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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 1st, 2026

Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX – Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 8,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,653,000. RTX accounts for about 1.3% of Axiom Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of RTX. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in RTX during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in RTX during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of RTX in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 1 North Wealth Services LLC increased its position in shares of RTX by 456.7% in the fourth quarter. 1 North Wealth Services LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in RTX during the 1st quarter worth $31,000. 86.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes RTX has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings raised RTX from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $240.00 target price on RTX in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on RTX from $200.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on RTX from $235.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of RTX from $198.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $226.94.

Read Our Latest Report on RTX

RTX Stock Up 0.6% Shares of RTX stock opened at $215.58 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $290.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.95, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.30. RTX Corporation has a twelve month low of $150.61 and a twelve month high of $221.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $191.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $193.19.

RTX (NYSE:RTX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.23. RTX had a return on equity of 13.99% and a net margin of 8.28%.The firm had revenue of $24.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.56 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. RTX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.100-7.250 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that RTX Corporation will post 7.21 earnings per share for the current year.

RTX Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. RTX’s payout ratio is 51.41%.

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

Positive Sentiment: Pratt & Whitney, RTX’s engine business, received a nearly $1.3 billion undefinitized contract for F135 engine spare parts. The award supports sustainment of engines powering all three F-35 Lightning II variants, strengthening RTX’s defense backlog and long-term revenue visibility. RTX’s Pratt & Whitney awarded $1.3 billion F135 sustainment contract Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment remains supported by RTX’s latest earnings beat: quarterly revenue rose 14.5% year over year to $24.71 billion, while EPS of $1.89 exceeded consensus by $0.23. Management also raised its full-year 2026 outlook, with guidance of $7.10-$7.25 in EPS, citing a record $289 billion backlog across commercial aftermarket and defense programs. How RTX’s Q2 Beat, Raised Outlook and Record Backlog Will Impact RTX Investors Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has improved after the earnings report, with Morgan Stanley raising its RTX price target. RTX is also being highlighted among industrial stocks positioned to benefit from resilient manufacturing, defense demand and infrastructure investment. Morgan Stanley raises RTX stock price target after earnings Neutral Sentiment: A comparison of RTX with Redwire frames RTX as the more established company, benefiting from scale, execution and a substantial backlog, while Redwire offers potentially faster sales and earnings growth. The analysis underscores RTX’s steadier profile but also suggests investors should weigh its higher valuation against its growth prospects. RTX vs. Redwire: Which Aerospace & Defense Stock Offers More Upside? Negative Sentiment: Reports of insider selling briefly pressured RTX shares, highlighting profit-taking risk after a strong rally toward the stock’s 12-month high. RTX’s valuation—about 38 times earnings—also leaves the stock more sensitive to any disappointment in execution or guidance. RTX shares down following insider selling Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Troy D. Brunk sold 8,557 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.29, for a total value of $1,799,451.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,809 shares in the company, valued at $1,852,444.61. This trade represents a 49.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Kevin G. Dasilva sold 4,760 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.62, for a total value of $1,016,831.20. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 22,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,774,193.38. The trade was a 17.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 15,567 shares of company stock valued at $3,304,375 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

RTX Company Profile (Free Report)

RTX (NYSE: RTX) is a U.S.-based aerospace and defense company that designs, manufactures and services advanced systems for commercial, military and governmental customers worldwide. The company was created through the 2020 combination of Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation and later adopted the RTX name, positioning itself as a diversified provider across the aerospace and defense value chain.

RTX’s operations span a broad set of capabilities. Its commercial aerospace businesses include Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and Collins Aerospace systems, which supply propulsion, avionics, aerostructures, interiors and integrated aircraft systems.

Read More Five stocks we like better than RTX Chevron’s Strong Quarter Shows Why It Still Leads the Energy Sector Amazon’s Earnings Beat Shows Why AWS Is Back at the Center of the Bull Case Apple’s Record Quarter Could Not Outrun Its Guidance Problem McKesson’s Compounding Keeps Adding Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RTX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX – Free Report).

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Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD – Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,680 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,263,000. General Dynamics makes up about 1.0% of Axiom Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GD. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in General Dynamics by 118.3% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,663,847 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $567,372,000 after purchasing an additional 901,679 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 35.0% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,332,917 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,136,525,000 after purchasing an additional 863,392 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 831.1% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 737,259 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $251,405,000 after buying an additional 658,081 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in General Dynamics by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,767,330 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,338,169,000 after buying an additional 528,769 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 613.0% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 613,732 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $206,619,000 after buying an additional 527,651 shares in the last quarter. 86.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More General Dynamics News Here are the key news stories impacting General Dynamics this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results: General Dynamics reported adjusted earnings of $4.24 per share and revenue of $14.09 billion, exceeding estimates of $3.96 and $13.52 billion, respectively. Revenue increased 8.1% year over year, while management highlighted broad-based strength, record backlog and solid cash generation. General Dynamics Corporation Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary Positive Sentiment: Largest catalyst is the submarine award: General Dynamics Electric Boat received $29.5 billion for five Columbia-class submarines and $42.1 billion for nine Virginia-class submarines, plus infrastructure support. The $76.6 billion award strengthens long-term visibility and backlog, although the contract value will be recognized over many years. General Dynamics Electric Boat Submarine Award Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets moved higher: Morgan Stanley raised its target to $465 and maintained an overweight rating, Susquehanna lifted its target to $455 with a positive rating, and BNP Paribas Exane raised its target to $430 with an outperform rating. These revisions reflect confidence in GD’s backlog and defense demand. Positive Sentiment: Growth profile remains attractive: Zacks cited General Dynamics’ earnings growth, improving business momentum and favorable growth characteristics, while the company maintained fiscal 2026 earnings guidance of approximately $16.80–$16.90 per share. Why General Dynamics Is a Strong Growth Stock Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is increasingly debated: Some research indicates the shares could remain below estimated intrinsic value, while other analysts argue that the strong defense outlook is already reflected in the stock’s elevated valuation after its substantial multiyear gains. Negative Sentiment: Risks remain: Analysts have cited supply-chain and margin pressures, limited visibility into future U.S. defense spending and potential execution challenges associated with the large submarine program. Several reports maintain neutral or downgrade views despite the strong fundamentals. Insider Activity at General Dynamics In other General Dynamics news, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total transaction of $12,596,179.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,975 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,457,677.75. The trade was a 48.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total value of $2,000,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,884,695. The trade was a 33.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 78,190 shares of company stock worth $27,041,022 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have commented on GD. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of General Dynamics from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Susquehanna upped their price objective on General Dynamics from $420.00 to $455.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup increased their price objective on General Dynamics from $364.00 to $404.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America boosted their target price on General Dynamics from $400.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on General Dynamics from $327.00 to $313.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $406.32.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on GD

General Dynamics Price Performance Shares of General Dynamics stock opened at $384.53 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $104.04 billion, a PE ratio of 23.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. General Dynamics Corporation has a 12 month low of $306.03 and a 12 month high of $400.00. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $360.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $352.93.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.28. General Dynamics had a net margin of 8.18% and a return on equity of 17.43%. The business had revenue of $14.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.74 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. General Dynamics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.800-16.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.59 per share. This represents a $6.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. General Dynamics’s dividend payout ratio is 38.80%.

General Dynamics Profile (Free Report)

General Dynamics is a major American aerospace and defense contractor that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of products and services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in the United States (Reston, Virginia), the company supplies platforms and systems used by armed forces, civil authorities and private operators across multiple domains including air, land, sea and cyber.

Its principal activities span several operating businesses: a business aviation unit that develops and supports Gulfstream business jets; land systems that produce armored combat vehicles and related logistics and sustainment services; marine systems that design and construct submarines and surface ships for navies; and mission systems and information technology operations that provide command-and-control, communications, cybersecurity and systems-integration services.

See Also Five stocks we like better than General Dynamics Chevron’s Strong Quarter Shows Why It Still Leads the Energy Sector Amazon’s Earnings Beat Shows Why AWS Is Back at the Center of the Bull Case Apple’s Record Quarter Could Not Outrun Its Guidance Problem McKesson’s Compounding Keeps Adding Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 1st, 2026

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX – Free Report) by 43.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,174 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 10,317 shares during the quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lam Research were worth $2,813,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its stake in Lam Research by 242.9% in the first quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 120 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lam Research during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Bayban acquired a new stake in Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Core Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lam Research in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.61% of the company’s stock.

Lam Research News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Lam Research this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong fiscal fourth-quarter results and outlook: Lam reported record revenue of $6.72 billion, up approximately 30% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $1.82 versus the $1.69 consensus estimate. Management’s outlook for the next quarter—approximately $8.1 billion in revenue and $2.00–$2.30 in EPS—significantly exceeded expectations. NAND revenue more than doubled sequentially, while customer-support revenue reached another record. LRCX Q4 Earnings Beat on NAND and Customer Support Strength Positive Sentiment: AI and memory demand remain key catalysts: Analysts and investors see Lam benefiting from ongoing AI infrastructure spending, advanced chip production, NAND investment, packaging, and wafer-fabrication demand. Some commentary describes an “extraordinary runway” heading into 2027. This Chip Stock Could Be the Biggest Winner of the AI Memory Boom Positive Sentiment: China memory concerns may be overstated: Mizuho argued that fears of Chinese producer CXMT flooding the DRAM market and pressuring prices are overblown, easing a potential risk to semiconductor-equipment demand. Tech specialist explains why China memory fears are overblown Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain broadly constructive but targets are mixed: Needham reaffirmed a Buy rating and $390 target, while Morgan Stanley lowered its target from $404 to $367 and B. Riley reduced its target from $385 to $350, retaining Buy or Overweight ratings. The target cuts suggest expectations are being moderated after the rally, even though analysts still see potential upside. Needham Raises Lam Research EPS Estimates Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider selling are overhangs: After rising roughly 3.9 times over five years and trading at a high earnings multiple, LRCX may be vulnerable to profit-taking. Reported insider activity shows sales rather than purchases over the past six months, reinforcing caution around current valuation. Has Lam Research Fallen Far Enough to Look Like a Bargain? Lam Research Stock Down 1.5% Shares of NASDAQ:LRCX opened at $293.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The stock has a market cap of $366.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a 50 day moving average of $340.82 and a 200-day moving average of $276.47. Lam Research Corporation has a one year low of $90.93 and a one year high of $438.50.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The semiconductor company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.13. Lam Research had a net margin of 31.27% and a return on equity of 67.60%. The business had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.33 earnings per share. Lam Research’s revenue was up 30.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Lam Research has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 2.000-2.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Lam Research Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Lam Research Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were paid a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 17th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lam Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Lam Research and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. HSBC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $333.00 target price on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Monday. New Street Research increased their price target on Lam Research from $235.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target (up from $315.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lam Research presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $358.47.

View Our Latest Stock Report on LRCX

Insiders Place Their Bets In other Lam Research news, Director Abhijit Y. Talwalkar sold 18,282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.00, for a total transaction of $6,124,470.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 87,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,192,570. This trade represents a 17.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Eric Brandt sold 54,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.80, for a total transaction of $19,118,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 199,205 shares in the company, valued at $69,881,114. This represents a 21.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 80,441 shares of company stock worth $27,614,296. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

About Lam Research (Free Report)

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ: LRCX) is a global supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. Founded in 1980 by David K. Lam and headquartered in Fremont, California, the company develops and manufactures systems used in multiple stages of semiconductor device production, including thin film deposition, plasma etch, wafer cleaning and related process modules and automation.

Lam’s product portfolio covers core process technologies employed by logic and memory manufacturers, with equipment designed to support advanced-node patterning, 3D NAND and other emerging device architectures.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Lam Research Chevron’s Strong Quarter Shows Why It Still Leads the Energy Sector Amazon’s Earnings Beat Shows Why AWS Is Back at the Center of the Bull Case Apple’s Record Quarter Could Not Outrun Its Guidance Problem McKesson’s Compounding Keeps Adding Up

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Best Buy is at a critical juncture as the consumer electronics retailer aims to revitalize its performance under incoming CEO Jason Bonfig, who spoke exclusively with CNBC about his strategy for the company.

The company has been struggling with slumping sales over the past few years, which it has attributed to lower consumer confidence, less tech innovation and a slower housing market. In an effort to refresh its products, improve the customer experience and drive more sales, the retailer announced Bonfig will succeed current CEO Corie Barry this fall.

As he prepares to take the helm, Bonfig has said he's focused on four key pillars: advancing Best Buy as a retail and technology company, improving its reach, enhancing the customer experience and focusing on being a human-powered company. Bonfig has also said he's looking into ways to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom and Best Buy's spot in that next chapter.

This week, Best Buy opened two new stores, one in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and one in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which Bonfig told CNBC illustrates his strategy as he prioritizes returning the company to long-term and sustainable growth.

"What we're finding is that there are markets that we just can't be in with a traditional size Best Buy store, but they're markets that absolutely make sense for Best Buy from a reach perspective," Bonfig said.

To lean into those markets, the company is opening new small-format stores, ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 square feet, compared to its medium-format stores, which range from 20,000 to 25,000 square feet. Some of its largest stores, including its flagship location in New York City, exceed 40,000 square feet.

The new small stores tap into Bonfig's priority of expanding the company's reach, he said.

"We also know that when we put a store close to a customer, it doesn't just change the customers' behavior in the frequency of the visits of the store … it also changes their behavior digitally as well," Bonfig said.

When Best Buy joins a new, smaller community, he said, the company has found more customers physically go to a store for the first time, but they also use the app and digital channels as well. The Jonesboro store marks Best Buy's return to the town after a tornado destroyed its previous location.

"It's a great example of a vibrant market, a place where customers are interested in our brand, but not a market that could support a 30,000- or 35,000-square-foot store," Bonfig said. "An 18,000-square-foot store allows us to have the best of all of our different categories and meet the needs at that particular location."

The second opening, in Cape Cod, is slightly larger than Best Buy's normal medium-format stores, coming in at 28,000 square feet, but Bonfig said it's another example of finding "the right size store in the right location in the right node."

He added that Best Buy Canada, which can often do things faster than its U.S. counterpart, has been after the small-format store for "an extended period of time" and has seen success with locations as small as 7,000 square feet.

Still, Bonfig emphasized that the small stores are not a replacement for its more typical-format locations.

"It's actually an enhancement of what we're doing today," he said. "But it actually allows us to reach more customers and more markets that we just were not in before."

Trying to turn the pageOver the past five years, Best Buy has seen its stock sink roughly 20% after hitting its peak in late 2021, trading at $138 per share.

For the current fiscal year, Best Buy has said it expects comparable sales in the range of a decline of 1% to an increase of 1%. Though its most recent quarter outperformed Wall Street expectations, it came on the heels of years of declines, like the third fiscal quarter of 2026, when Best Buy reported net income of $140 million, down from $273 million the year prior.

The retailer was also hit by tariffs and is navigating the soaring price of memory chips, which have caused the costs of some consumer electronics to rise.

Bonfig said he attributes Best Buy's recent stagnant performance to a general pull-forward behavior from consumers during Covid that created an unprecedented demand curve that led to a lull. Like home improvement companies, Best Buy saw outsized spending as shoppers were stuck at home and looking to upgrade.

He said Best Buy saw that behavior reset the technology life cycle for a lot of consumers while also forcing vendors to pivot from innovation to production.

"I wouldn't say that Best Buy's lost its momentum," he told CNBC. "I think there's been a very interesting couple years, or maybe more than a couple years, in the market where there was an interesting demand curve where everything was pulled forward."

As he prepares to take the reins of the company, Bonfig said he's focused on improving the customer experience, including upgrading TV selections and working with customers to replace their existing TVs.

Bonfig said he'll define success during his tenure as CEO by the customer response.

He also said the company is leaning into AI for customers and the corporate side of the business, adding that Best Buy is actively investing in new products like Meta's glasses. Best Buy also has an AI tool for customers to use, in addition to partnerships with OpenAI and Google.

"Agentic commerce and commerce through AI platforms is happening today," Bonfig said. "We're seeing traffic there, and we want to make sure that the Best Buy experience is represented."

Still, he added, he expects AI to be an enhancement to the human power behind Best Buy.

And, ultimately, as he looks to step into his new role, Bonfig said he still believes in the core strength of Best Buy despite its recent stagnation.

"Corie had an amazing strategy, and my strategy is built on top of that," Bonfig said. "There is a tremendous amount of momentum."

Polaris Renewable Energy TSE: PIF reported lower second-quarter generation and financial results compared with an exceptionally strong period a year earlier, as curtailment in the Dominican Republic, normalizing hydrological conditions and expected geothermal declines weighed on output.

Chief Financial Officer Alba Seisdedos said consolidated generation declined 7.7% from the second quarter of 2025, while year-to-date generation was down 6.4% from the first half of the prior year. The company said the performance was broadly consistent with management expectations.

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The decline reflected continued curtailment in the Dominican Republic, lower geothermal production in Nicaragua associated with the natural decline of the steam field, and a return to more typical water conditions in Peru and Ecuador after unusually favorable hydroelectric availability in 2025. Stronger solar production in Panama partly offset those factors.

Operations Reflect Expected Production Pressures In Nicaragua, Seisdedos said the steam units performed well and production trends were in line with expectations. First-half production was affected by planned biannual major maintenance on Unit 3 during the first quarter, as well as lower binary-plant output resulting from higher-than-expected sediment in reinjection wells after the maintenance work.

Chief Executive Officer Marc Murnaghan said the company has been operating the binary unit at roughly 0.75 megawatts below its expected capacity because of sediment in two key injection wells. Polaris expects to operate at the current level for the remainder of 2026 but anticipates recovering some or all of the lost output through an acidification program in early 2027.

“We will likely have to wait until Q1 to execute that,” Murnaghan said, citing the need for specialized equipment.

Peru’s hydroelectric facilities produced below the prior year’s record levels but remained above internal expectations, according to Seisdedos. Murnaghan said output was more consistent with levels seen in 2022 through 2024 and broadly in line with the long-term average. He also noted that a May 1 price increase averaged approximately 8% across the company’s three Peruvian plants.

Dominican Republic curtailment averaged 29% during the quarter and 35% year to date, improving from 42% in the first quarter. Murnaghan said curtailment reduced output by about 5,000 megawatt-hours in the quarter, somewhat less than budgeted. He expects government initiatives, including large-scale grid storage contracted as transmission assets, to provide a more complete solution over the next 18 to 24 months.

Revenue and EBITDA Decline as Costs Rise Seisdedos said lower production led to an 8% decline in revenue quarter-to-quarter and a 5% decline year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA fell 11% on both a quarter-to-quarter and year-over-year basis.

Higher pricing in Peru, supported by annual consumer-price-index adjustments in power purchase agreements and favorable market conditions earlier in the year, partially offset the impact of lower output. Panama also contributed improved pricing.

For the six-month period, adjusted EBITDA was additionally affected by higher direct costs related to integrating the Punta Lima wind farm in Puerto Rico and expanding the company’s development pipeline in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Seisdedos said those expenses represent investments intended to support future earnings growth.

The company entered the quarter with nearly $100 million in cash. Polaris also reaffirmed its shareholder-return program, with a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share scheduled for payment Aug. 21 to shareholders of record on Aug. 10.

Battery and Mexico Projects Move Toward Execution Murnaghan said Polaris signed its contract with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority for the ASAP battery project on June 12 and is finalizing equipment procurement. The company is targeting a mid-2027 commercial operation date for the project.

In Mexico, Polaris was selected for 250 megawatts DC of solar capacity with approximately 30% battery-energy-storage-system coverage. The company signed a joint-venture agreement for the Mixto Project on July 3 and is advancing contracting and development milestones.

Murnaghan said the Mexican projects are expected to have approximately 25-year contracts denominated in U.S. dollars, with U.S. CPI inflators and a tolling component. He estimated the three projects could generate combined EBITDA of roughly $25 million to $30 million, though he said both capital costs and EBITDA could increase as final project figures are completed.

The ASAP Puerto Rico battery project is structured as a 20-year, 100% tolling and capacity contract, according to management. Mexico battery and grid-upgrade capital expenditures would be supported by tolling fees, Murnaghan said. Polaris expects more clarity by the fourth quarter on additional Mexican development opportunities and on bids in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. To support the Mexican expansion, Murnaghan said Polaris expects to hire four or five employees for a small Mexico City office before the end of the quarter. The company expects its first Mexican project, Don Humberto, to be ready for construction around November, while larger projects are expected to begin later.

About Polaris Renewable Energy (TSE:PIF)Polaris Renewable Energy Inc is a Canadian publicly traded company engaged in the acquisition, development, and operation of renewable energy projects in Latin America & the Caribbean. We are a high-performing and financially sound contributor to the energy transition. The Company's operations include a geothermal plant (82 MW), four run-of river hydroelectric plants (39 MW), three solar (photovoltaic) projects (35 MW) and an onshore wind farm (26 MW).

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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Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR – Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 7,271 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,992,000. Quanta Services comprises about 3.0% of Axiom Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of PWR. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in shares of Quanta Services by 5.8% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 74,134 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,701,000 after acquiring an additional 4,087 shares during the period. Evoke Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Quanta Services in the 4th quarter worth about $368,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Quanta Services by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 130,436 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $55,052,000 after purchasing an additional 3,966 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Quanta Services by 9.9% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 50,602 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $21,357,000 after acquiring an additional 4,568 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Quanta Services by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC now owns 9,277 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,915,000 after buying an additional 830 shares during the last quarter. 90.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Quanta Services In other news, CEO Earl C. Jr. Austin sold 130,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $770.65, for a total value of $100,184,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 556,911 shares in the company, valued at approximately $429,183,462.15. This represents a 18.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Paul Nobel sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $756.98, for a total transaction of $3,027,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,080 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,116,398.40. The trade was a 33.11% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 159,992 shares of company stock worth $123,244,714 in the last ninety days. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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

Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue beat estimates. Quanta reported adjusted diluted EPS of $4.24, versus consensus estimates near $3.30, while revenue reached $9.56 billion compared with expectations of approximately $8.6 billion. Revenue increased 41.1% from the prior year, and adjusted EBITDA rose to $1.1 billion. Quanta Services Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports future growth. Total backlog reached $53.4 billion, including $33.6 billion in remaining performance obligations. Management cited broad infrastructure demand, electric-sector strength and acquisitions as key growth drivers. Operating cash flow was a record $1.1 billion, with free cash flow of $0.9 billion. Quanta Services Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Growth and Backlog Strength Positive Sentiment: Quanta raised its 2026 financial expectations across metrics. The company now projects revenue of $39.3 billion to $39.7 billion and adjusted EPS of $16.45 to $16.95, both well above prior consensus expectations. The higher outlook signals management’s confidence that strong demand and execution will continue. Quanta Projects 2026 Revenue as Record Backlog Supports Raised Outlook Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim upgraded PWR to “buy” from “neutral” and assigned an $800 price target. The upgrade adds further positive momentum following the earnings report and reflects greater confidence in Quanta’s growth outlook. The Fly Analyst Update Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains elevated. With a reported price-to-earnings ratio above 90, PWR’s stock price already reflects substantial growth expectations. Any slowdown in infrastructure demand, execution problems or disappointment with future guidance could increase volatility. Quanta Services Trading Up 1.5% NYSE:PWR opened at $667.83 on Friday. Quanta Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $363.01 and a 12 month high of $788.75. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $680.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $612.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The company has a market capitalization of $100.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 76.50, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.21.

Quanta Services (NYSE:PWR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The construction company reported $4.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.93. Quanta Services had a return on equity of 20.55% and a net margin of 4.03%.The company had revenue of $9.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.61 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Quanta Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 41.1% on a year-over-year basis. Quanta Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.450-16.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Quanta Services, Inc. will post 12.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Quanta Services announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, May 22nd that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 0.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Quanta Services Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st were issued a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. Quanta Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets PWR has been the subject of a number of research reports. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Quanta Services in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Guggenheim raised shares of Quanta Services from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $800.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday. Mizuho set a $645.00 target price on shares of Quanta Services in a report on Monday, July 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $748.00 price objective on shares of Quanta Services in a research report on Friday. Finally, Evercore upped their price target on shares of Quanta Services from $635.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Quanta Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $752.78.

View Our Latest Report on PWR

Quanta Services Company Profile (Free Report)

Quanta Services, Inc is a leading specialty contractor that provides comprehensive infrastructure solutions for the electric power, pipeline and energy, and communications markets. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company delivers engineering, procurement, construction, installation, maintenance and repair services that support the development, modernization and ongoing operation of critical energy and communications networks.

In the electric power sector, Quanta works on transmission and distribution systems, substation construction and grid modernization projects that include integration of renewable generation and energy storage.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Quanta Services Chevron’s Strong Quarter Shows Why It Still Leads the Energy Sector Amazon’s Earnings Beat Shows Why AWS Is Back at the Center of the Bull Case Apple’s Record Quarter Could Not Outrun Its Guidance Problem McKesson’s Compounding Keeps Adding Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PWR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:PWR – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 1st, 2026

Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD – Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 43,774 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,656,000. Enterprise Products Partners accounts for approximately 1.3% of Axiom Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of EPD. WNY Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Enterprise Products Partners during the 1st quarter valued at about $367,000. Montchanin Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Enterprise Products Partners in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,777,000. Compass Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Enterprise Products Partners during the 1st quarter worth approximately $378,000. Hobbs Group Advisors LLC raised its stake in Enterprise Products Partners by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Hobbs Group Advisors LLC now owns 20,895 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $791,000 after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the period. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Enterprise Products Partners by 15.3% during the first quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,723 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 1,288 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.07% of the company’s stock.

Enterprise Products Partners Price Performance EPD stock opened at $38.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $37.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.97. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. has a one year low of $30.01 and a one year high of $40.17. The company has a market capitalization of $82.30 billion, a PE ratio of 13.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.49.

Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.09. Enterprise Products Partners had a net margin of 10.79% and a return on equity of 20.80%. The company had revenue of $18.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.69 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. Enterprise Products Partners’s quarterly revenue was up 60.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Enterprise Products Partners L.P. will post 2.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Enterprise Products Partners Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. This is a positive change from Enterprise Products Partners’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. Enterprise Products Partners’s payout ratio is presently 81.48%.

Key Enterprise Products Partners News Here are the key news stories impacting Enterprise Products Partners this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat expectations: EPD reported $0.84 in earnings per unit versus the $0.75 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $18.27 billion, well above the $13.69 billion forecast and up 60.8% year over year. Net income attributable to common unitholders rose 28% to $1.84 billion. Enterprise Products Partners Q2 earnings report Positive Sentiment: Record operating performance supports cash flow: Adjusted EBITDA increased 17% to a record $2.8 billion, and operational distributable cash flow reached $2.31 billion, providing 1.9 times coverage of the quarterly distribution. Pipeline volumes rose 8% to 14.7 million barrels per day, while marine terminal volumes jumped 33% to 2.8 million barrels per day. Enterprise Reports Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Positive Sentiment: Growth and income remain central to the investment case: The partnership declared a $0.56-per-unit distribution, payable August 14, and outlined a roughly $3 billion 2027 capital plan. Planned projects include a 150,000-barrel-per-day NGL fractionator at Mont Belvieu and two 300-million-cubic-feet-per-day Permian Basin gas-processing plants. Midstream peers are also increasing payouts, reinforcing sector-wide income appeal. EPD Q2 earnings call highlights Neutral Sentiment: EPD’s roughly 5.6% yield and long history of distribution growth continue to attract income-focused investors. However, the July 31 ex-dividend date may create temporary trading effects as the distribution is reflected in the unit price. EPD dividend analysis Negative Sentiment: Analyst estimate reductions add pressure: US Capital Advisors lowered its EPS forecasts for Q3 and Q4 2026, FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028. Its FY2026 estimate fell to $2.88 from $2.94, while FY2028 declined to $3.29 from $3.43, signaling some concern about longer-term earnings growth despite the latest beat. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have weighed in on EPD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Enterprise Products Partners from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Enterprise Products Partners from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $38.00 price target (up from $34.00) on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 price objective (up from $39.00) on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.93.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on EPD

About Enterprise Products Partners (Free Report)

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) is a Houston-based master limited partnership that provides midstream energy services across North America. The company owns and operates an extensive network of pipelines, storage facilities, processing plants and export terminals that transport and handle natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined and petrochemical products. Its core activities include gathering and transportation, fractionation of NGLs, natural gas processing, crude oil and condensate pipelines, and marine and terminal services that enable domestic distribution and exports.

Enterprise serves a diverse set of customers including producers, refiners, petrochemical companies, marketers and end users.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Enterprise Products Partners Chevron’s Strong Quarter Shows Why It Still Leads the Energy Sector Amazon’s Earnings Beat Shows Why AWS Is Back at the Center of the Bull Case Apple’s Record Quarter Could Not Outrun Its Guidance Problem McKesson’s Compounding Keeps Adding Up

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NEXT HEADLINE »Amundi Buys 1,078,207 Shares of Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc $KDP

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 1st, 2026

Amundi lifted its stake in Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC – Free Report) by 18.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 495,403 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 75,572 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned about 0.38% of Vulcan Materials worth $134,898,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. NBT Bank N A NY purchased a new position in shares of Vulcan Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vulcan Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Vulcan Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Vulcan Materials by 71.7% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 103 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Godsey & Gibb Inc. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials In other news, SVP David P. Clement sold 2,212 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.29, for a total transaction of $646,545.48. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 8,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,547,599.64. This represents a 20.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.65% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on VMC. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $293.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $333.00 target price on shares of Vulcan Materials in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $322.00 to $321.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.93.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on VMC

Vulcan Materials Trading Down 0.8% Shares of NYSE VMC opened at $268.98 on Friday. Vulcan Materials Company has a 1-year low of $252.35 and a 1-year high of $331.09. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $288.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $289.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.89.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 13.05% and a net margin of 13.75%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.42 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Vulcan Materials Company will post 9.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 13th will be issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 13th. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is currently 24.56%.

About Vulcan Materials (Free Report)

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a U.S.-based producer of construction materials that supplies the building and infrastructure markets. The company’s primary products include construction aggregates such as crushed stone, sand and gravel, as well as asphalt mixes and ready-mixed concrete. These materials are used in a wide range of projects including highways, commercial and residential construction, and public infrastructure.

Vulcan operates an integrated network of quarries, asphalt plants and concrete facilities to produce and deliver materials to contractors, municipalities and private developers.

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NEXT HEADLINE »Argent Capital Management LLC Invests $31.92 Million in SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. $SITE

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 1st, 2026

Argent Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI – Free Report) by 14.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 202,422 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 33,673 shares during the period. Argent Capital Management LLC owned 0.29% of Houlihan Lokey worth $29,072,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Robinhood Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth about $6,862,000. Pier Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 62.3% during the 4th quarter. Pier Capital LLC now owns 44,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,664,000 after purchasing an additional 16,894 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,467,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,942,000. Finally, Fenimore Asset Management Inc grew its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 16.2% during the 4th quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc now owns 123,672 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,542,000 after buying an additional 17,199 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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

Positive Sentiment: Houlihan Lokey declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share, payable September 15 to shareholders of record September 1. The dividend implies an annualized yield of approximately 2.2%, providing shareholder income. Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating despite lowering its price target to $177 from $187, while Keefe, Bruyette & Woods retained an “outperform” rating and reduced its target to $153 from $160. Both targets remain substantially above the recent trading level, suggesting analysts expect a recovery. Neutral Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target to $147 from $161 and maintained a “neutral” rating. The revised target still indicates upside, but the cut reflects more cautious expectations for the company’s valuation or near-term performance. Houlihan Lokey Given New $147 Price Target at UBS Group Negative Sentiment: Fiscal Q1 earnings were well below expectations: adjusted EPS was $1.35 versus the $1.64 consensus, and revenue was $511 million versus $602.38 million expected. EPS also fell from $2.14 a year earlier, while revenue declined 15.6% year over year. The sizable earnings and revenue misses are the primary catalyst weighing on HLI. Houlihan Lokey Misses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates Insider Activity at Houlihan Lokey In related news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $941,378.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 6,265 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $941,378.90. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently weighed in on HLI shares. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $161.00 to $147.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research raised Houlihan Lokey from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $171.00 to $148.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $187.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.62.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance Houlihan Lokey stock opened at $125.21 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.95. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 1 year low of $112.83 and a 1 year high of $211.78. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $139.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.13.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($0.29). Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 20.20% and a net margin of 16.10%.The company had revenue of $511.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $602.38 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 7.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.06%.

Houlihan Lokey Company Profile (Free Report)

Houlihan Lokey, Inc is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded in 1972 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company specializes in advisory services across a broad range of transaction types and financial matters. Since its founding, Houlihan Lokey has grown to serve corporations, financial sponsors, and government entities worldwide, providing expertise in complex and high-stakes engagements.

The firm’s core service offerings include mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital markets advisory, financial restructuring and distressed M&A, and valuation and fairness opinions.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Houlihan Lokey Chevron’s Strong Quarter Shows Why It Still Leads the Energy Sector Amazon’s Earnings Beat Shows Why AWS Is Back at the Center of the Bull Case Apple’s Record Quarter Could Not Outrun Its Guidance Problem McKesson’s Compounding Keeps Adding Up Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HLI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI – Free Report).

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Earlier this year, CEO Greg Abel announced that Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA +0.21%) (BRKB +0.36%) resumed its share repurchase program in March. But much to investors' disappointment, the company's first-quarter earnings report revealed just $235 million in total share repurchases that month. That's practically unnoticeable for a company with a market cap of more than $1 trillion.

It looks like Abel stepped up the repurchase activity in the second quarter. A Barron's analysis of Warren Buffett's SEC filings in July indicates Berkshire Hathaway's Class A share count declined by around 11,000 between April 14 and July 14. Due to rounding and estimating the average share price of repurchases, the actual amount spent buying back shares won't be known until Berkshire releases its Q2 earnings results. However, Barron's suggests the amount could be as high as $11 billion.

That's a bullish sign for shareholders.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Should you buy Berkshire Hathaway stock now? When Berkshire Hathaway buys back its own shares, it's usually a good sign that management believes its shares are undervalued. Chairman Warren Buffett has decried companies that repurchase shares without regard for their stock's price or value. Conversely, Berkshire's share repurchase authorization permits repurchases only when "Berkshire's Chief Executive Officer, after consultation with the Chairman of the Board, believes that the repurchase price is below Berkshire's intrinsic value, conservatively determined."

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If Berkshire did buy back $11 billion worth of shares in Q2, it would be the largest repurchase in the company's history. The previous record was in the fourth quarter of 2020, when Buffett bought back $9 billion worth of Berkshire stock. As such, it would indicate extreme bullishness on the part of Abel and Buffett, and help decumulate the massive cash pile on the company's balance sheet.

Berkshire Class A share price averaged about $721,000 per share between April 14 and the end of the quarter, which is the best estimate for the average purchase price for share repurchases during the period. Shares have climbed since the end of May, but the valuation remains compelling.

The stock trades for just 1.5 times book value, based on data from the end of Q1. That number may be closer to 1.4 times book value based on up-to-date data. Investors will have to wait until the Q2 financial release to get more exact numbers.

Data by YCharts.

The stock's performance in the first half of 2026 also suggests investors may be undervaluing the conglomerate. While railroad and insurance stocks have climbed higher, Berkshire stock has remained relatively flat. That's despite the fact that its marketable equity portfolio has significantly increased in value, approaching $360 billion as of this writing.

Given all the evidence, now may be a great time to add Berkshire shares to your portfolio.

Shares of Texas Instruments (TXN -0.58%) are down about 16% after hitting a 52-week high of $334 in June, and the company's second-quarter earnings results didn't provide any lift to the stock.

Investors focused on disappointing guidance rather than the clear advantages the company has in meeting growing data center demand, setting up a compelling buying opportunity.

Image source: Getty Images.

Demand trends point to continued growth Revenue grew 23% year over year, reaching $5.5 billion, while earnings per share jumped 52% to hit $2.14 in the second quarter. Those numbers are strong enough to justify the stock's forward price-to-earnings multiple of 32 at the time of writing.

Strong demand in analog and embedded processing seems to indicate a sustained recovery across the business rather than a temporary growth spurt. Industrial revenue grew 30% year over year, with broad-based demand across geographies and sectors. The company's automotive business also noted a solid mid-teens increase over the year-ago quarter.

The data center market is another reason investors should be bullish on Texas Instruments in the long term. Data center revenue doubled year over year and increased 20% over the previous quarter. CEO Haviv Ilan said, "I think there is more tailwind ahead."

What's more, Texas Instruments could generate even higher revenue, given its additional manufacturing capacity. This will allow Texas Instruments to handle short-lead-time orders that competitors may take longer to fill. This is a clear competitive advantage for the company, allowing it to continue benefiting from growing investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

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Why the stock fell and is still a buy The company's third-quarter guidance wasn't as strong as investors expected. Analysts expected third-quarter revenue guidance of $5.9 billion. Instead, management guided for revenue to be between $5.65 billion and $6.15 billion. That range leaves room for revenue to come in lower than estimates, which is why the stock is down.

The main reason for the soft revenue guidance is not demand but the impact of price increases. The company has begun raising prices, but management doesn't expect those increases to affect revenue until the fourth quarter.

The stock's sell-off appears to be driven by a focus on short-term issues rather than the company's long-term growth trajectory. Management noted that data center demand is also driving growth for the industrial business, providing a stronger tailwind than perhaps Wall Street realizes.

One reason to like the stock is its above-average dividend yield of about 2.1%. That is attractive for a top semiconductor company, with 22 consecutive years of dividend increases. The dividend is funded entirely by free cash flow, which came in at a healthy $6.5 billion on a trailing-12-month basis.

Analysts also expect earnings to grow by around 23% annually in the coming years. It's rare to find a top tech stock benefiting from the AI build-out that offers both a 2% dividend yield and high-double-digit earnings growth prospects, making Texas Instruments an interesting opportunity for investors.

Coldcard Bitcoin loss estimate rises to $70M after Galaxy analysisLatest NewsPublishedAug 1, 2026

Galaxy Research identified 1,196 addresses that lost 1,082.65 Bitcoin in a 41-minute window, expanding the estimated scope of the Coldcard wallet incident.

Galaxy Research, the research arm of crypto investment company Galaxy Digital, identified 1,196 addresses linked to the Coldcard wallet incident that lost 1,082.65 Bitcoin, worth about $70.2 million at the time of the transactions.

Galaxy Research traced the Bitcoin movements between 1:10 AM and 1:51 AM UTC on July 30 across blocks 960,183 to 960,191, about 30 hours before Coldcard published its first security advisory, according to an X post on Friday.

Earlier preliminary analysis of the Coldcard incident by AnchorWatch CEO and co-founder Rob Hamilton estimated that 594.48 Bitcoin, worth around $38 million, moved across 500 transactions within a three-block window.

Galaxy Research later said the identified transactions shared a pattern, including identical 30 satoshis per virtual byte fees and no change outputs. The company said the initial attack activity is identifiable on-chain through this pattern, but noted that future attacks against Coldcard-generated addresses may not follow the same fingerprint.

Coinkite co-founder Rodolfo Novak said in an X post on Friday that the company takes responsibility for the firmware bug and is working to determine the full scope of the issue.

Novak said Coinkite released a hotfix to remove the software fallback path, but warned that the update does not protect seeds generated on vulnerable firmware. He advised users who generated seeds on vulnerable firmware to move their funds to a new seed.

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Large financial institutions are increasing their exposure to XRP through investment products as the token’s supply on cryptocurrency exchanges continues to decline. At the same time, Ripple is expanding its payment infrastructure and preparing major upgrades to the XRP Ledger aimed at institutional users.

Intesa Sanpaolo Discloses XRP ETF InvestmentItaly’s largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, has disclosed ownership of 712,000 shares of the Grayscale XRP Trust in its latest SEC Form 13F filing. Based on current market prices, the investment is worth around $18 million. The filing also shows the bank holds nearly $235 million in crypto-related investments, with XRP representing about 6% to 7% of its digital asset portfolio.

Several financial firms, including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Millennium, and Citadel, have reported XRP exposure through exchange-traded products. Many institutions prefer XRP ETFs instead of directly holding XRP because ETFs simplify custody, compliance, accounting, and regulatory requirements.

Also Read : XRP News Today: Expert Calls CLARITY Act ‘Theater,’ Points to Real XRP Catalyst

Market data from Glassnode shows XRP reserves across the top 10 cryptocurrency exchanges have fallen from around 4 billion XRP to approximately 1.6-1.7 billion XRP. The report also states that XRP withdrawals from exchanges have reached a five-year high, indicating that more investors are moving their holdings into private wallets rather than keeping them on trading platforms.

U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded nearly $6 million in net inflows on July 30, with Bitwise and Franklin Templeton leading the day’s inflows. XRP assets held by U.S. spot ETFs are approaching $1 billion, while cumulative inflows have reached around $1.5 billion.

Also Read : Ripple (XRP) Price Prediction 2026, 2027-2030: Will XRP Reach $5?

South Korea Remains a Key XRP MarketSouth Korea continues to record strong trading activity for XRP. XRP trading volume on Korean exchanges recently reached nearly four times Bitcoin’s trading volume. Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD is now available on the country’s four largest crypto exchanges, Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit, expanding its presence in one of the world’s largest digital asset markets.

CME Expands XRP Derivatives MarketThe report also highlights CME Group’s continued expansion of XRP derivatives. The exchange already offers XRP futures and options, placing the asset alongside traditional markets such as commodities, foreign exchange, and equities. This reflects growing institutional infrastructure for XRP, although it does not necessarily signal immediate price gains.

Also Read : XRP Rich List Update: Top 10% of Wallets Now Hold 2,151 XRP as Network Crosses 8 Million Addresses

Story Ends Here

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The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has sent a formal warning letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, urging lawmakers to reconsider key aspects of the proposed CLARITY Act. Crypto analyst Diana (InvestWithD) shared the news, posting a video of the letter addressed to congressional leadership.

The NSA’s concerns with the CLARITY ActSigned by NSA President Sheriff Troy Wellman and Executive Director Justin Smith, the letter represents more than 3,000 elected sheriffs and almost 10,000 public safety professionals nationwide. The NSA included a detailed 13-page memorandum that breaks down its analysis of the bill.

The association expressed support for regulating digital assets but flagged significant risks if the bill passes in its current form. In particular, the NSA highlighted that the proposed legislation would grant wide exemptions from registration, know-your-customer (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML), and sanctions-related requirements for certain decentralized finance (DeFi) participants.

According to the memorandum, these exemptions would enable illicit actors to misuse digital-asset platforms that intentionally obscure transaction details. The association criticized Section 604, which would exempt non-controlling developers and DeFi protocol participants from AML regulations.

The NSA warned that mixers, tumblers, and cross-chain bridges—all technologies designed to hide transaction trails—would fall under these exemptions. The group also took issue with Section 301 of the bill, which would relieve DeFi trading protocols from a range of AML obligations including registration, conduct, disclosure, and recordkeeping.

Mini dictionary: Mixers, tumblers, and cross-chain bridges are digital tools and services that make it difficult to trace the origin and destination of cryptocurrency transactions, often used to enhance privacy but also cited in financial crime concerns.

The NSA stated in its letter that the CLARITY Act would allow “broad exemptions from registration, know-your-customer, anti-money laundering, and sanctions-law requirements for certain decentralized-finance participants,” raising significant risks for law enforcement and public safety.

The upcoming Senate voteThe NSA’s warning comes just days before the Senate is set to vote on the CLARITY Act. To end debate and move the bill forward, at least 60 votes are required. The bill currently has 51 confirmed supporters, and up to 10 Democratic senators are expected to join, potentially reaching or exceeding the necessary threshold.

Senator Cynthia Lummis declared that negotiations on the bill have ended, describing the proposal as “a high-quality bill” and calling for an immediate floor vote. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also publicly demanded Senate action, pressing lawmakers to vote on the legislation prior to the August 8 recess.

Senate Votes NeededCurrent Confirmed YesAdditional Potential Yes (Democrats)Possible Total60517-1058-61Potential impact for XRP and digital assetsXRP holders are closely monitoring developments around the CLARITY Act. The legislation would formally distinguish digital commodities from securities, with XRP’s commodity status potentially being codified into law. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would oversee spot markets for assets considered “sufficiently decentralized.”

The NSA is urging the Senate to address law enforcement and regulatory risks before taking a final vote. With limited time before the August recess, senators must decide whether to modify the bill in response to law enforcement concerns or move forward as written.

With the Senate facing an imminent deadline and intense debate among lawmakers, the NSA underlined the importance of addressing law enforcement risks linked to the proposed DeFi exemptions before the CLARITY Act is put to a final vote.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

A former BNB Chain employee used a wallet address and seed phrase, originally generated for a tutorial video, to independently launch a meme token without any authorization from the company. BNB Chain issued a formal statement on August 1, 2026, making its non-involvement unambiguously clear.

The core problem here is a classic insider access failure. The seed phrase was created for internal educational content, the employee left the company, and the seed phrase went with them.

What actually happened BNB Chain confirmed it did not create, authorize, or promote the token or its associated wallet. The company also stated it intends to pursue legal action against the former employee and is cooperating with law enforcement.

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The name of the token has not been disclosed, and no trading volume, market cap, or launch metrics have been made public. What is known is that the token is live on BNB Chain’s own network, which is precisely why the company felt the need to go on record about the separation.

Why the timing and context matter BNB Chain has actively supported meme token activity on its network as part of broader efforts to drive user growth. That support is part of what makes this incident particularly awkward.

The broader issue this surfaces is how blockchain infrastructure companies handle credential management after employee departures. In traditional finance, revoking access to systems is a standard offboarding checklist item. Crypto wallets do not work that way. There is no admin panel to revoke a seed phrase once it has been written down or memorized.

That is the technical trap here. Once a seed phrase exists outside a controlled environment, it cannot be uninvented. The only solution would have been to retire the associated wallet entirely before the employee left, transferring any relevant assets to a new address.

What investors should watch For anyone who encountered this token before BNB Chain’s statement, the company’s position is now clear. The token has no official backing, no authorized roadmap, and no legitimate connection to BNB Chain’s products or partnerships.

The lack of any disclosed market data suggests either that the token did not gain significant traction, or that the situation was caught and addressed before it scaled.

The legal pursuit signals that BNB Chain is treating this as a serious breach rather than a minor embarrassment. That posture matters for the company’s standing with institutional partners and developers building on its network, both of whom need to trust that the brand carries real governance weight.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Bitget has upgraded its Bitcoin-backed BGBTC asset with daily BTC-denominated rewards, cross-chain transfers through Chainlink CCIP, and independent oversight from Gauntlet.

Summary

BGBTC holders will receive daily rewards denominated in Bitcoin following the upgrade. Chainlink CCIP will serve as BGBTC’s canonical cross-chain infrastructure. Gauntlet will independently oversee the asset’s underlying yield strategies. BGBTC remains backed by Bitcoin at a 1:1 ratio, according to Bitget. Bitget said the upgraded BGBTC will distribute daily rewards denominated in BTC to token holders. The asset is designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with Bitcoin while allowing users to earn yield without selling their underlying exposure.

BGBTC just got a major upgrade.

Backed 1:1 by BTC, it now offers daily BTC rewards, fast redemption at scale, and utility across trading, margin, loans, Launchpool, and PoolX.

— Bitget (@bitget) July 31, 2026 The exchange is positioning BGBTC as an alternative to holding idle Bitcoin or moving BTC into separate yield strategies. Those strategies can require users to transfer assets between platforms, manage additional protocols, or accept reduced liquidity.

BGBTC already has several uses within the Bitget ecosystem. Holders can use the asset as futures margin, lending collateral or for participation in the exchange’s Launchpool and PoolX products.

The upgrade also introduces support for large-volume and faster redemptions, according to Bitget. The company said it has added institutional-grade risk controls and greater transparency, although specific reward rates and redemption thresholds were not provided in the announcement.

Rewards remain tied to the performance and sustainability of the underlying yield strategies. A Bitcoin-backed token can also carry platform, custody, smart-contract and liquidity risks that differ from holding BTC directly.

Chainlink CCIP supports cross-chain BGBTC transfers Bitget selected Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol as the canonical infrastructure for distributing BGBTC across multiple blockchain networks.

CCIP provides the messaging layer needed to move the asset between supported chains. The integration could allow holders to access decentralized applications and financial services outside Bitget’s centralized platform while retaining exposure to the Bitcoin-backed token.

Bitget already uses Chainlink Proof of Reserve to verify the assets supporting BGBTC. Proof of Reserve provides on-chain data intended to help users assess whether sufficient collateral exists behind the issued supply.

Combining Proof of Reserve with CCIP addresses two separate functions. The reserve system focuses on collateral verification, while CCIP handles communication and token transfers across blockchains.

Bitget did not identify every blockchain that will initially support BGBTC through CCIP or provide a schedule for additional network deployments.

Gauntlet will oversee BGBTC yield strategies Gauntlet has been appointed as BGBTC’s independent curator and will supervise the strategies used to generate rewards for holders.

The quantitative risk-management firm will monitor the underlying portfolio, assess risks and help determine how capital is deployed. Bitget said the framework is intended to support the long-term sustainability of BGBTC’s yield rather than relying on an unmanaged set of strategies.

Independent curation adds another layer of oversight, but it does not eliminate losses. Reward levels may change based on market conditions, available strategies, and the performance of the assets or protocols involved.

Bitget is also working with infrastructure providers, including Chainlink and Morph, as it seeks to connect centralized and decentralized financial services through a broader Bitcoin yield network.

The company cited USDGO Holderyield as another part of its effort to let users earn returns from assets that would otherwise remain idle.

What the upgrade means for Bitcoin holders BGBTC combines Bitcoin exposure, daily rewards and cross-chain utility in a single token. Users can potentially earn BTC-denominated returns while deploying the asset as collateral, margin or capital in supported decentralized applications.

For US investors, access to BGBTC and related Bitget services may depend on geographic and product restrictions. Users should confirm whether the exchange, token, and associated yield products are available in their jurisdiction before transferring funds.

Yield paid in BTC may also create tax-reporting obligations for US holders, depending on how the rewards are classified and when users gain control of them. Bitget did not announce any US-specific rollout or regulatory approval alongside the upgrade.

Future adoption will depend on the reward rate, redemption performance, supported networks, and transparency around the underlying strategies. Bitget has not yet disclosed a fixed annual yield or a complete cross-chain deployment timeline.

Decentralized trading protocol TradeXYZ has begun repayments to victims of the $60M liquidation event tied to AI chipmaker SK Hynix (SKHYNIX) perpetual contracts. 

The flash crash, which happened on Monday, the 27th of July, 2026 (around 23:01 UTC), was triggered by an oracle pricing mishap and partly by ongoing volatility in the South Korean market. The actual losses were estimated at $17.4M in realized losses affecting over 900 user accounts.  

On Wednesday, the 29th of July, the Hyperliquid HIP-3 deployer announced a reimbursement program to rebuild trust and market integrity. Additionally, it vowed to improve its pricing systems to “handle tail events.”

How will TradeXYZ repay SKHYNIX victims? As part of the payout program, TradeXYZ said it had paid out victims with claims of less than $10K based on $1,115 per SKHYNIX. But wallets claiming larger amounts will require more review for final payout by the 15th of August.

Where it exceeds 10,000 USDC, an initial 9,999 USDC has been credited. We are required to conduct enhanced due diligence for amounts in excess of 10,000 USDC.

Source: SKHYNIX/USD, TradingView  As of writing, SKHYNIX traded at $1,087 after briefly slipping to $900 earlier in the week. The repayment could help reinforce trust in TradeXYZ and the broader Hyperliquid ecosystem. 

However, the TradeXYZ dominance risk discussion will likely resurface again.

TradeXYZ controls 99% of HIP-3 volumes HIP-3 or perpetuals tied to commodities and stocks (RWA/tokenized assets perps) have been the key driver of Hyperliquid volumes in 2026. This week, tokenized stocks account for 65% of the overall DEX volume. 

Surprisingly, crypto perps, which Hyperliquid began with, now account for less than 1% of overall HIP-3 volume. 

Source: ASXN However, the massive demand for HIP-3 is dominated by a single deployer, TradeXYZ. It controls over 95% of Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 volume and Open Interest (OI). 

According to analysts, the current Hyperliquid design favors big HIP-3 deployers like TradeXYZ, as smaller players like Felix were forced to close shop. According to critics, TradeXYZ’s excessive dominance poses a ‘structural risk’ to the broader ecosystem in case it’s exploited or sanctioned. 

Source: ASXN For a better ecosystem balance, they called for a level-playing field to ensure HIP-3 is more decentralized to reduce the potential risk of TradeXYZ dominance.  

Whether the Hyperliquid project team will accept the feedback remains to be seen. That said, the project’s HIP-4 (prediction markets and Options trading) went live on mainnet on Friday.

Final Summary TradeXYZ has begun reimbursing affected SKHYNIX traders for claims below $10K Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 now accounts for 65% of total trading volume, with TradeXYZ dominance increasingly viewed as a risk. 

Netflix (NFLX -2.00%) trades at $72.39 as of this writing, down about 43% from its 52-week high of $126.71. Along the way down, something notable happened to the stock's price tag: Shares finally look reasonably priced. The stock now costs about 20 times the earnings analysts expect from the company over the coming year. At last year's high, the same forward estimate would have priced the stock in the mid-30s.

The rapid-growth premium, in short, is gone. The interesting question is what the stock is worth by 2029 if the business simply keeps doing what its own guidance describes. The arithmetic is worth walking through.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The business behind the de-rated price Netflix's second-quarter results, reported in mid-July, show a company still growing at a double-digit pace -- just a slower one. Revenue rose 13% year over year to $12.6 billion, in line with the company's forecast. But the trajectory is what the market is watching: growth of 16.2% in the first quarter became 13.4% in the second, and management's third-quarter forecast implies about 12%. That's a clear deceleration.

For the full year, Netflix expects revenue of $51.0 billion to $51.4 billion, or 13% to 14% growth, along with an operating margin of 31.5%, up from 29.5% in 2025. That margin target implies operating income growth of more than 20% this year. Profits, in other words, are still compounding meaningfully faster than sales. Second-quarter operating income rose 11% year over year to $4.2 billion, and the company still expects about $12.5 billion of free cash flow for the year -- enough to support substantial share repurchases.

Two other pieces matter for the next three years. The first is advertising. Management projects the streaming service's ads revenue will roughly double in 2026 to approximately $3 billion. That's only about 6% of total revenue, but it's a fast-growing 6%, and it gives Netflix another growth lever beyond subscription price increases.

The second is share repurchases. Netflix bought back $4.7 billion of stock in the second quarter, its largest quarter ever, and it has $27.1 billion of authorization remaining.

The company's balance sheet drama has also cleared. Its agreement to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studios businesses, including HBO Max, was terminated in February, and Netflix collected a $2.8 billion termination fee for its trouble.

The arithmetic to 2029 Now the forward math, piece by piece, with round numbers.

If revenue growth eases from about 13% this year to about 10% by 2029 (a continued glide, not a sharp break), revenue lands near $68 billion to $70 billion in 2029.

Margins should keep helping. Netflix has expanded its operating margin by about two percentage points a year recently. Assume that pace slows, and the margin settles around 35% by 2029. That puts operating income near $24 billion, up about 50% from this year's implied level.

Buybacks then do their part. Add a steadily shrinking share count, and earnings per share could plausibly reach about $5.00 to $5.50 in 2029, up from the roughly $3.50 analysts expect over the coming year.

The last variable is the multiple. Hold today's 20 times forward earnings, and those figures imply a stock price somewhere near $100 to $110 by 2029. Stretch the multiple range from 18 to 22 (pessimism on one end, a mild rerating on the other), and the band widens to about $90 to $120.

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From $72.39, the midpoint of that range works out to an annualized return of about 13%. Not spectacular, but comfortably ahead of what most investors should expect from the broader market. And it requires no heroics, only Netflix hitting the trajectory its own guidance already sketches.

Of course, the arithmetic cuts the other way if the deceleration doesn't stop. If revenue growth slides through 10% and keeps going, the margin story eventually stalls with it, and a market already refusing to pay a premium could mark the multiple down further. That's the scenario the current price is bracing for.

My own read is that Netflix by 2029 is probably a $90-to-$120 stock, and the outcome inside that range comes down to growth stabilizing in the double digits. That's a fair price today, not an obviously cheap one. I'm not buying yet, but a quarter or two of steadier revenue growth would probably change my answer.

3 Utility Stocks With Strong Dividends and Room to Run HigherWEC Energy Group NYSE: WEC reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of $0.91 per diluted share, up $0.15 from the same period a year earlier, and reaffirmed its full-year earnings guidance of $5.51 to $5.61 per share, assuming normal weather for the remainder of the year.

President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Lauber said the company’s results reflected continued execution, financial discipline and operating efficiency. Management also maintained its long-term outlook for compound annual earnings-per-share growth of 7% to 8% from 2026 through 2030, based on the midpoint of 2025 adjusted guidance, and expects growth to move toward the upper half of that range beginning in 2028.

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Data-center development supports capital plan 3 Utility Stocks That Will Benefit from Less RegulationLauber pointed to continued data-center development in Wisconsin as a foundation for the company’s $37.5 billion five-year capital investment plan. The plan is focused on projects management characterized as low risk and executable, including investments to serve large customers. WEC expects approximately 15% of its asset base to be dedicated to very large customers by the end of 2030.

At Microsoft’s Pleasant Prairie site, the first data-center facility is fully operational, Lauber said. Microsoft has acquired more than 2,200 acres in the I-94 corridor south of Milwaukee, where WEC is preparing to serve a forecasted 2.6 gigawatts of demand through 2030, with potential for additional expansion.

3 undervalued stocks: Is now the right time to buy?North of Milwaukee, Vantage Data Centers is constructing facilities for Oracle on about 1,900 acres. The initial phase is being built on 670 acres, with Vantage expecting to invest $15 billion to complete that phase in 2028. Structural framework has been completed on multiple buildings, and the first facility could enter service as early as late 2027, according to Lauber.

WEC currently forecasts 1.3 gigawatts of demand at the Vantage site over the next five years, with potential demand eventually reaching 3.5 gigawatts. Lauber said the company is also discussing potential projects with other large customers, generally in the range of 400 to 500 megawatts rather than the scale of the Microsoft and Vantage developments.

Construction is also continuing on natural-gas generation facilities in Paris and Oak Creek, Wisconsin, which WEC expects to begin coming online in late 2027. Looking ahead, Lauber said a future plan could include a combined-cycle generating facility rather than only simple-cycle generation, as the company evaluates the need for both energy and capacity to support customer demand.

Second-quarter earnings drivers Chief Financial Officer Xia Liu said utility operations contributed $0.06 more to earnings than in the second quarter of 2025. Weather reduced quarter-over-quarter earnings by approximately $0.05, as weather had an estimated negative $0.03 impact in the 2026 quarter compared with a positive $0.02 effect a year earlier.

Rate-base growth added $0.13 per share, including $0.09 from incremental allowance for funds used during construction equity and $0.02 from incremental cash returns associated largely with projects under construction supporting very large customers. Sales growth, taxes and other items added a combined $0.06.

Those gains were partly offset by $0.05 from higher depreciation and amortization expense and $0.03 from higher day-to-day operations and maintenance costs. At American Transmission Company, capital investment growth added $0.03 to quarterly earnings versus the prior-year period.

Weather-normalized retail electric sales increased 4.2% year over year, driven by very large customers. Excluding the iron ore mine and very large customers, sales rose 1.2%, supported by higher volumes across all customer classes. Despite the quarterly performance, management expects full-year 2026 weather-normalized electric sales, excluding those customers, to be relatively even with 2025.

The energy infrastructure segment’s earnings increased $0.11 per share from the prior-year quarter. Liu said the comparison included the absence of a prior-year storm-related asset impairment and an insurance payment received during the current quarter, which together accounted for a net $0.04. The remaining improvement was largely related to operations and maintenance timing, production tax credits, capacity payments and other items. Liu said some of the favorable O&M timing is expected to reverse in the fourth quarter.

Regulatory and financing updates In May, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin issued its written order for WEC’s very large customer tariff. Lauber said the tariff requires large customers to pay their full share of costs. The company is working with Oracle to update financial security requirements for the Port Washington project in accordance with commission requirements.

Lauber said Oracle remains committed to the project and that construction is continuing on time and on budget. He said the company sees other potential users for the site in a worst-case scenario in which Oracle did not expand, but added that he had no indication such an outcome was expected.

WEC’s Wisconsin rate request for forward-looking test years 2027 and 2028 remains pending. Staff and intervener testimony is due in mid-August, with final commission orders expected by year-end and new rates scheduled to take effect in January 2027 and 2028. In Illinois, the Illinois Commerce Commission in May unanimously approved settlements involving the Rider QIP and bad-debt rider, resolving 12 open dockets. WEC also expects a decision by year-end on its Illinois utility rate request for the 2027 test year.

Liu said WEC had locked in about $760 million of common equity in the first half, including approximately $40 million under an employee benefit plan and $720 million through forward contracts under its at-the-market program. The company expects to issue about $1.1 billion of common equity during 2026 and said incremental capital beyond the current plan is expected to carry 50% equity content.

For the third quarter, WEC expects earnings of $0.92 to $0.98 per share, incorporating July weather and assuming normal weather for the balance of the quarter. The board’s 6.7% dividend increase announced in January marked the company’s 23rd consecutive year of higher dividends, Lauber said.

About WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC)WEC Energy Group is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin–based regulated energy holding company whose primary businesses are the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and the distribution of natural gas. The company operates through a set of utility subsidiaries that provide bundled energy service, customer billing and energy-related programs to residential, commercial and industrial customers. As a regulated utility group, WEC's operations focus on delivering reliable service while managing infrastructure investment and compliance with state and federal utility regulation.

Its utility subsidiaries include well-known regional operators such as We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, along with Chicago-area natural gas utilities that were part of the Integrys Energy Group acquisition.

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Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor NYSE: ZWS reported second-quarter organic sales growth of 10% and adjusted EBITDA growth of 15%, supported by demand in its Water Safety and Control and Drinking Water product lines, higher pricing, and margin expansion.

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Second-quarter sales totaled $491 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached $136 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 120 basis points from a year earlier to a record 27.7%, exceeding the company’s prior guidance range of 27% to 27.5%.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Todd Adams said the company generated $112 million in free cash flow during the quarter and repurchased $50 million of shares at roughly $48 per share. Year-to-date share repurchases totaled $100 million.

Demand, pricing and profitability Chief Financial Officer Dan Klun said institutional end markets continued to show positive momentum, partly offset by residential weakness and pockets of softness in commercial markets. Price contributed approximately 5% to second-quarter growth, consistent with the first quarter.

Water Safety and Control and Drinking Water grew faster than the company average during the quarter, according to Klun. During the question-and-answer session, Adams said those two platforms were growing somewhat faster than Flow Systems, while Hygienic and Environmental remained positive but grew at a slower rate.

The company attributed margin improvement to operating leverage on higher volume, productivity efforts under its Zurn Elkay Business System, and favorable mix as higher-margin products led growth. First-half sales and EBITDA increased $91 million and $36 million, respectively, from the prior year. The company’s first-half adjusted EBITDA margin was 27.3%, up about 140 basis points year over year.

Klun also noted that the company received $48 million in cash related to IEPA and reciprocal tariff refunds, including $2 million of accrued interest. The refund was recorded in cost of goods sold and affected reported GAAP earnings and earnings per share, but was excluded from adjusted earnings and free cash flow. As of June 30, Zurn Elkay had about $60 million of IEPA and reciprocal tariffs that remained uncollected and unrecognized in its financial statements.

Net debt leverage ended the quarter at 0.3 times, the lowest level in the company’s history as a public company, Klun said.

Intellihot acquisition expands water-heating presence Zurn Elkay recently completed its acquisition of Intellihot, a producer of commercial tankless condensing water heaters. Adams said the company paid $109 million for the business, or $100 million net of a tax asset. Intellihot is expected to generate about $37 million of sales in 2026, with gross margins of about 50% and EBITDA margins in the low teens.

Management said the transaction adds a $1.1 billion commercial water-heating market to its addressable market, including a tankless segment of more than $200 million. President Jeff Schoon said tankless water heating is growing faster than the broader commercial water-heating category, driven by efficiency regulations, building-owner concerns around Legionella risk, smaller mechanical-room requirements, and operating-cost savings.

Adams said Zurn Elkay sees a path for Intellihot to become a $100 million business with a 30% EBITDA margin within five to six years, and expects a double-digit return on invested capital in three years. The company plans to use its specification, contractor, wholesaler and end-user relationships to expand Intellihot’s reach, while also pursuing supply-chain and operational improvements.

Management said Intellihot was not acquired for a near-term earnings contribution. For the final five months of 2026, Klun estimated the acquisition would contribute about $18 million in net sales.

Drinking Water and portfolio initiatives Chief Operating Officer Dave Pauli said adjusted EBITDA margins have improved 660 basis points on a trailing 12-month basis from the first quarter of 2023 through the second quarter of 2026. On a point-to-point basis, margins rose 820 basis points over 14 quarters, from 19.5% in the first quarter of 2023 to 27.7% in the latest quarter.

Pauli cited continuous-improvement initiatives, growth in higher-margin product lines, portfolio pruning under the company’s 80/20 strategy, manufacturing footprint consolidation, and sourcing changes as contributors. He said the company’s efforts to reduce sourcing from China have provided both geopolitical risk mitigation and a lower landed-cost profile.

In Drinking Water, the company said its filtration business has grown from less than $25 million of sales before the Elkay merger to more than $60 million expected this year. Zurn Elkay expects more than 60% of Drinking Water units sold in 2026 to be filtered, compared with 50% in 2023, and is targeting 70% in 2027.

The company highlighted its Elkay Pro Filtration platform, which adds easier filter replacement, options for two filters, connectivity features and proprietary filter heads intended to prevent use of counterfeit filters.

Outlook raised Following its first-half performance, Zurn Elkay raised its full-year outlook for sales, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. The company expects third-quarter core sales growth of 6% to 7% and adjusted EBITDA margin of about 28%. Fourth-quarter core sales growth is expected to be in the mid-single digits.

For 2026, including Intellihot, the company expects adjusted EBITDA of $503 million to $513 million and free cash flow of at least $350 million, excluding past and future IEPA reciprocal tariff refunds.

Adams said the company’s full-year assumptions include three to four percentage points of pricing, about one point of market growth, and additional growth from share gains and exposure to higher-growth categories. He said the outlook incorporates the transition from expired Section 122 tariffs to newly announced Section 301 tariffs.

About Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Cor (NYSE:ZWS)Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corp, trading on the NYSE under the ticker ZWS, is a global provider of water delivery and plumbing products. The company was established in October 2022 through a spin-off from Rexnord Corp, creating a standalone business focused on designing, manufacturing and marketing water system components for residential, commercial and industrial customers.

Through its Zurn segment, the company offers solutions for water delivery, drainage and waste evacuation. Product lines include valves, hydrants, backflow prevention devices, piping systems, fittings and commercial waste stations.

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Tesla (TSLA +0.76%) is not having a good year. The company's shares took a major dip after it reported its second-quarter earnings on July 22, and they are down 28% to date. Tesla's results weren't terrible, but the company's capex is growing rapidly and squeezing profits and margins. Many investors fear that this spending won't yield the return Tesla expects. However, several aspects of the business are progressing steadily, including its supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscriptions. Is that a good enough reason to buy the stock?

Image source: The Motley Fool.

It could be a game changer, but there are risks Tesla ended the second quarter with 1.48 million active FSD subscriptions, up 56% from the year-ago period. At $99 per month, that works out to about $1.8 billion per year. That still represents a fairly small percentage of the company's annual revenue, which was about $94.8 billion last year. However, Tesla's FSD subscriptions generate significantly higher margins than its core electric vehicle (EV) business. So, this segment should represent a larger share of operating profits than it does revenue. Further, there are at least two reasons to be excited about the future of this business.

First, as Tesla points out, FSD subscriptions are increasingly popular. As the company's CEO, Elon Musk, said: "We're seeing in locations that have FSD approved, we're seeing a very high take rate of FSD." He went on to say that consumers want the FSD software with whatever car it's paired with, a dynamic that could drive sustained demand for the company's EVs as it earns approvals for its FSD software in more places. Second, Tesla's FSD global fleet has racked up more than 12 billion cumulative miles on the road.

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There is a network effect going on here. The more drivers in its ecosystem, the more data from real-world conditions it has to train and improve its FSD software, which in turn attracts even more drivers. Tesla's robotaxi service can also benefit from a growing number of FSD subscriptions for the same reason, and that's where the company's long-term opportunity lies. If it can scale its fleet of robotaxis within the next year and, perhaps, close the gap with one of its biggest competitors, Waymo, Tesla's stock could rebound.

Does any of this make the stock a buy? There is considerable uncertainty regarding Tesla's ability to scale its robotaxi service, secure additional FSD approvals in other regions, and train its software. In the meantime, the company's financial results may remain unimpressive, particularly on the bottom line, as it doubles down on spending to capitalize on potential opportunities. The stock is risky and will be volatile, whichever way it moves. Investors should consider that before even thinking about initiating a position in Tesla.

W.P. Carey NYSE: WPC raised its 2026 outlook for investment volume and adjusted funds from operations, citing continued acquisition activity, higher lease revenue and a balance sheet it said is positioned to fund investments into 2027.

Chief Executive Officer Jason Fox said the company completed more than $700 million of investments during the second quarter, bringing first-half investment volume to $1.3 billion. The investments carried a weighted average initial cash cap rate of 7.4%, and Fox said rent escalations and an average 18-year lease term translate to an average yield above 9%.

The company increased its full-year investment-volume guidance to $1.7 billion to $2.1 billion, from a prior range of $1.5 billion to $2 billion. Fox said W.P. Carey’s near-term pipeline includes several hundred million dollars of prospective investments, while 10 capital projects under its Carey Tenant Solutions initiative are expected to add roughly $300 million of investment volume over the next 18 months.

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GardenCore transaction leads second-quarter activity The largest investment completed in the quarter was a $400 million sale-leaseback transaction with GardenCore, a U.S. manufacturer of lawn and garden consumables. The portfolio includes 43 manufacturing, packaging and industrial outdoor storage facilities in 24 states, leased under a 20-year triple-net master lease with fixed rent escalations.

Fox said GardenCore is now W.P. Carey’s fourth-largest tenant. He described the transaction as attractive because of the defensive nature of the tenant’s business, the mission-critical properties and the rent-growth structure.

Warehouse and industrial properties accounted for the majority of second-quarter investment activity. Fox said the split between U.S. and European investments was broadly consistent with the company’s long-term average. He said cap rates on deals closed in the second quarter were somewhat higher than in the first quarter because of the timing of individual closings, rather than a broader market shift.

For the full year, the company expects cap rates to average in the mid- to low-7% range. Fox said the company has not experienced a noticeable effect on transaction activity from tensions in the Middle East.

AFFO guidance raised as rent growth accelerates Chief Financial Officer Toni Sanzone said second-quarter AFFO per share was $1.34, up 4.7% from a year earlier. W.P. Carey raised and narrowed its full-year AFFO guidance to $5.19 to $5.27 per share, increasing the midpoint by $0.02 and implying 5.2% year-over-year growth.

Sanzone said the updated outlook reflects stronger investment activity, rising lease revenues, higher CPI-linked rent increases, a more favorable outlook for rent loss, and lower expected property and tax expenses. Those benefits are partly offset by the effect of forward equity settled during the second quarter.

Contractual same-store rent growth was 2.6% year over year in the quarter. CPI-linked escalations, representing 49% of same-store leases, averaged 2.7%, while fixed escalations, representing 48%, averaged 2.5%. The company expects full-year contractual same-store rent growth of 2.6%, with growth trending modestly higher in the second half and potentially moving toward the mid- to high-2% range in 2027 based on current inflation expectations.

W.P. Carey lowered its expected rent loss from tenant credit events to $7 million to $10 million, from $8 million to $12 million previously. Through June, rent loss across the portfolio, including Hellweg, totaled $1.7 million after certain rent recoveries, according to Sanzone.

Hellweg exposure reduced Fox said the company has reduced its Hellweg exposure over the past two years to 16 stores from 35 through lease terminations, re-leasing and asset sales. Hellweg recently filed for insolvency, but W.P. Carey said its remaining gross exposure is only 90 basis points of annualized base rent and the tenant is no longer among its top 20 tenants.

Hellweg did not make its June rent payment of about $1.2 million but paid July rent in full, Sanzone said. W.P. Carey’s guidance assumes it receives no additional Hellweg rent during the rest of 2026, while recognizing three months of bank guarantees. That results in an assumed net rent loss of about $3 million from Hellweg this year.

The company has springing leases on half of the remaining Hellweg stores at rents comparable to Hellweg’s prior rents. Fox said management is in discussions with prospective tenants and buyers for the remaining locations and expects lease agreements or asset sales to be arranged by year-end.

Capital markets activity supports investment plans W.P. Carey said it has sold nearly $900 million of forward equity and issued approximately $1.5 billion of bonds so far this year. During the second quarter, it sold 5.3 million shares on a forward basis for gross proceeds of $392 million and settled 5.1 million forward shares for net proceeds of $345 million.

At quarter-end, the company had 9.9 million shares remaining to settle, representing anticipated net proceeds of $691 million. Together with its largely undrawn $2 billion credit facility, W.P. Carey reported approximately $2.7 billion of liquidity.

The company also issued $350 million of 10-year U.S. dollar bonds at a 5.2% coupon rate, with the transaction settling in early July. Proceeds are intended to prepay an October bond maturity without prepayment costs. W.P. Carey said it has no remaining debt maturities in 2026, with its next maturity a €500 million bond due in April 2027.

Net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 5.1 times including unsettled forward equity, or 5.5 times excluding it, at the low end of the company’s target range. In June, W.P. Carey increased its quarterly dividend 4.4% year over year to $0.94 per share.

About W.P. Carey (NYSE:WPC)W. P. Carey Inc is a diversified net-lease real estate investment trust specializing in single-tenant commercial properties. The company structures sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions to provide long-term net lease financing across a variety of asset classes, including industrial facilities, office buildings, retail centers and self-storage facilities. By employing triple net leases, W. P. Carey transfers property operating expenses, taxes and maintenance responsibility to tenants, creating a stable, predictable income stream for investors.

Founded in 1973 by William Polk Carey, the firm has expanded organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

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Why Welltower's Growth Story Might Outrun Its Rich ValuationVentas NYSE: VTR raised its 2026 investment and earnings outlook after reporting second-quarter growth led by its senior housing operating portfolio, or SHOP, as occupancy gains and rent growth lifted property-level results.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Debra A. Cafaro said the company generated 10% total-company same-property net operating income, or NOI, growth in the quarter. U.S. SHOP NOI rose 18% year over year, accompanied by 360 basis points of occupancy growth, she said. Normalized funds from operations, or FFO, increased 9% from a year earlier to $0.97 per share.

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6 largest healthcare REITs to buy and how to invest The company increased its full-year normalized FFO guidance to a range of $3.85 to $3.90 per share, representing projected growth of 8% to 10%. Ventas also lifted its expected 2026 investment volume to $4.5 billion from $3 billion, primarily focused on senior housing.

Senior Housing Drives Operating Results Executive Vice President, Senior Housing and Chief Investment Officer Justin Hutchens said same-store SHOP NOI increased 16% year over year during the second quarter, with the U.S. portfolio contributing 18% growth. Same-store average occupancy rose 300 basis points across the portfolio and 360 basis points in the U.S.

Analysts See Strong Upside Trade for Undervalued REITsWithin NIC’s top 99 markets, Ventas’ same-store communities outperformed industry occupancy averages by about 150 basis points, according to Hutchens. Revenue per occupied room, or RevPOR, increased 5%, reflecting both in-place rent increases and higher move-in rents.

Same-store revenue grew nearly 9%, while operating expenses increased 5%. That combination expanded NOI margins by 210 basis points to 31%, while incremental margin flow-through reached 55%.

Hutchens said the company’s U.S. senior housing portfolio is 87% occupied, while its non-same-store portfolio is 83% occupied. The non-same-store group represents about 25% of SHOP NOI and includes acquisitions, transitions and redevelopment projects.

Ventas is maintaining its same-store SHOP NOI growth outlook of 16% at the midpoint. The company raised its full-year occupancy-growth target to 300 basis points from 270 basis points after a strong start to the year, and management said the May-through-September key selling season was tracking in line with its expectations.

Hutchens highlighted performance at more highly occupied communities as evidence of further opportunity. The approximately half of U.S. same-store communities that were at least 90% occupied posted 25% NOI growth and 6% RevPOR growth. About 10% of the company’s SHOP communities were at or near full occupancy, and those U.S. properties were producing about 7% RevPOR growth and roughly 20% NOI growth, he said.

Investment Outlook Raised to $4.5 Billion Ventas completed more than $3 billion of senior housing-focused investments across 27 transactions year to date, Hutchens said. The investments were underwritten to double-digit to mid-teens unlevered internal rates of return, had an average expected first-year yield of 6.6%, and were acquired at an average price of $358,000 per unit.

The company expects to complete approximately another $1 billion of investments under contract, with that group expected to produce yields and returns similar to its completed investments. About two-thirds of that pending activity is value-add product with a higher growth profile, Hutchens said.

More than 90% of year-to-date investments were relationship-driven, including off-market transactions and transactions involving repeat sellers or existing operating partners. Hutchens said Ventas’ underwriting and data capabilities have helped the company close transactions in about two months from start to finish.

Cafaro said Ventas has completed more than $8 billion of investments since the beginning of 2024, adding more than 23,000 units across 174 communities to its SHOP portfolio. The company expects SHOP to represent 60% of its $60 billion enterprise by the end of 2026.

Management said demographic demand and limited new supply continue to support its senior housing strategy. Cafaro said the leading edge of the nearly 70 million baby boomers began turning 80 in 2026, while new senior housing construction starts remain at record lows.

On development, Hutchens said Ventas is primarily focused on acquiring in-place cash flows rather than developing new properties. He said current rents would generally need to be at least 25% higher for projects to generate the roughly 8% development yield that developers may seek, though luxury projects in select markets could be exceptions.

Balance Sheet Strength and Capital Recycling Chief Financial Officer Robert Probst said net debt to EBITDA improved to 4.7 times at the end of the second quarter, the company’s lowest leverage level in more than a decade. That was a 90-basis-point improvement from a year earlier and a 30-basis-point sequential improvement.

Ventas completed $3.4 billion of investments year to date and raised $4.2 billion of equity, including $1.6 billion that remained unsettled at quarter-end. Liquidity totaled $4.9 billion.

The updated normalized FFO guidance midpoint of $3.88 per share is $0.02 above the prior midpoint. Probst said higher senior housing investment activity, net of additional capital recycling, contributed $0.03 per share to the improvement. That was partly offset by $0.01 per share from higher interest rates and a higher share price.

The company increased its disposition and loan repayment assumptions to $700 million, with sales expected to focus on non-SHOP and non-strategic assets. Probst characterized the disposition activity as portfolio “hygiene” intended to improve the company’s growth rate. Management said approximately $100 million of anticipated loan repayments carry an 11% yield.

Other Portfolio Performance Ventas’ outpatient medical and research portfolio, known as OMAR, generated 5% same-store cash NOI growth in the second quarter. After adjusting for cash fee income, outpatient medical same-store cash NOI growth was 3%, supported by a 50-basis-point occupancy improvement and 88% tenant retention.

The triple-net portfolio generated 3% same-store cash NOI growth, and Probst said the company expects the portfolio’s year-over-year NOI growth rate to increase in the second half.

In the research portfolio, Hutchens said several tenants did not renew leases, producing an expected year-over-year NOI impact of about $900,000. He said the second-quarter run rate in research is expected to reflect the remainder of the year.

About Ventas (NYSE:VTR)Ventas, Inc NYSE: VTR is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in healthcare-related real estate. The company acquires, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of properties serving the healthcare continuum, including senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, life science and research centers, and other properties leased to healthcare providers and operators. Ventas generates revenue through long-term leases, property management and selective development activities focused on meeting the real estate needs of the healthcare sector.

Ventas' business model combines property ownership with active asset management and capital markets activity.

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ING expects EUR/USD to remain supported around 1.1500 following the sharp Dollar selloff, although a sustained move above 1.1600 would require a further dovish repricing of US interest rates. The Euro to US Dollar exchange rate (EUR/USD) gained just over 1% in July, recovering from a monthly low near 1.1354 and reaching a high around 1.1547.

EUR/USD pair remains 1.7% lower for 2026, having fallen from January’s peak at 1.2075 to a year-to-date low of 1.1325 in June.

Image: EUR/USD exchange rate performance over 48h chart The latest 48-hour chart above shows the pair rising from below 1.1440 to above 1.1530, leaving it close to the upper end of its recent range. The daily chart also shows EUR/USD moving back above its 20-day moving average, although it remains close to the declining 50-day average.

ING believes the sharp change in Dollar momentum leaves the Euro better supported in the near term.

The Greenback came under pressure after the Federal Reserve delivered a more dovish message than markets had expected. Investors were left questioning whether policymakers would follow through on their inflation-fighting rhetoric with actual rate increases.

The US Dollar’s decline accelerated after US core PCE inflation rose only 0.1% in June and second-quarter growth undershot expectations.

Suspected Japanese intervention against the Yen added to the pressure by triggering a sharp fall in USD/JPY and spilling over into broader Dollar sentiment.

Positioning may also keep the move going.

ING estimates that speculative long-Dollar exposure against other major currencies was at its most stretched since January 2025, while leveraged funds held their largest EUR/USD short positions since 2021.

According to the bank, “there may still be room for further USD long-squeezing”, making it too early to call a firm bottom in the Dollar selloff.

Analysts at ING note EUR/USD broke through 1.1500 “with little resistance” and expects the level to attract buyers for a while longer.

The bank sees near-term risks tilted towards further Euro gains, although it is cautious about chasing a sustained move above 1.1600.

Such a break would probably require another material repricing lower in US rates, together with an easing in Middle East tensions.

Image: EUR/USD Year-to-Date historical chart For now, ING expects buyers to continue emerging around 1.1500, with 1.1600 marking the more difficult test for the recovery.

Exchange Rates UK Research Our currency coverage draws on live market data, official economic releases and published bank research.

3 Low-Volatility Plays Quietly Making a Name For ThemselvesWaste Management NYSE: WM reported second-quarter operating EBITDA growth of 5.5%, or 9.1% excluding contributions from wildfire cleanup activity in the prior-year period, as pricing discipline, cost controls and technology investments supported profitability despite softer volume trends.

Chief Executive Officer Jim Fish said operating EBITDA margin expanded 40 basis points during the quarter, overcoming a 60-basis-point headwind from prior-year wildfire volumes and a 40-basis-point headwind tied to higher energy surcharges. Free cash flow increased 35% in the quarter, supported by earnings growth, lower capital expenditures and working-capital benefits.

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2 Stocks Built to Thrive If Inflation Refuses to FadeThe company narrowed its full-year revenue outlook to between $26.275 billion and $26.475 billion, a reduction of about 1.5%, reflecting softer-than-expected Collection and Disposal volumes, lower recycling brokerage activity and delays connecting certain renewable natural gas plants to pipelines. Management maintained its full-year operating EBITDA and free-cash-flow guidance and raised its margin outlook by 20 basis points.

Margins Expand as Collection Costs Remain Contained President John Morris said operating expenses remained below 60% of revenue for the sixth consecutive quarter, despite the combined effects of prior-year wildfires and increased fuel prices. Labor costs rose approximately 4%, but collection operating costs increased less than 1.7% from the second quarter of 2025, according to Morris.

3 Waste Stocks Turning AI Investments Into GrowthManagement attributed the cost performance to productivity initiatives, pricing actions, automation, process discipline and technology investments. Fish said WM’s Smart Truck platform, which uses technology including artificial intelligence, is generating more than $300 million in annual run-rate operating EBITDA through service upgrades, route optimization and lower operating costs.

Chief Financial Officer David Reed said Collection and Disposal improvements contributed 140 basis points of margin growth, while recycling, renewable energy and Healthcare Solutions together added 40 basis points. Those gains were partly offset by roughly 40 basis points from higher technology investments and the timing of risk-management costs in the company’s corporate and other segment.

SG&A expense improved by 60 basis points to 9.9% of revenue, returning below 10% for the first time since the company acquired its Healthcare Solutions business in 2024. Reed said WM expects full-year SG&A to be around 10% of revenue.

Volumes Softer, but Management Cites Industrial and Special-Waste Strength Collection and Disposal volumes declined 0.4% in the second quarter excluding the impact of prior-year wildfire activity. The company now expects volumes to be relatively flat in the second half and to decline by nearly 1% for the full year, or about 50 basis points excluding the 2025 wildfire-cleanup impact.

Morris said residential volume declines improved by 200 basis points sequentially to negative 2.9%, and the company expects those losses to continue moderating in coming quarters. Special-waste volumes rose 4.5% excluding wildfire activity, while industrial collection volumes showed modest growth.

Fish said the company did not see signs that broader economic weakness was driving the volume shortfall. He pointed to special-waste growth and industrial roll-off volumes that were slightly positive over the preceding four weeks. Instead, he said commercial volumes were affected primarily by lost national accounts, which management characterized as a more limited issue rather than evidence of broader competitive deterioration.

Higher energy surcharges are expected to generate about $175 million of additional 2026 revenue, Reed said, partially offsetting an estimated $250 million revenue reduction from lower Collection and Disposal volumes. The company also expects approximately $75 million less revenue from sustainability operations due to lower recycling brokerage volume and delayed RNG pipeline interconnections.

Recycling, Renewable Energy and Healthcare Solutions Contribute WM processed 12% more recyclables year over year during the quarter. Fish said recycling automation projects have delivered a sustained 30% improvement in labor cost per ton compared with legacy facilities. Chief Operating Officer Tara Hemmer said the company has completed 38 of the 39 recycling-facility projects included in its capital plan, with the final project expected to come online in 2027.

Hemmer said commodity prices were down year over year, though the company has seen improving prices for old corrugated containers and some positive movement in plastics. WM began the year using a full-year commodity-price outlook of $70 per ton; Hemmer said the full-year outlook may be somewhat higher, though that benefit could be offset by operational effects related to a fire at an Arizona facility.

The company produced an additional 1.6 million MMBtu of renewable natural gas during the quarter. However, two completed plants have not yet begun delivering gas into pipelines because of third-party interconnection work. Management said it expects the plants to be connected by year-end. Hemmer said WM has locked up 90% of its 2026 renewable identification number volume and has pre-sold roughly one-third of its expected 2027 RINs.

Healthcare Solutions expanded operating EBITDA margin by 200 basis points to 19%. Morris said SG&A expense in the segment declined 15% and improved 290 basis points as a percentage of revenue. Fish said the business is now integrated following the Stericycle acquisition, with days sales outstanding improving and customer credits declining after peaking in the fourth quarter.

Cross-selling initiatives have generated $32 million of annual operating EBITDA to date, and WM remains on track to deliver more than $300 million in total synergies by the end of 2027. Management expects core pricing in Healthcare Solutions to exit 2026 above 5.5%.

Cash Flow, Capital Allocation and Outlook For the first six months of 2026, operating cash flow rose more than 17% to $3.23 billion, while capital spending declined more than 18%. Free cash flow increased more than 56% to $2.02 billion, representing operating EBITDA conversion approaching 52%.

WM used $1 billion for share repurchases and paid $764 million in dividends during the first half. The company ended the quarter with leverage of 2.96 times, within its targeted range of 2.5 times to 3 times, and expects leverage to decline in the second half.

Fish said WM closed $235 million of solid-waste tuck-in acquisitions during the quarter and expects to increase core acquisition activity after returning leverage to its targeted range following the Stericycle purchase. The company also raised its 2026 operating EBITDA margin expectation to between 31% and 31.2%.

About Waste Management (NYSE:WM)Waste Management, Inc NYSE: WM is a leading provider of integrated waste management and environmental services in North America. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span collection, transfer, disposal and recycling, along with landfill operations and related infrastructure. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management serves a broad customer base that includes residential, commercial, industrial and municipal clients.

Core services include curbside and commercial waste collection, roll-off and temporary container services, materials recovery and recycling, and engineered landfill disposal.

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