newly organized, closed‑end, diversified management fund that has elected to be regulated as a business development company, investing in a concentrated portfolio of private “Promising Companies.” This investment strategy entails limited information, illiquidity, valuation uncertainty, and risk of loss; shares and the value of RVII’s Net Assets may be volatile and the shares may trade at a discount or premium, and exposures may be via illiquid private vehicles with capital calls and extra fees. An active, liquid and orderly market for the shares may not develop or be sustained. Investors may be unable to sell their shares at or above the price initially paid for those shares. RVII may use leverage, has limited operating history, and does not anticipate that it will pay dividends on a quarterly basis or become a predictable distributor of dividends, all of which can reduce or delay returns.
A “Promising Company” means early-stage and growth-stage private companies that, in the view of Robinhood Ventures, demonstrate significant growth potential.
Closed-end funds differ from open-end funds in that closed-end funds do not redeem their shares at the request of an investor. No shareholder has the right to require the Fund to redeem his, her or its shares. While RVII’s shares are expected to be listed on an exchange, an active public market for the shares may not develop. As a result, shareholders may not be able to liquidate their investment. Accordingly, shareholders should consider that they may not have access to the funds they invest in RVII for an indefinite period of time. There is no assurance that the private companies in which RVII invests will ever have a liquidity event.
“Y Combinator” is a registered trademark of Y Combinator Management, LLC or its affiliates and is used by the Fund with permission. Y Combinator does not sponsor, endorse, or promote the Fund and has no responsibility for the management or performance of the Fund.
Robinhood Ventures (RHV) is the investment adviser for RVII. Robinhood Ventures is the dba name for Robinhood Ventures DE, LLC. Robinhood Ventures is an SEC-registered investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc.
RVII plans to conduct an initial public offering that will not be limited to accredited investors, and following its IPO will be a publicly traded fund. A trading market may not develop. While the Fund’s shares are expected to be listed on an exchange, an active public market for the shares may not develop. As a result, shareholders may not be able to liquidate their investment. Accordingly, Shareholders should consider that they may not have access to the funds they invest in the Fund for an indefinite period of time.
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This communication includes "forward looking statements," including with respect to RVII's proposed initial public offering (the "IPO") of common shares of beneficial interest, the filing and effectiveness of the registration statement on Form N-2, the expected timing of the IPO, the anticipated public offering price of $25 per share, the expected closing of the window to request IPO shares on August 12, 2026, the ability of customers to request and trade shares following the IPO through Robinhood or through a Registered Investment Advisor on TradePMR, the expected listing of RVII's shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RVII," the potential addition of portfolio companies to RVII over time, RVII’s goal to make seed investments in promising companies across sectors that demonstrate significant growth potential, the belief that Y Combinator’s level of access to promising startups is extraordinary, Robinhood Ventures’ mission for retail to have a seat at the table in Series A financings as Robinhood Ventures scales, RVII’s aim to expand access to a crucial and often closed-off part of the market, RVII's expectation to meet with dozens of new companies each quarter, and the availability of fund performance metrics and portfolio updates following the IPO. These statements also include statements regarding RVII's objectives to expand access to private markets and other statements that are not historical facts. You can sometimes identify forward-looking statements through the use of words or phrases such as "will," "expects," "expected," "anticipates," "anticipated," "aims," "goal," "mission," "intends," "intended," "believes," "plans," "estimates," "potential," "future," "may," "could," or "should," the negative of these terms, or similar words and expressions of the future. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks outlined under "Risks" in the preliminary prospectus and elsewhere in RVII's filings with the SEC, which may cause actual results to differ materially from any results expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. RVII and Robinhood have no obligation, and do not undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statement made in this communication to reflect changes since the date of this communication, except as required by law.
Wheaton Precious Metals oznámila za 1. čtvrtletí rekordní tržby, které meziročně vzrostly o 92 %, a čistý zisk ve výši 582 milionů USD, což představuje nárůst o 129 %.
Precious metals entered 2026 with strong momentum as gold and silver climbed amid central bank buying and global uncertainty. After gold reached roughly $5,400 per ounce and silver $116 per ounce, prices have plunged 24% and 49%, respectively.
The falling prices sound alarming, but geopolitical tensions remain high, U.S. deficits are elevated, and rising energy prices could bring another wave of inflation. For investors seeking exposure to silver and gold, precious metals stocks are an appealing choice because higher spot prices boost margins.
However, rising oil and fuel prices squeeze traditional miners by pushing up operating costs. That is where Wheaton Precious Metals' (WPM +1.43%) differentiated business model stands out. Here's what investors need to know.
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Wheaton offers upside exposure to elevated precious metals prices Precious metals miners benefit from higher spot prices, which translate directly into growing profit margins. However, elevated fuel prices can also drive up operating costs. Known as all-in sustaining costs (ASIC), this represents the cash cost of producing each ounce of the precious metal, including labor, administration, and fuel.
Because many miners rely heavily on diesel and other fuels for their equipment, rising prices amid the ongoing conflict in Iran have put downward pressure on those margins. Instead of running mines, Wheaton is a precious metals streaming company, which means it helps finance miners in exchange for the right to buy future metal production at discounted prices.
This business model helps protect Wheaton from rising costs by granting it the right to purchase a percentage of the mine's future production at a predetermined price for the life of the project. As a result, Wheaton has a locked-in contractual agreement for silver and gold at between 15% and 20% of the spot price in many of its newer agreements, protecting it against inflationary pressures.
Image source: Getty Images.
The company delivered record results in the first quarter, with revenue surging 92% year over year and net earnings reaching a record $582 million, up 129% from last year. The company also declared a dividend of $0.195 per common share in May, up 18% from last year.
Looking ahead, the company projects 50% production growth by 2030, with target output increasing from 1.2 million Gold Equivalent Ounces (GEOs) per year.
A smart precious metals bet -- if prices remain strong Investing in Wheaton Precious Metals isn't without risks. The main vulnerability of its business model is its reliance on precious metal prices. While it doesn't have direct exposure to operational costs, its earnings could plummet if spot prices of gold and silver decline meaningfully from here.
That said, major global banks continue to project gold and silver prices to remain elevated in the coming years. For example, JPMorgan Chase projects gold at around $6,300 per ounce by the end of 2027, while projecting silver at around $85 per ounce.
These high expectations for precious metal prices, coupled with Wheaton Precious Metals' recent 33% decline, make it an appealing stock for investors seeking exposure to silver and gold without the operational costs associated with traditional mining stocks.
cbdMD uvítala návrh senátního rozpočtového zákona, který by odložil plánovaná federální omezení většiny konopných produktů, která mají nyní vstoupit v platnost 12. listopadu, do 11. prosince. Firma uvedla, že by to zachovalo přístup k full-spectrum CBD.
Senate continuing resolution text released August 2 would delay the pending November federal hemp restrictions.
, /PRNewswire/ -- cbdMD, Inc. (NYSE American: YCBD), a leading and trusted manufacturer and distributor of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products through its cbdMD, Bluebird Botanicals, Herbal Oasis, and Paw CBD brands, today welcomed newly released Senate spending legislation that would preserve access to full-spectrum CBD and other naturally derived hemp products.
On August 2, leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee released the text of a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies through December 11. Notably, the bill includes provisions that would delay the pending federal restrictions on most hemp products, currently scheduled to take effect November 12, until December 11. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable characterized the development as potentially "a landmark victory for the hemp industry," calling it the biggest win since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp.
The measure would temporarily preserve the current federal framework for naturally derived hemp products during the extension. It includes a carve-out under which certain synthetic cannabinoids "not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant" would still be affected on the original November 12 timeline. cbdMD's current assessment is that its core portfolio built on naturally derived, full-spectrum CBD and other hemp-derived formulations falls within the category the Senate text is intended to protect.
The Company notes that the Senate text is not yet law. The House of Representatives previously passed a version of the continuing resolution without these hemp provisions, so the language would need to be retained through final House and Senate action and signed by the President before taking effect. The Company will continue to monitor the process closely.
"This is a bridge, not the finish line. It is an encouraging step for our industry and the consumers we serve," said T. Ronan Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of cbdMD. "For the first time, protection for naturally derived hemp products is written into the base text of a must-pass spending bill, rather than left to an amendment fighting for a vote. If enacted, it would preserve access to the full-spectrum CBD products that millions of Americans rely on and give our industry a seat at the table as Congress works toward permanent, sensible rules. cbdMD has spent nearly a decade building brands around the standards responsible regulation should require, including third-party testing, transparent labeling, and age verification, and we intend to be a constructive voice as this process moves forward."
The Company views the proposed extension not as a new deadline, but as an opening. If enacted, the short-term extension would keep the hemp issue open through December 11, giving Congress an opportunity to include a more durable regulatory framework in a Farm Bill, omnibus appropriations package, or year-end extenders package. This progress follows months of engagement by businesses, farmers, consumers, and advocates, as well as public support from the White House for continued access to full-spectrum CBD.
cbdMD's products are supported by third-party laboratory testing and quality-assurance protocols, and the Company supports federal and state efforts to establish uniform standards for the manufacture, testing, labeling, and responsible sale of hemp-derived wellness products.
About cbdMD, Inc.
cbdMD, Inc. (NYSE American: YCBD) is a Charlotte, North Carolina company that manufactures and distributes hemp-derived cannabidiol products, including its flagship cbdMD, Bluebird Botanicals, Herbal Oasis, and Paw CBD brands and its functional-wellness brand ATRx Labs. cbdMD's mission is to enhance its customers' overall sense of well-being through premium, thoughtfully formulated products backed by third-party testing. For more information, visit www.cbdmd.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe," "expect," "would," "if enacted," "positioned," "will," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the uncertain outcome and timing of the Senate continuing resolution and related federal and state legislation and regulation affecting hemp-derived cannabinoids; the possibility that the hemp provisions are removed or altered before enactment; the potential impact of the hemp definition currently scheduled to take effect on November 12, 2026, and any delay of that date; the scope of any synthetic-cannabinoid carve-out; the Company's ability to comply with and adapt to evolving legal requirements; market, competitive, and economic conditions; and other risks described in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law. Nothing in this release constitutes legal, regulatory, or investment advice, and no assurance can be given that any proposed legislation will be enacted or that any particular regulatory outcome will occur.
Contacts
cbdMD, Inc.
Ronan Kennedy
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
[email protected]
(704) 445-3064
Key Takeaways EXPE to report Q2 results on Aug. 3 after guiding 7-9% gross bookings growth and 9-11% revenue growth.EXPE expanded its Rapid API ecosystem and launched new AI travel tools ahead of the earnings report.Expedia Group faces cancellations, AI spending and competitive pressures despite strong Q1 momentum. Expedia Group (EXPE - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 3.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EXPE’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $4.18 billion, indicating a 10.52% increase from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $5.45 per share, revised upward by 4% over the past 30 days. The figure indicates a 28.54% increase from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
Expedia Group’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 13.92%.
Factors Likely to Shape EXPE’s Q2 ResultsExpedia Group’s second-quarter 2026 print arrives against a backdrop of strong first-quarter momentum that set an ambitious bar. In the first quarter, the company delivered its highest first-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin in 15 years, with gross bookings, revenues and profitability all expanding meaningfully year over year. Management guided second-quarter gross bookings to grow 7-9% year over year, with revenues expected to rise 9-11% and adjusted EBITDA margin expanding 50-100 basis points, aided partly by favorable currency movement.
In the first-quarter earnings call, leadership signaled that the B2B segment, powered by the Rapid API network, would likely keep outpacing B2C growth in the second quarter, a trend reinforced in June when Expedia expanded its Rapid API ecosystem to help partners unlock multi-element bookings spanning cars, flights, activities and trip protection. Continued lodging growth outside the U.S. and rising vacation-rental scale on Vrbo likely supported second-quarter volumes.
April through June brought several traveler-facing initiatives. At its Explore 26 partner conference in May, Expedia unveiled new AI-driven planning tools, a partnership with CLEAR for airport experiences, an expanded Uber integration, and a collaboration with International Workplace Group offering complimentary Hotels.com status. The company also released Memorial Day and summer travel outlook reports highlighting demand for secondary cities and soccer-related trips. Alongside this, Expedia paid its quarterly dividend on June 18 and continued repurchasing shares under its enlarged buyback authorization, signaling confidence in cash generation.
Offsetting these catalysts, management had flagged elevated cancellations tied to geopolitical tensions and travel advisories, along with moderating promotional intensity in B2B and rising AI-related investment spend, factors that are likely to have continued weighing on margins and demand visibility through the second quarter. Broader consumer softness and competitive discounting across online travel remain lingering risks.
Given the stock's post-first-quarter rally already reflects much of the anticipated margin expansion and bookings growth, and with geopolitical and cost pressures unresolved, investors may be better served waiting for a more attractive entry point rather than chasing shares ahead of the print. Existing shareholders may prefer holding current positions until results clarify the durability of B2B strength, lodging expansion and AI-driven efficiency gains against full-year guidance that still calls for gross bookings growth of 6-8% and EBITDA margin expansion of up to 1.25 percentage points.
What Our Model Says About EXPE StockOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for Expedia Group this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is exactly the case here.
EXPE currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.52% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Other Stocks to ConsiderHere are some other companies worth considering, as our model shows that they also have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in their upcoming releases:
Sweetgreen (SG - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +11.54% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. SG shares have declined 0.9% in the past six-month period. SG is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Groupon (GRPN - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.00% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. GRPN shares have surged 102.5% in the past six-month period. GRPN is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6.
Portillo's Inc. (PTLO - Free Report) presently has an Earnings ESP of +3.85% and a Zacks Rank #3. PTLO shares have declined 25.9% in the past six-month period. PTLO is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5.
Cardano and Injective have successfully linked up through the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol on testnet, creating a direct bridge between two ecosystems that previously had no native way to talk to each other.
The beta version went live on Injective’s testnet in June 2026, allowing ADA and INJ to be transferred back and forth between the two chains. Cardano decentralized applications can now swap tokens and exchange messages with protocols running on Injective’s testnet environment.
What IBC actually does here IBC is the interoperability standard that powers the Cosmos ecosystem. Instead of relying on third-party bridges, IBC enables direct chain-to-chain communication at the protocol level.
Cardano wasn’t originally built with IBC compatibility in mind. The chain runs on a fundamentally different architecture than Cosmos-based networks. Getting these two to communicate required significant engineering work through the cardano-ibc-incubator GitHub repository, which has served as the development hub for building direct transfer routes between Cardano and Injective.
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Injective activated its Cardano IBC module after an internal audit that resolved technical issues within the module itself. Stability improvements were also made to the cross-platform tools that support these interactions.
The integration doesn’t just cover token transfers. Message passing between DApps on both chains is also part of the package, which opens the door for more complex cross-chain applications down the line.
Two years in the making Cardano’s IBC integration effort traces back to June 2024, when the project began laying groundwork to connect with over 115 blockchains within the broader interchain ecosystem.
Injective is a Layer 1 blockchain built specifically for finance. It runs on the Cosmos SDK, which means IBC support is baked into its DNA. The heavy lifting on this integration was primarily on Cardano’s side, requiring the development of custom modules to translate between Cardano’s extended UTXO model and Injective’s account-based architecture.
Both teams have signaled plans to extend functionality to mainnet and integrate further into the broader Cosmos ecosystem, but no specific timeline has been announced for that transition.
What this means for investors The immediate practical impact is zero. Nothing changes for ADA or INJ holders today, because testnet tokens have no real-world value.
For ADA specifically, interoperability has been a persistent gap in the ecosystem’s pitch. Connecting to the Cosmos interchain via IBC would address one of the most common criticisms from outside observers: that Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem is too siloed.
The internal audit that preceded the testnet launch is encouraging, but mainnet will require far more rigorous security review.
Traders watching ADA and INJ should monitor development updates from the cardano-ibc-incubator repository and any announcements regarding mainnet timelines.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Lincoln National ve 2. čtvrtletí vykázala upravený EPS 2,24 USD, což bylo nad odhady, díky vyšším investičním výnosům a nižším nákladům. Čistý zisk vzrostl meziročně o 90,6 % na 1,3 miliardy USD.
Key Takeaways LNC posted adjusted EPS of $2.24, beating estimates as operating revenues rose 4.2% year over year.Lincoln National reported 90.6% higher net income and ended the quarter with an RBC ratio above 420%.LNC ended the quarter with an RBC ratio above 420% and higher book value excluding AOCI. Lincoln National Corporation (LNC - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $2.24, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12%. The bottom line declined 5.1% year over year.
Adjusted operating revenues grew 4.2% year over year to $4.93 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.4%
The quarterly earnings were supported by higher net investment income and lower expenses. Improved profitability in the Life Insurance and Retirement Plan Services segments also contributed to the upside. Nevertheless, these gains were partly offset by lower sales in the Annuities and Group Protection segments.
Lincoln National Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseKey Takeaways From LNC’s Q2 ResultsLNC's estimated RBC ratio remained above 420% at the end of the reported quarter.
Insurance premiums inched up 2% year over year to $1.7 billion, marginally missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.01%.
Fee income was $1.4 billion, which improved 4.3% year over year but missed the consensus mark by 0.4%. Net investment income advanced 10.5% year over year to $1.6 billion and beat the consensus mark by 10.8%.
Meanwhile, other revenues of $202 million rose 9.8% year over year in the quarter under review.
Total expenses declined 9.3% year over year to $2.9 billion. Interest credited rose 11.8% year over year to $1 billion.
Lincoln National reported net income of $1.3 billion, up 90.6% year over year from $699 million.
Lincoln National’s Segmental PerformancesThe Annuities and Life Insurance segments form part of LNC’s Retail Solutions business, while Group Protection and Retirement Plan Services units make up the Workplace Solutions business.
The Annuities segment's operating income totaled $287 million, flat year over year, and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.6%. Favorable equity markets and higher spread income were partly offset by variable annuity outflows and the $12 million impact of the previously disclosed net investment income reallocation to non-operating income. The segment's operating revenues increased 10.5% year over year to $1.3 billion. Total annuity deposits were $3.5 billion, which fell 12.5% year over year.
The Life Insurance segment recorded operating income of $57 million, which improved from $32 million in the prior-year quarter and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $26.7 million. The increase was driven by favorable mortality, partly offset by lower alternative investment income. Operating revenues declined 1.9% year over year to $1.6 billion. Total Life Insurance sales of $216 million advanced 78.5% year over year. Total deposits grew 30.6% year over year to $1.7 billion.
The Group Protection segment's operating income decreased 15% year over year to $147 million but beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $142 million. Operating revenues increased 2.5% year over year to $1.6 billion, driven by a 2.5% rise in insurance premiums. Sales of $155 million declined 17.1% year over year.
The Retirement Plan Services segment recorded operating income of $49 million, which grew 32.4% year over year and outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $44.1 million. The increase was driven by spread expansion and favorable equity markets. Operating revenues increased 6.6% year over year to $353 million. Total deposits rose 4% year over year to $3.7 billion.
Other Operations reported an operating loss of $90 million, narrower than the prior-year quarter's loss of $91 million and better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $93.7 million.
Lincoln National’s Q2 Financial UpdateLincoln National exited the second quarter with cash and invested cash of $10.2 billion, up from $9.5 billion as of 2025-end. Total assets increased to $429.8 billion from $417.2 billion as of 2025-end.
Long-term debt rose to $6.5 billion from $5.9 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Total stockholders' equity increased to $11.3 billion from $10.9 billion as of 2025-end.
Book value per share, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI), was $77.39, up from $73.10 as of 2025-end. Adjusted income from operations ROE declined 130 basis points year over year to 11.6%.
LNC’s Dividend UpdateLincoln National paid quarterly common dividends of $86 million, up 11.7% from the prior-year quarter’s level.
LNC’s 2026 OutlookManagement had earlier projected that the Annuities, Life Insurance, Group Protection and Retirement Plan Services units would account for 58-60%, 8-9%, 24-25% and 8-9%, respectively, of the company's total operating income in 2026.
Management had earlier projected an RBC ratio of more than 420% in 2026 and over the long term.
LNC’s Zacks RankLNC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
How Did LNC’s Peers Perform?Several companies in the insurance space, including Aon plc (AON - Free Report) , RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (RNR - Free Report) and AMERISAFE, Inc. (AMSF - Free Report) , have already reported their financial results for the June quarter of 2026. Here’s how they have performed:
Aon reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.81 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%. The bottom line advanced 9% year over year. Aon’s total revenues of $4.2 billion grew 2% year over year. The top line missed the consensus mark by 0.4%. Organic revenue growth was 5%. The quarterly results were supported by strong organic revenue growth, healthy client retention, operating margin expansion and disciplined execution. Solid performance across the Commercial Risk, Reinsurance and Health Solutions businesses was partly offset by weakness in Wealth Solutions.
RenaissanceRe reported second-quarter 2026 operating income of $12.92 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. The bottom line also improved 5.1% year over year. RNR’s total operating revenues declined 6.7% year over year to $2.64 billion. The top line missed the consensus mark by 1%. The quarterly earnings benefited from lower expenses, higher net investment income and an improved total combined ratio. However, the upside was partly offset by lower net premiums earned, weaker underwriting results in the Casualty & Specialty segment and lower fee income.
AMERISAFE reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 44 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 17%. The bottom line declined 17% year over year. Operating revenues increased 10.3% year over year to $83.95 million and topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1%. AMERISAFE’s quarterly results were affected by higher expenses and weaker underwriting margins, with additional pressure from lower investment income. Strong premium growth partly offset these headwinds.
Generac za poslední měsíc klesl o 23,6 %, i když ve 2. čtvrtletí překonal odhady zisku a tržby vzrostly o 11 % na 1,173 miliardy USD. Růst táhla komerční a průmyslová divize o 29 %, zatímco rezidenční tržby klesly o 2 %.
Key Takeaways Generac fell 23.6% in a month despite a Q2 earnings beat and 11% year-over-year sales growth.Data-center demand drove 29% C&I growth, with backlog near $1.6 billion.Residential sales fell 2%, while margin quality and capacity execution remain key risks. Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC - Free Report) has fallen 23.6% in the past month even after a better-than-expected second quarter and firmer earnings estimates. The retreat puts concerns about residential demand, margins and expansion execution against improving commercial and industrial trends.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The sell-off creates a more reasonable entry point, but the case is not clean. Data-center visibility and estimate revisions support recovery potential, while residential softness and a less compelling valuation signal argue for selectivity.
GNRC’s 23.6% Slide Tests the Bull CaseGNRC’s 23.6% four-week decline follows a 2.4% drop in the past week and a 26.8% slide over 12 weeks. The pattern shows that pressure has persisted beyond a single trading session.
Recent earnings, guidance changes and expansion plans may have shaped sentiment, but the price move cannot be tied to a single development. Investors are weighing faster commercial and industrial growth against a weaker residential outlook and the cost of adding capacity.
Generac’s Earnings Beat Supports the FundamentalsGenerac reported adjusted second-quarter earnings of $2.91 per share, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.95. Sales increased 11% year over year to $1.173 billion, showing that demand growth remained intact despite uneven segment results.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-fiscal-year earnings has risen 4.7% in the past four weeks. That upward revision, combined with the earnings beat, provides a stronger fundamental backdrop than the recent share performance suggests.
GNRC’s Data Center Backlog Adds VisibilityCommercial and industrial revenues advanced 29% to $556.5 million, driven by data-center demand, mobile products and international expansion. Generac ended July with a data-center backlog of roughly $1.6 billion, improving visibility into 2027 and beyond.
The company has two hyperscale supply agreements, including nearly $700 million of expected 2027 volume under the first agreement. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT - Free Report) reported higher power-generation sales tied to large reciprocating engines for data-center applications. Cummins Inc. (CMI - Free Report) serves data-center customers through its standby and prime generator portfolio. Their presence underscores the competitive intensity of the market.
Generac’s Residential Weakness Keeps Risk ElevatedResidential revenues declined 2% to $621.3 million. Lower energy-storage and portable-generator shipments offset higher home standby generator sales, while low outage activity continued to limit portable-generator demand.
Management reduced its 2026 residential growth forecast to the high-single-digit range from roughly 10%. Affordability concerns, a small divestiture and policy and macro pressures in solar and storage leave a meaningful counterweight to commercial and industrial strength.
GNRC’s Valuation Offers a Mixed SignalGNRC trades at 18.8X forward 12-month earnings, below the sub-industry’s 21.5X, the sector’s 21.1X and the S&P 500’s 20.3X. The relative discount looks appealing after the decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Yet the multiple is close to its five-year median of 19.3X, limiting the case for a deep-value label. Commercial and industrial products generally carry lower margins than residential offerings, and second-quarter gross margin received a roughly six-percentage-point lift from tariff refunds. Execution on new capacity also remains critical.
GNRC’s Strong Signal Meets Mixed Style ScoresBottom line, the sell-off has improved GNRC’s risk-reward profile, but it is a selective buying chance rather than an obvious bargain. The data-center backlog and higher earnings estimates support upside, while residential and margin risks can keep volatility elevated.
Generac currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting positive earnings estimate revisions and supporting the potential for near-term recovery. Its Growth Score of B adds a favorable growth signal. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Value Score of D, Momentum Score of C and VGM Score of C are less supportive. Because Style Scores complement the Zacks Rank, the mixed grades favor investors focused on improving growth fundamentals over those seeking a clear value or momentum setup.
Generac má backlog zakázek pro datová centra asi 1,6 mld. USD, z toho 1 mld. USD nových objednávek za posledních 90 dní. Firma čeká v roce 2026 výnosy z datových center kolem 450 mil. USD.
Key Takeaways Generac's data center backlog hit $1.6 billion, including $1 billion of new orders received within 90 days.Two hyperscaler deals include nearly $700 million of committed 2027 volume with Generac's first customer.GNRC expects about $450 million in 2026 data center revenue, making capacity and margin execution critical. Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC - Free Report) has built a data center backlog of roughly $1.6 billion, including about $1 billion of new orders received within 90 days. The scale of those commitments is reshaping the company’s commercial and industrial (“C&I”) growth outlook.
The opportunity also raises the operational stakes. Generac must add capacity, deliver large-megawatt systems on schedule and manage a sales mix that produces lower margins than its residential business.
Generac’s Backlog Reaches $1.6 BillionThe backlog shows that data centers are becoming a substantial source of future demand rather than a limited near-term contributor. It supports a broader shift toward commercial and industrial customers with multiyear power requirements.
The $1.6 billion figure does not include committed volumes that remain under negotiation with Generac’s second hyperscale customer. That leaves room for additional orders, but the timing and final product terms still need to be completed.
GNRC’s Hyperscaler Deals Extend Revenue VisibilityGenerac has secured two multiyear global supply agreements with hyperscale data center operators. The agreements strengthen visibility beyond the current year and give the company a clearer basis for production planning.
Finalized product-specific terms with the first customer represent nearly $700 million of committed volume for 2027. Negotiations with the second customer cover potential volumes for 2027 and 2028, extending the opportunity further into the planning cycle.
Generac’s 2026 Data Center Outlook Moves HigherManagement raised its 2026 data center revenue expectation to roughly $450 million. The higher forecast indicates that backlog conversion should become a more meaningful contributor to Generac’s near-term C&I revenues.
Multiyear agreements may also reduce reliance on shorter-cycle orders. Manufacturing readiness and final product terms remain important to the pace of revenue conversion.
GNRC’s Capacity Expansion Becomes the Key TestProduction at the expanded Sussex, WI, facility is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, one quarter ahead of plan. The Belvidere, IL, packaging facility is scheduled to become operational in the first quarter of 2027.
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT - Free Report) supplies electric power systems for data centers, making it a relevant comparison as Generac expands large-megawatt capacity. Cummins Inc. (CMI - Free Report) also provides standby generator solutions for hyperscale, colocation and enterprise facilities.
Their presence highlights the need for reliable execution and service support. Delays, inefficient ramp-ups or missed delivery schedules could prevent GNRC from converting its backlog into revenues when expected.
Generac’s C&I Mix Could Limit Margin UpsideTariff refunds added roughly 6% to second-quarter gross margin, which reached 44.5%. Excluding those refunds, management expects 2026 gross margin near the low end of its prior 38.5% to 39.5% range because of the higher C&I sales mix.
GNRC’s Strong Signal Meets a Mixed Style ProfileThe backlog materially improves Generac’s revenue visibility, but the investment case now depends more heavily on capacity execution and margin control. Successful conversion could support a more durable growth mix, while delays would expose the cost of expanding ahead of demand.
GNRC currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), indicating favorable near-term earnings-estimate trends. Its Growth Score of B is consistent with the company’s expanding growth opportunity.
The Value Score of D, Momentum Score of C and VGM Score of C remain mixed. Those scores suggest that the data center theme is promising, but investors still need evidence that backlog can translate into profitable, timely revenue growth.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
EMCOR zvýšila výhled tržeb na 20–20,5 mld. USD a EPS na 32–33,25 USD pro rok 2026 po silnější poptávce a lepší viditelnosti projektů. Objem zakázek dosáhl rekordu 17,14 mld. USD.
Key Takeaways EMCOR's RPOs reached a record $17.14 billion, driven mainly by organic customer growth.EME raised its 2026 revenue, operating margin and EPS guidance on stronger demand and project visibility.Acquisitions expand EMCOR's reach, while project timing, labor and integration remain execution factors. EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME - Free Report) entered the second half of 2026 with record remaining performance obligations and a sharply higher outlook. The combination could extend its earnings momentum if contracted work converts into revenues at expected margins.
The opportunity is substantial, but execution still matters. Project timing, labor availability and acquisition-related amortization could affect the pace of earnings growth even as demand remains broad.
EMCOR’s Backlog Hits a New RecordRemaining performance obligations reached $17.14 billion at June 30, 2026, up 43.9% year over year and 29.3% from year-end 2025. Mechanical construction accounted for $9.31 billion, while electrical construction represented $6.33 billion.
Network and communications produced the largest increase, reflecting continued data-center activity. Water and wastewater, institutional and healthcare projects also contributed, giving EMCOR a more diversified pipeline than a single-market growth story.
Comfort Systems USA, Inc. (FIX - Free Report) offers another sign of strong demand for complex building systems. Its second-quarter backlog reached $14.06 billion, up from $8.12 billion a year earlier, while quarterly revenues rose to $3.27 billion.
Raised Guidance Resets EME’s Earnings OutlookEMCOR raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $20-$20.5 billion from $18.5-$19.25 billion. The company also increased its operating-margin outlook to 9.5-9.8% from 9-9.4%.
Earnings per share are now expected at $32-$33.25, above the prior range of $28.25-$29.75. The revision reflects stronger demand, better project visibility and confidence that current execution trends can continue through the remainder of the year.
Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR - Free Report) also increased its 2026 financial expectations after reporting second-quarter remaining performance obligations of $33.6 billion. That comparison shows how large contracted pipelines are supporting higher outlooks across infrastructure-focused contractors.
Organic Demand Drives EMCOR’s PipelineAbout 95% of EMCOR’s year-over-year remaining performance obligation growth was organic. Customer expansion and new awards, rather than acquisitions, drove most of the increase.
The pipeline spans data centers, water and wastewater, institutional, healthcare and manufacturing work. That breadth may help EMCOR sustain operating leverage because growth is not dependent on one end market or one project type.
Still, backlog does not become revenues automatically. Project schedules can move, and labor or material constraints can affect conversion timing and margins.
Acquisitions Add Scale but Delay AccretionFive electrical businesses acquired or targeted in 2026 generated $625 million in trailing revenues and $105 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The transactions expand EMCOR’s reach in markets including Central Texas, Chicago, Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida.
Management expects the businesses to contribute $250-$275 million of second-half revenues. Near-term earnings accretion may be limited by backlog and intangible amortization, along with lower interest income after cash is deployed.
The longer-term case rests on revenue synergies, broader customer relationships and added technical capabilities. Those benefits will depend on successful integration without weakening EMCOR’s decentralized operating model.
EME’s Buy Signal Supports the Earnings ThemeThe backlog and guidance reset support the view that EMCOR can extend its growth trajectory, but the stock’s premium valuation increases the importance of clean execution. Investors may need continued revenue conversion and margin discipline to justify the current multiple.
EME currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Its Growth Score of B and Momentum Score of B complement that favorable rank, while the Value Score of D signals limited conventional value support. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The combination favors investors focused on earnings growth and price momentum more than those seeking a wide valuation cushion. Successful backlog conversion remains central to supporting the stock’s premium.
