Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

A BP logo is seen at a petrol station in London, Britain, January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

SummaryCompaniesDrivers say prices rose 30 cents a gallon where AI was in wide useLawsuit seeks damages for antitrust violationsCalifornians pay highest gas prices ​in USDefendants not available for commentJune 22 (Reuters) - Gas station operators ‌including BP (BP.L), opens new tab, Circle K (ATD.TO), opens new tab, Marathon Petroleum (MPC.N), opens new tab, 7-Eleven (3382.T), opens new tab, Walmart (WMT.O), opens new tab and Albertsons (ACI.N), opens new tab were sued on Monday by California drivers who accused them of using artificial intelligence to boost prices at ​the pump.

According to a proposed class action, the defendants violated ​California's main antitrust law, the Cartwright Act, by using an AI-based ⁠tool that uses data from competing gas stations to "coordinate high prices ​and wring more money from the pockets of consumers."

Get a daily digest of breaking business news straight to your inbox with the Reuters Business newsletter. Sign up here.

The lawsuit in the Sacramento, ​California federal court said the scheme violated Assembly Bill 325, a California law that took effect on January 1 and was intended to crack down on algorithmic price ​fixing.

Drivers said gas prices have risen as much as 30 ​cents a gallon in areas where high percentages of stations use the AI tool, which comes ‌from ⁠a company called Kalibrate.

Each penny costs California drivers an extra $134 million per year, boosting gasoline prices to "astronomical" levels sometimes reaching $7 a gallon, the complaint said.

"While families struggle to afford the commute to work, defendants have conspired to ​put an end ​to competition, joining ⁠an AI-powered trust to ensure that no matter where a driver turns, the price for gasoline is artificially ​high," the complaint said.

The defendants operate more than 1,700 ​gas stations ⁠in California, according to the complaint. Kalibrate is also a defendant. The defendants either did not immediately respond to requests for comment or declined to ⁠comment.

Californians pay ​the nation's highest gas prices, averaging $5.58 per ​gallon for regular, according to AAA. The national average is $3.93.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for ​drivers who paid too much for gasoline.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Walmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: WMT) stock has seen significant insider trading by the Walton Family Holdings Trust.

The Walton Family Holdings Trust sold 4,424,704 shares of Walmart common stock on June 16, 2026, for approximately $535.8 million, according to a Form 4 filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) analyzed by Finbold on June 23. The Trust sold Walmart stock in multiple transactions at weighted-average prices ranging from $120.99 to $122.42 per share.

Following the reported transactions, the Trust beneficially owned 502,305,752 WMT shares, valued at approximately $59.62 billion at press time. As such, the Trust has sold more than 11 million Walmart shares in 2026.

In March, the Trust sold 2,779,586 Walmart shares. In May, the Walton Family Holdings Trust sold 2,053,327 shares. Earlier in June, the Trust offloaded 1,771,333 Walmart shares.

Walmart stock price performance and forecast Year-to-date (YTD), Walmart stock has been trapped in a horizontal consolidation. The notable YTD sales of WMT shares by the Walton Family Holdings Trust could have impacted investors’ confidence.

Moreover, the WMT stock price struggled to rally above the supply level around  $134.75 twice YTD. After closing Monday trading at about $117.18, Walmart stock price traded at approximately $118.70 during Tuesday’s pre-market session.

WMT stock price performance for YTD. Source: TradingView Despite the Trust sales in 2026, Walmart stock has received a strong buy from Wall Street investors for the next 12 months. As of press time, the 12-month average target for WMT stock from 27 Wall Street analysts was $142.46, as per data shared by TipRanks.

Walmart stock price forecast. Source: TipRanks However, continued sales from the Walton Family could further weigh on WMT stock price in the near term.

Best Crypto Exchange for Intermediate Traders and Investors

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

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

Copy top-performing traders in real time, automatically.

eToro USA is registered with FINRA for securities trading.

30+ million Users worldwide

Securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finbold.com is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD

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

A Walmart store is shown in Oceanside, California, U.S., May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesJune 23 (Reuters) - Retail bellwether Walmart (WMT.O), opens new tab has signed a long-term nuclear power purchase agreement ​with Constellation Energy (CEG.O), opens new tab, the companies said ‌on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, Constellation Energy will supply nuclear power from its Dresden ​Clean Energy Center in Illinois to ​Walmart's previously announced "high-tech" perishable distribution center, ⁠currently in development in Belvidere, ​Illinois.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

Walmart will buy about 176 megawatts of ​electricity, including 30 megawatts of additional output from planned upgrades, under two 15-year contracts starting ​in 2029 and 2030.

The agreement ​is among the first between a major U.S. ‌retailer ⁠and a nuclear energy provider and underscores growing corporate interest in baseload clean power, which can provide electricity around ​the clock.

The ​deal ⁠would support investment in efficiency upgrades, or uprates, at the ​Dresden Clean Energy Center, allowing ​the ⁠plant to increase output without building new generation capacity.

Dresden, one of Constellation's ⁠largest ​nuclear plants, is licensed ​to operate through 2049 and 2051.

Reporting by Varun ​Sahay in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Walmart stock is gaining positive traction. Why are WMT shares climbing? Walmart’s Long-Term Nuclear Power Agreement ExplainedConstellation’s Jim McHugh noted that the deal drives “meaningful investment” to bolster grid reliability and sustain local jobs. Emphasizing the corporate benefit, Walmart’s Shayne Wahlmeier stated that the partnership allows them to expand operations while prioritizing “affordable, reliable and clean energy for our business and the communities we serve.”

WMT Stock: Key Technical Levels To WatchFrom a longer-term trend view, Walmart is holding above its 200-day SMA ($116.55) by about 1.8%, which keeps the bigger-picture uptrend intact even after the stock cooled from its May peak near the $135.16 52-week high. At the same time, it’s trading about 4.9% below the 50-day SMA ($124.86) and about 5.1% below the 100-day SMA ($125.03), so the intermediate trend still needs repair.

Momentum is improving: MACD is above its signal line and the histogram is positive, which typically signals that downside pressure is easing and buyers are starting to regain control. That said, the 20-day SMA remains below the 50-day SMA (a bearish crossover), so bulls generally want to see follow-through that reclaims the mid-term averages rather than a one-day bounce.

Key levels are fairly clean here: $112.50 is the nearby "line in the sand" where buyers previously stepped in, while $133.00 sits as a round-number/pivot-style ceiling not far below the prior highs where rebounds can stall. A push through resistance would also put the stock back in range of the 52-week high, while a break of support would likely shift focus back toward the low-$110s and the 200-day area.

Key Resistance: $133.00 — a nearby round-number ceiling where rebounds can stall, also aligning with the stock’s recent high-zone Key Support: $112.50 — a nearby area where buyers previously stepped in, sitting not far above the 200-day trend zone What Is Walmart and How Does It Operate?Since its founding in 1962, Walmart has become the world’s largest retailer, operating over 10,700 stores globally (including 4,600 namesake U.S. locations and another 600 Sam’s Club outlets) and serving about 270 million customers each week. In aggregate, the company posted more than $713 billion in fiscal 2026 sales, with a growing e-commerce footprint layered on top of its store base.

Its business is split across Walmart US (68% of fiscal 2026 sales), Walmart International (19%), and Sam’s Club (13%). Within the U.S., nearly 60% of its $486 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue came from grocery, which makes reliable, cost-aware energy procurement relevant—especially as it expands supply-chain infrastructure like the planned high-tech perishable distribution center referenced in Illinois.

Walmart’s Benzinga Edge Rankings: Strengths and WeaknessesBelow is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for Walmart, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:

The Verdict: Walmart’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a quality-and-growth-leaning profile with only moderate momentum and value support. For longer-term investors, that often means the setup works best when price is reclaiming the 50-day/100-day area rather than fading below the 200-day trend.

WMT Stock Price Activity Tuesday MorningWMT Stock Price Activity: Walmart shares were up 1.58% at $119.03 on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image: Shutterstock

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

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

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

The retail giant is purchasing Vibe.co, a company that enables advertising through connected TVs.

Walmart plans to expand access to connected TV advertising by acquiring Vibe.co. By acquiring Vibe.

As quick commerce becomes India’s next e-commerce battleground, Walmart-backed Flipkart said Wednesday that its Minutes service has built a network of 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers — small, strategically located warehouses designed to enable deliveries in minutes — less than two years after launch, a milestone Amazon is also targeting as it expands its fast-delivery business in the South Asian nation.

Flipkart said it plans to expand the network to 1,500 micro-fulfillment centers by the end of 2026, a rapid buildout that would further strengthen its position in India’s fiercely competitive quick-commerce sector, where Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Amazon are racing to add infrastructure and customers.

Based on current store counts and announced expansion plans, Flipkart could emerge as India’s second-largest quick-commerce network by micro-fulfillment center count, behind Blinkit, which operates 2,243 such centers, according to a recent note by Jefferies. Rivals Zepto and Swiggy Instamart are also expanding their networks.

India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing quick-commerce markets, with companies racing to build networks that can deliver everything from groceries and beauty products to electronics in minutes. Blinkit, owned by food-delivery company Eternal, remains the market leader, while Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Flipkart, and Amazon are investing heavily to expand their reach and win customers.

The competition has intensified in recent months as Amazon accelerates the rollout of Amazon Now, which is currently available in more than 15 cities and operates over 500 micro-fulfillment centers. The company plans to expand the service to 100 cities with more than 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers while broadening its assortment beyond groceries into categories such as apparel, electronics, and home products.

The shift is also showing up in shopping patterns on Flipkart Minutes, which launched in August 2024. Demand is increasingly coming from categories such as electronics, beauty, and personal care products rather than just groceries, Kunal Gupta, head of Flipkart Minutes, told TechCrunch. Orders on the platform have grown about 400% from a year earlier, while customer retention has increased 20% year-over-year, he said. Both figures come from the company and could not be independently verified.

“What began as a way to fulfill everyday essentials has evolved into a fundamentally new shopping habit for millions of Indians,” Gupta said. “Customers are not just ordering more; they are ordering differently.”

Flipkart said it has expanded Minutes to more than 130 cities and 8,000 postal codes, with growth increasingly coming from smaller cities beyond India’s largest metropolitan areas. Those markets recorded more than 4,000% growth from a year earlier, aided by expansion into 90 new cities, according to the company.

The trend, Gupta said, is visible in the pace at which newly launched markets are maturing. He cited cities such as Patna, Guwahati, and Siliguri as examples of where new stores are ramping up faster than expected, and described Lucknow as one of Flipkart Minutes’ best-performing markets despite the company not yet covering the entire city with its network.

Amazon is also betting on demand outside India’s largest cities. The company told TechCrunch that 70% of new Prime members come from smaller markets and that it remains on track to double its Prime membership base from 2023 levels by year-end. Amazon added that everyday essentials now account for one in every two units shipped on Amazon.in, with Amazon Now increasing shopping frequency among customers.

Gupta told TechCrunch that Flipkart is seeing customers use Minutes alongside its main e-commerce platform rather than as a replacement for it, driving more frequent purchases and helping expand into categories such as fresh produce and daily essentials. The company said average order values for fruits and vegetables rose 30% year-over-year.

Flipkart, Gupta said, plans to continue opening between 75 and 100 micro-fulfillment centers a month while expanding into additional cities across the country.

The rapid expansion by Flipkart and Amazon underscores how India has become a testing ground for the next phase of e-commerce, with companies racing to turn quick commerce from a grocery-delivery service into a broader shopping platform. The country already has more than 5,500 dark stores, according to Bernstein, and industry analysts expect that number to rise to about 7,500 by 2030 as companies expand into smaller cities and widen their product offerings.

“We will continue to expand rapidly, will not slow down after 1,000 stores as well, and we are going all in,” Gupta said.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

June 24, 2026 Tuesday's MarketsS&P 500
7,365 (-1.44%)Nasdaq
25,587 (-2.21%)Dow
51,667 (-0.09%)Bitcoin
$62,397 (-3.08%)

Source: Image created by Jester AI.

1. Prologis Targets Buyout of U.K. Peer A $16.63 billion takeover bid for U.K. peer Segro by Prologis (PLD 2.57%) has been rejected unequivocally, despite it reflecting a value at a 25% premium to Segro's last closing stock price, as the Hidden Gems and Dividend Investor recommendation looks to grow inorganically.

"Prologis believes that its global platform, balance sheet strength and diversified capital base can unlock the significant embedded value of Segro's development and data center pipeline": Despite the statement confirming the deal was a "compelling value proposition," the current rejection could see another higher bid submitted in the near future. "The company is... doing a great job of quietly getting into the data center space": Earlier this month, Fool contributing analyst Matt Frankel noted why Prologis could do well as "they own, I think it's about 3,000 acres of land that they could potentially build profitable data centers on. They're helping to address one of the biggest problems in the data center space, which is power." 2. Walmart Buys Vibe.co for Ad Push The WSJ reports Walmart (WMT +0.19%) is paying $1.4 billion to purchase Vibe.co, a French advertising-tech company. If correct, the purchase price would mark Walmart's biggest deal in two years, signaling clear intent to push into this market.

"The acquisition advances Walmart's strategy to build more accessible, full-funnel advertising solutions through Walmart Connect": Given Vibe.co's focus on advertising within connected televisions, Walmart will be targeting small and medium advertisers with smaller budgets than large-scale ad teams. Another push in the long-term strategy move: The deal comes two years after purchasing connected-TV maker Vizio, which helped open up more platforms where it could sell advertising. In adding Vibe.co to enhance the product, it's aiming to compete with Amazon (AMZN +1.18%) on ad revenue.

3. Overnight Moves From FDX, KBH, and CBRS

FedEx (FDX 1.99%) fell around 6% ahead of the market open. Although quarterly revenue and earnings beat expectations, broader concern about underwhelming forward guidance and narrowing margins weighed on the Stock Advisor rec by Team Rule Breakers. KB Home (KBH +15.91%) rallied about 3% in pre-market trading thanks to revenue beating expectations, although it did adjust its full-year 2026 targets due to concerns around affordability challenges. Cerebras (CBRS 13.12%) dropped over 10% before the opening bell after it posted a quarterly net loss of $14 million and warned its core gross margin will shrink to 36-38% in the coming quarter, down from 46.5% from Q1. 4. Next Up: Wednesday Earnings from JEF, TCOM, and MU Jefferies (JEF 2.56%) reports earnings following the market close, with the Team Hidden Gems rec forecast to deliver decent growth driven by a continued rebound in deal activity from last quarter and elevated trading desk activity. Trip.com (TCOM +1.21%) delivers quarterly results post market close. Growth is expected thanks to international platform expansion and a rebound in Chinese outbound travel. Micron (MU 0.48%) will release Q3 results after the closing bell, coming off the back of a 13% move lower yesterday on broader memory chip valuation concerns – though the Team Rule Breakers rec is still up by more than 750% over the last year! Analysts expect revenue of around $35 billion, a 40% jump from last quarter, with a record gross margin of 81% to 81.6%. 5. Today's Take: When AI Threatens Your Portfolio

Chief Rule Breaker David Gardner built a philosophy on backing the disruptor, not the disrupted; I take it further: Owning the threat is the cleanest hedge against your own portfolio.-- Yasser El-Shimy Team Rule Breakers

The potential for AI disruption is something I regularly assess in my portfolio. Fortunately, the bulk of my investments aren't likely to face significant headwinds, such as real estate investment trusts, banks, and industrials. But there are a few I have to watch more closely.-- Matt Frankel Team Hidden Gems

6. Your Take Nasdaq futures were up over 0.5% in early trading, following the tech rout of the past two days.

Which names on your watchlist just got more attractively priced?

Discuss with friends and family, or become a member to hear what your fellow Fools are saying!

This image and article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Jefferies Financial Group, Micron Technology, Prologis, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends FedEx and KB Home and recommends the following options: short July 2026 $60 calls on KB Home. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Key Takeaways JPMorgan aims to operate Chase in at least five European countries by the end of 2030.Chase has gained more than 3 million U.K. customers and roughly 30 billion pounds in deposits.JPMorgan sees Europe as a long-term retail banking investment, not an immediate earnings driver. JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) is planning to deepen Chase’s presence in Europe, marking a major step in its international retail banking strategy. The U.S. banking giant wants its digital bank to operate in at least five European countries by the end of 2030. Building on its current presence in the U.K. and Germany, the company is reportedly considering expansion into additional European markets, including France, Spain and Italy.

The move signals JPMorgan’s intent to build a scalable consumer banking platform outside its dominant U.S. base. Chase entered the U.K. in 2021 and has since gained strong traction (more than 3 million customers and roughly £30 billion in deposits), helped by competitive savings rates, cashback benefits and brand recognition. Its German launch (May 2026) has opened the door to continental Europe, where a common regulatory and technology framework may make future rollouts easier than the initial U.K.-to-EU transition.

For JPMorgan, the opportunity lies in gathering low-cost deposits, expanding customer relationships and cross-selling products such as cards, insurance, lending and wealth solutions over time. A broader European footprint will also diversify consumer banking revenues and support long-term growth.

However, the strategy is unlikely to deliver quick profits. Europe’s retail banking market is fragmented, heavily regulated and dominated by entrenched local banks. Digital players such as Revolut, Monzo and N26 have already intensified competition for younger and rate-sensitive customers. JPMorgan will have to keep spending heavily on technology, marketing and customer incentives to gain scale.

Overall, the expansion underscores JPMorgan’s confidence in its brand, balance sheet and digital capabilities. Still, the move must be viewed as a long-term retail banking investment rather than an immediate earnings driver.

How Do JPM’s Peers Fare in Terms of Branch Expansion Plans?JPMorgan’s two close peers are Bank of America (BAC - Free Report) and Citigroup (C - Free Report) .

Bank of America continues to show that branches remain relevant in an AI-driven banking era. As of March 31, 2026, Bank of America operated 3,540 financial centers and 14,902 ATMs, while advancing plans to open 150-plus centers across 60 markets by 2027.

Citigroup plans to renovate much of its 650-branch U.S. network and selectively open new locations by 2028. This will reshape Citigroup’s physical footprint around wealth management and advisory services rather than routine retail transactions.

JPMorgan’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesJPM’s shares have gained 5.8% over the past six months.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, JPMorgan trades at a 12-month trailing price-to-tangible book (P/TB) of 3.22X, slightly below the industry average. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JPMorgan's 2026 earnings indicates a 10.3% year-over-year rise, while 2027 earnings are expected to grow at a rate of 5.4%. Over the past month, earnings estimates for 2026 have moved lower to $22.40, while those for 2027 have moved higher to $23.60.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Anthropic logo, a keyboard and a robotic hand in this illustration created on June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

June 18 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), opens new tab has stopped its staff in Hong Kong from accessing Anthropic's AI models, in a sign ​of intense scrutiny on the technology's use outside the U.S., the ‌Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The wording of Anthropic's usage terms in its licensing agreement with JPMorgan prompted the bank ​to remove Claude models from an internal drop-down list ​of approved large language models available to employees ⁠in the Asian financial hub, the report said.

Get a look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets with the Morning Bid U.S. newsletter. Sign up here.

The move follows ​a similar decision by Goldman Sachs (GS.N), opens new tab, which in April removed Claude from ​a list of approved tools available to its Hong Kong-based bankers.

JPMorgan and Anthropic did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside business hours. ​Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

The restrictions by ​the two Wall Street banks come amid rising U.S.-China tensions over AI technology, ‌data ⁠security and access to advanced computing tools.

While AI models built by U.S. firms are not available in mainland China, Hong Kong has largely remained a market where some models operate, ​with usage limits ​set by U.S. ⁠companies.

Earlier this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a letter to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, ​ordered the company to suspend exports of its ​Mythos ⁠and Fable AI models to destinations worldwide and all foreign nationals, citing concerns they could be used by military intelligence users in ⁠China, ​Russia and other countries of concern.

U.S. ​President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Anthropic are "going fine."

Reporting by ​Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Harikrishnan Nair

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

The JPMorgan Chase & Co. logo in one of the headquarters’ entrances in New York City, U.S., April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesJune 18 (Reuters) - JPMorgan (JPM.N), opens new tab has tapped insider Ben Walter to oversee the bank's workplace solutions business, ​according to an internal memo seen by ‌Reuters on Thursday.

Walter will replace Vince La Padula, who is leaving after 23 years at the bank ​to take on a senior role ​at the Internal Revenue Service.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

J.P. Morgan Workplace ⁠Solutions provides equity compensation and share plan ​services globally. Formerly known as Global Shares, it was acquired ​by JPMorgan in 2022.

Walter most recently led Chase for Business, which serves more than 7.4 million small businesses ​across the U.S.

Prior to JPMorgan, Walter was ​the global retail CEO at specialty insurer Hiscox (HSX.L), opens new tab. Earlier, ‌he also held ⁠roles at BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab and the Boston Consulting Group.

La Padula, who joined JPMorgan in 2004, helped lay the foundation for JPMorgan's workplace solutions organization ​following the ​acquisition of ⁠Global Shares.

"Over 23 years, he delivered outsized impact — including significantly expanding ​our lending franchise — and he helped ​position ⁠workplace solutions for long-term growth, doubling assets and participants in just three years," said Mary ⁠Callahan ​Erdoes, CEO of J.P. Morgan ​Asset & Wealth Management.

Reporting by Pragyan Kalita in Bengaluru and Nupur ​Anand in New York; Editing by Leroy Leo

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $325.22, moving -2.47% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.09%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.14%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 1.91%.

The stock of company has risen by 10.43% in the past month, leading the Finance sector's gain of 4.44% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.29%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on July 14, 2026. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $5.44, signifying a 9.68% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $48.01 billion, up 6.9% from the prior-year quarter.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $22.44 per share and a revenue of $195.45 billion, representing changes of +10.32% and +7.12%, respectively, from the prior year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for JPMorgan Chase & Co. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.05% higher. As of now, JPMorgan Chase & Co. holds a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Looking at its valuation, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 14.86. This expresses no noticeable deviation compared to the average Forward P/E of 14.86 of its industry.

We can additionally observe that JPM currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.62. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Financial - Investment Bank industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.1 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Financial - Investment Bank industry is part of the Finance sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 84, this industry ranks in the top 35% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

Published June 19, 2026 3:39pm EDT

Investigators are examining a global investment empire tied to Tehran's leadership The Department of Justice is investigating transactions tied to a business network linked to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei that reportedly had exposure to major U.S. financial institutions, according to a Bloomberg News report.

Bloomberg reported federal investigators are examining how companies connected to Khamenei built a global investment portfolio with transactions involving Wall Street firms including JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup.

The reported probe is part of a broader Justice Department investigation into alleged money laundering and corruption involving entities tied to Khamenei, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter.

DOJ CLEARS PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS MERGER AFTER 8-MONTH ANTITRUST PROBE, SAYS DEAL COULD BOOST COMPETITION

JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York City. Federal investigators are reportedly reviewing transactions tied to a business network linked to Iran's supreme leader that involved major U.S. financial institutions. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images)

JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to FOX Business' requests for comment.

Investigators are reviewing the role U.S. financial institutions may have played in processing or facilitating transactions linked to the network, though Bloomberg reported the investigation does not necessarily mean charges will be filed.

The reported inquiry comes as the Trump administration has intensified pressure on Iran and sought to crack down on sanctions evasion and illicit financial activity tied to Tehran and its leadership.

JPMORGAN CHASE LAUNCHES AMERICAN DREAM INITIATIVE TO EXPAND SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT ACROSS THE US

Citigroup headquarters in New York City. The bank was named in a report on a Justice Department investigation examining transactions linked to a business network tied to Iran's supreme leader. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg / Getty Images)

The investigation could place renewed scrutiny on how major financial institutions identify and monitor potentially sanctioned entities operating through complex international ownership structures and investment vehicles, a longstanding challenge for global banks and regulators.

Bloomberg reported that investigators' primary focus is Khamenei and the network of businesses tied to him rather than the banks themselves.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % JPM JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. 331.57 -2.57 -0.77% C CITIGROUP INC. 144.52 -0.54 -0.37% GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Khamenei became Iran's supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike. As Iran's highest-ranking authority, he has final say over major state decisions, including foreign policy and the country's nuclear program.

The reported investigation comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran as the administration continues to increase economic and diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime.

Wealth Management

Photo credit: Getty Images

AI can now draft a financial plan in seconds. That is why tens of billions in market value vanished in February—and why the firms that endure will be the ones that own the control points, not the ones with the warmest handshake.

In the trading session this winter after a little-known software company unveiled an AI tax-planning tool, investors did something revealing. They sold the wealth managers.

The product was Hazel, an AI-enabled tax-planning workflow built into Altruist’s advisor platform. Nothing about it was science fiction; AI has been seeping into wealth management for years. But the market’s reaction was swift and pointed. Publicly listed wealth managers fell in the mid-to-high single digits in the session that followed, erasing more than $20 billion in value in short order. Three weeks later, the drawdown across major names passed $100 billion.

The market was not reacting to a single tool. It was re-underwriting a business model. If the cost of producing a complex tax plan collapses toward zero, what exactly is the client paying for—and who keeps the fee?

The Question I Left Open Last MonthI spent last month’s column on a version of this question in asset management, and I closed it with a line borrowed from McKinsey that I have not been able to shake: planning is getting cheaper than supervision. The value, I argued, was not disappearing. It was migrating towards the firms that own the data, the relationships, and the judgment that no agent can replicate on its own. McKinsey calls those defensible positions the control points.

That was the right frame for asset management. And the recent Hazel sell-off forced the same question into the open for wealth management, where the relationship is not a feature of the product—the relationship is the product. So what are control points, and how will they separate the winners from the used-to-bes?

MORE FOR YOU

Tasks Are Not JobsLet’s start with what the sell-off did not mean. It did not mean the advisor is finished. Rather it highlights how AI is exceptionally good at compressing the invisible labor of the industry--the tasks of preparation, data extraction, drafting, scenario modeling. Replacing tasks is not the same as replacing the human who is accountable for the judgment, the trust, and the behavioral coaching that clients actually hire.

The numbers support the distinction. McKinsey reports roughly 80% of affluent households still say they want a human relationship, and interest in holistic advice—the integrated, life-spanning kind that is hardest to automate—climbed from 29% in 2018 to 52% in 2023. Fee rates on relationships above $1 million have held remarkably steady at about 104 basis points since 2019. And the industry faces a projected shortfall of 90,000 to 110,000 advisors by 2034, which makes AI a capacity lever the industry needs, not a threat it can wish away.

So the replacement of humans question is the wrong question. The right question is as AI commoditizes the technical output, which parts of the value chain become mere features, and which become control points?

What Is A Control Point A control point is a position in the workflow that stays scarce even after the surrounding work becomes free. The four below adapt McKinsey’s framework.

The first is governed data. AI is only as good as the permissioned, high-fidelity information it runs on. The firm that owns the proprietary client record—the full household balance sheet, the history, the context—owns the floor for every downstream tool.

The second is the interface. This is the advisor's workspace, the screen where the relationship is actually managed. McKinsey's sharpest warning is here: if an AI-driven operating system becomes the primary interface and a third party owns it, the incumbent's century-old back office quietly degrades into a background utility. Hazel is interesting precisely because a tax tool is a plausible Trojan horse for the interface.

The third is auditability. For years the industry assumed regulation was a moat—that compliance was too hard to automate, so trust-based advice was safe. AI is dismantling that assumption by industrializing the oversight itself. The moat does not vanish; it moves to whoever builds auditability by design, i.e. evidence trails, supervision workflows, explainability that a regulator and a client can both follow. Compliance staff are a cost. Auditable systems are a control point.

The fourth is execution rails—the legal and technical ability to turn a recommendation into a completed transaction, securely. Insight is becoming abundant. The toll booth is the ability to act on it.

Underneath these four is accountable judgment--the named human who owns the decision when it matters and the behavioral coaching that keeps a client from selling at the bottom.

Notice what every item on the list has in common? Trust used to be a feeling—the advisor's rapport and the brand's reputation. In the AI era, trust is becoming infrastructure. Permissioned data governance, a defended interface, auditability, supervised execution—these are trust rendered as an operating system, engineered into the stack rather than carried in a relationship. The firms that win will not be the ones with the warmest handshakes. They will be the ones that have built trust into something they own.

What That Looks Like In PracticeThis is no longer theoretical. JPMorgan's asset and wealth management arm has been building exactly this, and its 2025 shareholder letter is unusually specific about it.

Its Connect Coach platform, launched just over a year ago, now serves roughly 12,000 users across the Private Bank and U.S. Wealth Management and runs 25 specialized AI agents that push around a million personalized, AI-driven insights to front-office staff. Advisors use it to accelerate meeting prep, support portfolio analysis, and generate call summaries—precisely the document-heavy tasks AI is expected to absorb first.

But the strategic point is not the productivity. It is who owns the layer. By building Connect Coach in-house, JPMorgan keeps the client data, the workspace, and the supervision under its own roof rather than depending on an outside vendor for them. That is an incumbent defending the interface control point: rather than let an independent platform like Altruist’s Hazel become the operating system its advisors work inside—and slide between the firm and its clients—JPMorgan owns that layer itself. The supporting numbers tell the same story: The firm’s private bank advisor headcount has nearly doubled since 2010 to about 4,100, while revenue per banker rose 15% from 2020 to 2025. Capacity is going up and the relationship is staying close. That is the disruption scenario—reshaped economics, human core intact—rather than the displacement one.

The Honest CounterA skeptic would push back, and should. Control points are not permanent. McKinsey notes that baseline capability is inflating fast, so today’s differentiator—slick AI summaries, sophisticated tax modeling—becomes tomorrow’s table stakes. Fee pressure is real too, though likelier to surface as demands for transparency and unbundling than as a cut to the steady 104 basis points. And the incumbent’s edge is a path, not a guarantee: many firms still run on fragmented, decades-old systems. So the deeper danger isn't that JPMorgan moves—it's that most firms assume their relationships keep them safe and never build the infrastructure at all, which is McKinsey's bluntest point: most are not yet building seriously for either scenario.

There is also a longer-horizon caution. As McKinsey notes in its 2035 outlook, the next generation of clients is shifting the basis of trust from "trust me" to "show me"—from reputation to demonstrated, auditable outcomes. That cuts both ways. It rewards the firms building trust as infrastructure, and it punishes the ones still trading on a logo.

The Race Is To Become UnrentableThe wealth management industry long assumed it sat safely on the relationship side of the automation line. This February the market called that assumption into question and priced in the doubt. The signal in the sell-off was not that advisors are obsolete. It was that the economics of advice are being rebuilt around what cannot be cheaply copied.

Producing the plan is getting cheaper by the month. Being accountable for it is not. Trust is no longer just something an advisor earns across a table—it is something a firm builds, owns, and is increasingly the only thing worth paying for.

© Billion Photos / Shutterstock.com

Income investors keep coming back to the same playbook in choppy markets: own businesses that have raised their payouts every single year, no matter what the economy is doing. June is a natural moment to reposition into dividend growers because mid-year cash needs to be put to work, and the three names below have done the one thing that matters most to compounders. They keep writing bigger checks, year after year, through every recession, crash, and inflation cycle since the 1960s.

Here are three Dividend Kings (or king-adjacent) names worth a hard look this month.

Coca-Cola (KO) Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO | KO Price Prediction) is the cleanest expression of the “pay you more every year” thesis. Management confirmed on the Q4 2025 call that this marks the 63rd consecutive year of dividend increases, putting it among the most elite Dividend Kings in the market. The company paid $8.8 billion in dividends during 2025, and the most recent quarterly payout sits at $0.53 per share, with an ex-dividend date of June 15, 2026 and a payment date of July 1, 2026.

The bull case got stronger in April. Q1 2026 revenue rose 12% year over year to $12.47 billion, organic revenue grew 10%, and operating margin expanded to 35% from 33%. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volumes jumped 13%. Management is guiding to comparable EPS growth of 8% to 9% and roughly $12.2 billion in free cash flow for 2026, which more than covers the dividend. Shares are up 17% year to date at $80.36, and the Street’s average target sits at $85.97.

Risk: The pending sale of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa creates a roughly 4% revenue headwind, and Asia Pacific operating income fell 17% last quarter. Trailing valuation at a 26 P/E is not cheap for a low-single-digit organic grower in a normalized year.

Procter & Gamble (PG) Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) recently checked the box on its 70th consecutive annual dividend increase and its 136th consecutive year of dividend payments since incorporation in 1890. That is roughly a century and a half of uninterrupted cash returns. The current quarterly dividend stands at $1.0885 per share, with an ex-dividend date of April 24, 2026. Management has earmarked roughly $10 billion in dividends for FY2026 on top of $5 billion in planned buybacks.

Q3 FY26 results showed the engine is still running. Net sales rose 7% to $21.24 billion, organic sales grew 3%, and the Beauty segment posted 7% organic growth. CEO Shailesh Jejurikar called it “a solid acceleration in top-line results… with broad-based growth across product categories and regions.” The stock trades at $152.52 after a 7% YTD gain, with the analyst target average at $163.43 and a current yield of 3%.

Risk: P&G is absorbing roughly $400 million in after-tax tariff costs and a $150 million commodity headwind in FY2026, and Core EPS is now expected toward the low end of the $6.83 to $7.09 range. Core gross margin compressed 100 basis points, which is the kind of slow drip that can mute total return even if the dividend keeps climbing.

AbbVie (ABBV) AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) is the highest-yielding name of the three at 3%, with a most recent quarterly payout of $1.73 per share and an ex-dividend date of April 15, 2026. The dividend has been raised every year since the 2013 spinoff from Abbott, and combined with the parent’s heritage, the lineage qualifies it as part of a 50-plus-year Dividend Aristocrat track record. Quarterly payouts climbed from $1.55 in 2024 to $1.64 in 2025 to $1.73 in 2026.

The Humira-to-immunology handoff is working. Q1 2026 revenue rose 12% to $15.00 billion, with Skyrizi up 31% to $4.48 billion and Rinvoq up 23% to $2.12 billion. Management raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $14.08 to $14.28. CEO Robert A. Michael said AbbVie is “off to an excellent start in 2026, with first-quarter results exceeding our expectations.” Shares trade at $221.80, off slightly year to date, and the analyst average target is $253.55 based on 8 strong buys and 16 buys.

Risk: Humira sales fell 39% to $688 million, the trailing GAAP P/E reads at 111 on IPR&D-charge noise, and shareholders’ equity is negative. The forward P/E of 16 is a far more accurate read on the underlying business.

What To Watch Next All three names share a single common feature: they have raised payouts through every recession of the past half century, and each is doing it again in 2026. KO is the steadiest compounder, PG is the deepest moat, and ABBV is the highest yield with the most growth attached. For June income hunters wanting durable raises rather than chasing yield traps, this is the bench to study.

Researchers and developers believed they could improve the company's crown jewel—and sell consumers on a laundry ‘tile.'

Procter & Gamble (PG - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $147.68, demonstrating a -1.8% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.37%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.29%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.33%.

The world's largest consumer products maker's stock has climbed by 4.11% in the past month, exceeding the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 1.01% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.02%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Procter & Gamble in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Procter & Gamble to post earnings of $1.44 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 2.7%. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $21.46 billion, indicating a 2.74% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $6.91 per share and a revenue of $87.15 billion, representing changes of +1.17% and +3.4%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Procter & Gamble. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.07% lower. At present, Procter & Gamble boasts a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).

In terms of valuation, Procter & Gamble is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 21.77. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 18.47.

Also, we should mention that PG has a PEG ratio of 6.54. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Consumer Products - Staples industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 3.13 as of yesterday's close.

The Consumer Products - Staples industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 169, finds itself in the bottom 31% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

© Mario Tama / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Our Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ | JNJ Price Prediction) 24/7 Wall St. price target lands at $261.72, pointing to 11.28% upside from the current price of $235.18. Our recommendation is buy, and our model carries a 90% confidence level. JNJ has quietly become one of healthcare’s most reliable compounders again, with oncology firing and dividend support intact.

Metric Value Current Price $235.18 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $261.72 Upside 11.28% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% A Quiet Rally Into New Highs JNJ has run hard. Shares are up 14.91% year to date and 55.3% over the past year, currently trading about 1% below the 52-week high of $250.24. The latest Q1 2026 earnings report backed the move. Revenue rose 9.9% to $24.062 billion, and adjusted EPS of $2.70 beat estimates for the fourth consecutive quarter.

Management raised 2026 guidance to $100.3B to $101.3B in sales and $11.45 to $11.65 in adjusted EPS. Recent catalysts include a $1 billion Vision manufacturing expansion in Jacksonville, the $1 billion Firefly Bio acquisition adding a degrader-antibody-conjugate platform, and a Talvey late-stage trial showing up to 53% mortality risk reduction in multiple myeloma.

Why Bulls See a Breakout Toward $275 The bull case rests on oncology and immunology firing simultaneously. DARZALEX hit $3.964 billion (+22.5%), TREMFYA reached $1.608 billion (+68.3%), CARVYKTI grew 62.1%, and RYBREVANT/LAZCLUZE jumped 82.7%. Cardiovascular MedTech grew 13.0% on Abiomed and Shockwave.

The analyst consensus target of $252.87 sits between our base and our bull case of $273.48 over the next year. If the DePuy Synthes orthopaedics spin lifts the remaining mix toward double-digit growth, the multiple can expand from the current forward P/E of 20x.

The Risks Worth Watching The bear case is real. STELARA fell 59.7% in Q1 on biosimilars, dragging Innovative Medicine by roughly 920 basis points. Litigation charges of $330 million in Q1 followed $854 million in Q4 2025, and talc cases remain an overhang.

Our bear scenario lands at $222.46, a 5.41% drawdown. That said, bulls would argue the headline net income decline of 52.4% reflects those non-recurring legal charges rather than underlying operating performance, where adjusted EPS still grew and guidance was raised.

Our Take on JNJ Here The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $261.72 and buy rating reflect a balanced setup: defensive characteristics, accelerating top-line growth, and a pipeline that should outrun the STELARA cliff. The setup favors investors seeking healthcare exposure with a 0.26 beta and a 64-year dividend growth streak.

The case weakens if talc litigation reserves expand materially or if the orthopaedics separation slips beyond the 18 to 24 month window. Our 90% confidence is high for a reason: this is a low-volatility blue chip with a clear growth narrative.

JNJ Price Prediction 2026-2030 Looking further out, here is where our model projects Johnson & Johnson could trade, assuming current growth trajectories and the planned orthopaedics separation execute on schedule.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $248.24 2027 $273.86 2028 $294.53 2029 $315.88 2030 $333.63 These projections assume JNJ continues executing on oncology and cardiovascular MedTech. Significant upside or downside could result from talc litigation outcomes or the pace of double-digit growth promised by end of decade.

Despite the interim US-Iran deal and a considerable fall in oil prices, risk assets have barely moved, with the S&P 500 still beneath its record high from early June and credit spreads widening.

The puzzle reflects four competing forces, Deutsche Bank analyst Henry Allen argues.

First, the Federal Reserve's hawkish pivot last week has pushed up real yields, counteracting the initial relief from the geopolitical breakthrough.

The US 10-year real yield closed at 2.22% on Wednesday after the Fed decision, its highest in over a year, whilst Germany's equivalent hit a five-month high of 0.89%.

Second, markets had already priced in a temporary resolution to the conflict through oil futures curves, limiting the upside potential once a deal was actually reached.

Third, risk assets staged a historically powerful rally over April and May, with the S&P 500 gaining 16% in two months, a move not seen since World War II except in post-recession bouncebacks or just before the 1987 Black Monday crash.

The CAPE valuation ratio has now reached its highest level since 2000, the dot-com bubble era.

Fourth, structural supply constraints remain unresolved despite the interim agreement. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carried 20–25% of global oil before the conflict, remains a fraction of pre-crisis levels. Brent crude is still around 30% above its January level despite the deal.

Deutsche Bank tempers concerns about near-term weakness, noting that stronger-than-expected growth and resilient labour market data underpin the Fed's hawkish repricing.

If Fed rate moves reflect upside growth surprises rather than deteriorating fundamentals, markets can weather the shift. Moreover, circuit breakers prevent the mechanical crash dynamics that defined 1987, and the year-to-date S&P 500 gain of 10% is far shallower than the 39% seen before Black Monday

Since going public on June 12, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX +0.71%), better known as SpaceX, has experienced roller coaster price action. Going public at an initial public offering (IPO) price of $135 per share, SpaceX zoomed within days to prices topping $225 per share. However, the stock has since pulled back and is now trading at around $180 to $185 per share.

While another near-term rally is possible, so too is a further pullback. Worse yet, unlike other IPO stocks, which typically experience a lockup expiration six months after going public, SpaceX's staggered lockup provisions mean insiders will be able to sell shares as early as later this summer, following SpaceX's first quarterly earnings release.

As SpaceX's float currently represents less than 5% of the outstanding share count, the flood of new shares hitting the market could put serious pressure on the SpaceX stock price. While some may be willing to stomach further volatility, given confidence in the long-term SpaceX bull case, more cautious investors may want to look beyond speculative space stocks.

If you are looking for steadier returns, a stronger choice may be high-quality dividend stocks. Some strong examples of these include Coca-Cola (KO +0.92%), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ +1.12%), and Procter & Gamble (PG +0.89%).

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Coca-Cola has a not-so-secret recipe for long-term total returns There's a good reason Warren Buffett made Coca-Cola one of Berkshire Hathaway's long-term stock holdings, and why his successor Greg Abel has yet to pare down this position. Shares in the beverage company may seem dull and predictable, but this consistency has served as the perfect recipe for long-term total returns.

Today's Change

(

0.92

%) $

0.74

Current Price

$

81.05

The key ingredient in this not-so-secret recipe is the company's long dividend growth track record. The company has raised its dividend for 65 consecutive years. This places it well within Dividend King territory. Dividend Kings are stocks with 50 or more years of consecutive dividend growth. Over the past 20 years, dividend growth has averaged around 6.7%.

With investors pricing the stock largely on its dependable, ever-growing dividend, the stock has seen steady price appreciation. Coupling that with the stock's 2.7% forward dividend yield, and you get steady, low volatility returns, making it the perfect bedrock position for a portfolio.

2. Johnson & Johnson: another stalwart among Dividend Kings Similar to Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson is another blue chip stock with Dividend King status. This diversified healthcare company has raised its quarterly cash payouts during each of the last 65 years.

Today's Change

(

1.12

%) $

2.68

Current Price

$

241.76

Johnson & Johnson may have a forward yield of only 2.3%, but dividend growth has averaged in the mid-single digits for well over a decade. For long-term investors who choose to reinvest dividends, this modest payout can snowball into a major contributor to total returns over time. Better yet, given the healthcare industry's recession-resistant nature, it's a defensive stock that tends to hold up well during stormier times in the broader market.

Alongside relative stability, Johnson & Johnson may also have strong growth potential. With its pivot toward faster-growing segments of the healthcare sector, including a lofty goal of becoming what CEO Joaquin Duato recently dubbed "the world's leading cancer drug maker," greater earnings, dividend growth, and stock price appreciation could be on the horizon. Investors building a diversified long-term portfolio should consider making this stock a core holding.

3. Procter & Gamble: A safe harbor in troubled waters With "fear of missing out," or "FOMO," arguably driving much of the bullishness among artificial intelligence stocks, and in turn the broad market, concerns about a possible stock market downturn may not be so far-fetched. To be clear, you shouldn't let short-term fears keep you out of the market.

Today's Change

(

0.89

%) $

1.34

Current Price

$

152.21

But if you are looking for a defensive, low-volatility stock to own if today's "good times" turn into a more challenging environment, Procter & Gamble is a strong choice. The company behind Tide soap and Gillette razors, it has 71 consecutive years of dividend growth under its belt. Selling household essentials, a recession-resistant business, its shares hold relatively steady during times when more speculative stocks wobble.

However, even if you initially buy it as a safe harbor during market volatility, you may still want to make it a core holding. Currently yielding nearly 3%, annual dividend growth has averaged around 5% over the past decade. Hence, just like with Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson, steady gains from quarterly cash dividends will make up a greater share of total returns over time.

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Picture two retirees with the same nest egg making opposite choices. One locks in $80,000 a year today with little growth. The other accepts $50,000 a year today, growing at 8% annually. For most of a decade, the first retiree looks like the obvious winner. Then the math quietly turns. The dividend-growth bet takes roughly 12 years to pay off, and most investors quit long before it does.

The $80,000 Income Target, Three Ways Start with the equation that drives every retirement income decision: target income divided by yield equals capital required. An $80,000 annual income looks very different depending on where the yield comes from.

Conservative tier (3% to 4%). Dividend-growth blue chips and broad dividend ETFs. At a 3.5% blended yield, $80,000 requires roughly $2.29 million in capital. This includes Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ | JNJ Price Prediction), yielding about 2.2% with 64 consecutive years of dividend increases; Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) at 2.9% after its 70th consecutive annual increase; and Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) at 2.5%, riding 63 straight years of raises. Low current income, high projected growth.

Moderate tier (5% to 7%). Covered-call ETFs, REITs, preferred shares, high-dividend equity funds. At a 6% yield, $80,000 requires roughly $1.33 million. Income arrives faster, but dividend growth flattens and principal often stalls.

Aggressive tier (8% to 14%). Business development companies, mortgage REITs, leveraged option-income funds, high-yield bond funds. At a 10% distribution rate, $80,000 needs only $800,000. The catch: distributions are frequently cut, and principal often erodes.

The Crossover, Year by Year The power of dividend growth is not obvious at first. Consider two portfolios. One pays a flat $80,000 every year. The other starts at $50,000 but increases its income by 8% annually.

For several years, the higher-yield portfolio looks like the clear winner. Then compounding takes over. By year 7, the growing portfolio is nearly matching the flat payer. In year 8, it pulls ahead. By year 12, it is generating roughly $116,000 annually, about 46% more than the portfolio still paying $80,000.

The cumulative income takes longer to catch up. Over the first 12 years, both portfolios deliver nearly the same total cash. But around year 13, the growing portfolio overtakes the flat one in lifetime income received. After that, the lead continues to widen.

Inflation makes the difference even more important. A portfolio paying the same dollar amount year after year loses purchasing power as prices rise. A portfolio growing its income faster than inflation can help retirees maintain, and potentially improve, their standard of living over time.

Why Most Investors Quit Before Year 12 The strategy is simple. The behavior is brutal. Three forces push investors out of dividend-growth portfolios right before the curve bends.

Recency bias. Five years of underperforming a 10% yield fund feels like evidence the strategy is broken. JNJ delivered a 168% 10-year total return, but plenty of years inside that window felt like dead money. Yield chasing. A 10-year Treasury near 4.5% and high-yield ETFs at 10%-plus make a 2.5% dividend look broken. An 8% growing stream catches a 10% flat stream in about three years and laps it thereafter. Income envy. Watching a neighbor collect $80,000 while you collect $50,000 is socially painful. Investors abandon plans for emotional reasons almost always within sight of the crossover. Three Moves Before You Commit First, calculate what retirement actually costs. Many retirees spend far less than they earned while working, which can dramatically reduce the amount of portfolio income they need to generate.

Second, compare total returns, not just yields. High-yield investments often produce more income upfront, but dividend-growth investments have historically delivered stronger long-term returns thanks to rising payouts and capital appreciation. A portfolio that starts slower can finish much stronger.

Third, look at the after-tax income. Qualified dividends from companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and The Coca-Cola Company may qualify for lower tax rates than some high-yield distributions, which can narrow the advantage advertised by headline yields.

The biggest risk is not choosing the wrong portfolio. It is abandoning the right one before the compounding has time to work. A strategy that reaches its full potential in year 12 only rewards investors who are still holding it in year 12.

Disney DIS looks poised for a big box office weekend as Toy Story 5 heads into theaters with expectations of one of the strongest openings of the year.

Early forecasts suggest the latest installment in Pixar's flagship franchise could generate $145 million to $150 million domestically across roughly 4,400 screens. Internationally, the film is expected to add another $135 million or more, putting its global opening above $280 million. That would top the opening performance of many recent family releases and put it in striking distance of the $120 million debut posted by Toy Story 4.

The setup is favorable. Schools are out for summer, competition is relatively light, and Disney is leaning on one of its strongest brands. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack all return, while Taylor Swift contributed a new song to the soundtrack, adding another layer of mainstream appeal.

the story extends beyond ticket sales. A strong opening would reinforce the value of Disney's family franchises while benefiting theater operators, IMAX screens and merchandise partners such as Mattel. The U.S. box office is already up 11.6% year over year to $4.13 billion.

watch now

Spend a day at Shanghai Disneyland and you wouldn't know Chinese consumers are struggling.

Wang Jiandong and his girlfriend Yan Xu said they have been skipping meals out and scrimping on day-to-day necessities so they could afford to enjoy the park.

"We save in our daily lives so we can spend more on trips," Wang explained while taking photos with Yan in front of Disney's iconic castle. "This is a romantic place."

Shanghai Disneyland celebrated its 10th anniversary this week, with former Disney CEO Bob Iger flying in for the festivities.

"I'm feeling filled with pride really," Iger told CNBC during an interview at the park. "I've been involved in this project from the very beginning in the late '90s."

Iger said the occasion carried extra significance "knowing not only how successful it's been, but really how important it is in many respects, not just to the Walt Disney Co. but to the people of China."

Shanghai Disneyland hit 100 million cumulative visitors in 2025, according to the company. It's a relatively new but important foothold in Disney's more than 100-year history.

Disney's experiences division, which includes its theme parks, resorts, cruises and merchandise, reported nearly $9.5 billion in revenue during the company's most recent quarter, ended in March, a 7% increase year over year. The division is the second largest at Disney's, accounting for almost 40% of the company's overall revenue and nearly 60% of its operating income.

While Disney executives have noted recent softness in international visitors to the company's U.S. parks, its outposts in other countries are faring better.

According to the Themed Entertainment Association, which tracks global theme park data, the Shanghai park attracted 14.7 million visitors in 2024 — a 5% year-on-year increase — making it the fifth most-visited theme park in the world behind Disney parks in Orlando, Florida; Anaheim, California; and Tokyo as well as Universal Studios Japan.

Under newly appointed CEO Josh D'Amaro, Disney is eyeing further global expansion, with a new cruise ship berthed in Singapore and a forthcoming park and resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The company announced a 10-year, $60 billion investment into its parks in 2023.

watch now

"Because of the available property and because of the properties, the intellectual property that Disney has, the opportunities to expand are limitless," Iger told CNBC this week. "As long as the business is successful, which it has been, there is no reason why it won't continue to expand over time."

Iger, who stepped down from his second stint as CEO in March and is still a member of its board of directors, declined to comment on reports that Disney is considering another theme park for China. 

A cautious Chinese consumerShanghai Disneyland is bucking a bigger trend in China: consumption broadly is poor.

Retail sales dropped in May for the first time in three years. Car sales are down by double digits. People are downgrading their consumption, but they haven't cut back altogether.

"Young people in China today are not refusing to consume. Rather, they care more about 'value for money,'" Lin Huanjie, president of the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, said in written comments to CNBC.

"If a Disney trip delivers strong memories, compelling social content, and high emotional value, they are still willing to pay," Lin said. "If it is just an ordinary visit, they will tighten their budgets. The popularity of characters like LinaBell in China also shows that young consumers, even under economic pressure, are still willing to pay for emotionally comforting consumption."

University student Smile Wei is one such parkgoer.

Wei traveled with a friend for a vacation to Shanghai and told CNBC their budget was 5,000 yuan ($735) for the five-day trip. They already spent a fifth of that at the park, Wei said.

"My friend and I planned to book a hotel room with two beds," Wei said. "But we downsized to a single to buy more souvenirs here."

Shanghai resident Wang Lu told CNBC she specifically wanted to be at the park on June 16.

"It's both my birthday and the park's 10th anniversary," she said. "There is nowhere else I would rather spend this special day."

The ‘Acquired' podcast traces Walt Disney's formula to generate reliable profits in a hits-based industry, or basically why we now buy Elsa everything

The famed sheriff and his space ranger sidekick are back again with the weight of The Walt Disney Company (DIS +0.28%) on their animated shoulders. Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on Friday, June 19, and it won't be just another Pixar movie for the entertainment conglomerate. This time around, the 31-year-old franchise will see if it can move the needle for a company in need of a win.

Today's Change

(

0.28

%) $

0.29

Current Price

$

103.82

The early signs look good. The film should gross more than $200 million in its opening weekend. Yet, it's not just the movie depicting toys versus tech that could propel Disney. The Toy Story franchise is a serious business across Disney's entire business model. The film will provide momentum for Disney's licensing and merchandise, as well as a renewed reason to visit the theme parks. All told, a successful release would translate into billions in revenue for Disney. 

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The company could use the positive news. The box office has been volatile for several years. A change in executive leadership and several legal and regulatory battles have dominated Disney's headlines, so a strong summer on the back of a blockbuster film could be the spark the stock needs. No, one movie won't solve all of Disney's issues, but positive headlines and renewed interest in the brand are a start.

As of June 17,  Disney's stock has fallen more than 11% in 52 weeks.  It has shed 42% over the past five years. As the original fans of this classic franchise introduce a new generation to the characters this weekend, Disney investors should hope Toy Story 5 is the fresh start the newly appointed CEO, Josh D'Amaro, needs. I think this film brings enough star power and fan loyalty to make it work.

Catie Hogan has positions in Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.