Key Takeaways FCX's expansion projects aim to boost copper output, backed by a strong financial health.BHP boosts copper output and invests billions in new projects like the Escondida concentrator.Copper prices remain volatile yet favorable amid demand strength, supply concerns and global tensions. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX - Free Report) and BHP Group Limited (BHP - Free Report) are two heavyweights in the copper mining industry. Both are navigating fluctuating copper prices and global economic uncertainties.
Prices of copper, the backbone of electrification, were volatile yet mostly favorable last year due to global economic and trade uncertainties. Copper prices started 2026 on a strong note, underpinned by robust demand from China and the United States. Structural tailwinds, including electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy projects, data center growth and grid modernization, continue to boost copper consumption. Worries about tightening supply amid rising EV and infrastructure demand also supported the red metal. These factors led to prices surging to roughly $6.4 per pound in late January. Prices of the red metal were mostly volatile during February, largely trading near $6 per pound.
Copper prices came under pressure in March amid concerns about the impact of surging oil prices on the global economy due to the war in the Middle East. This dragged down prices to a three-month low of around $5.3 per pound in late March. Prices rebounded in April on hopes of a de-escalation in the Iran war. Prices shot up to around $6.6 per pound in May amid robust demand in China and supply worries linked to the Middle East conflict.
Copper surged to an all-time high near $6.7 per pound earlier this month on supply woes. Prices have pulled back from that level and are currently hovering near $6.3 per pound.
Let’s dive deep and closely compare the fundamentals of these two copper giants to determine which one is a better investment option now.
The Case for FreeportFreeport continues to leverage its portfolio of high-quality copper assets, emphasizing disciplined execution and organic growth initiatives to strengthen its production profile. It has completed the evaluation of a large-scale expansion at El Abra in Chile to define a large sulfide resource that could potentially support a major mill project similar to the large-scale concentrator at Cerro Verde, with an estimated resource of approximately 20 billion recoverable pounds of copper.
In Arizona, FCX is progressing with pre-feasibility studies at its Safford/Lone Star operations, with completion targeted for 2026, to assess a sizable sulfide expansion opportunity. It has expansion opportunities at Bagdad in Arizona that can more than double the concentrator capacity of the operation. Technical and economic studies have revealed the potential to build concentrating facilities to boost copper production by 200-250 million pounds annually.
PT Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI) is developing the Kucing Liar ore body within the Grasberg district with a targeted ramp-up to commence in 2030. FCX completed studies in 2025 that showed an opportunity to increase Kucing Liar’s design capacity to 130,000 metric tons of ore per day and reserves by roughly 20% at low costs.
FCX has a strong liquidity profile and generates substantial cash flows, providing ample flexibility to fund expansion projects, reduce debt and enhance shareholder returns. It generated solid operating cash flows of $5.6 billion in 2025. Cash flows provided by operations surged 36% year over year to around $1.5 billion in the first quarter of 2026. Freeport ended the first quarter with strong liquidity, including $3.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents, $3 billion in availability under the FCX revolving credit facility, and $1.5 billion in availability under the PT-FI credit facility.
At the end of the first quarter, Freeport had a net debt of $2.4 billion, excluding PTFI’s new downstream processing facilities. Its net debt is below its targeted range of $3-$4 billion. Freeport has a policy of distributing 50% of the available cash to its shareholders and the balance to either reduce debt or invest in growth projects. FCX has no significant debt maturities until 2027.
FCX offers a dividend yield of roughly 0.4% at the current stock price. Its payout ratio is 14% (a ratio below 60% is a good indicator that the dividend will be sustainable). Backed by strong financial health, the company's dividend is perceived to be safe and reliable.
Freeport, however, faces headwinds from higher costs. Its outlook for the second quarter of 2026 suggests higher costs on a sequential basis. It expects unit net cash costs to rise to $2.24 per pound, while projecting a full-year average of roughly $1.95 (compared with $1.65 in 2025). The projected second-quarter unit cost reflects a roughly 98% year over year and 17% increase from the prior quarter. The uptick in costs reflects higher costs of energy and other consumables due to the Middle East conflict and persistent pressure on volumes. Higher costs are expected to weigh on the company's margins.
Freeport’s copper sales volumes tumbled approximately 25% year over year in the first quarter to 657 million pounds, and fell from 709 million pounds in the prior quarter. The downside primarily resulted from lower operating rates due to the temporary suspension of operations since the mud rush incident at the Grasberg Block Cave mine in Indonesia in September 2025.
While the company’s outlook for copper sales volumes for the second quarter of 2026 of 690 million pounds indicates a sequential improvement, it still suggests a 32% year-over-year decline. For full-year 2026, consolidated sales volume projections were revised lower to around 3.1 billion pounds of copper from the prior view of 3.4 billion pounds due to an expected delay in achieving full ramp-up of the Grasberg Block Cave mine. Lower sales volumes are expected to weigh on its top line.
The Case for BHPBHP continues to reshape its portfolio toward commodities such as copper and potash, allocating nearly 70% of its medium-term capital expenditure to these areas. This strategy positions the company to benefit from decarbonization, electrification, population growth and rising living standards in emerging markets. It is also making operations more efficient on the back of smart technology adoption across the entire value chain.
BHP has achieved 30% growth in copper production in the last four years, and copper production reached 1,460.9 kt in the first nine months ended March 31, 2026. BHP guides copper output in fiscal 2026 to be at the upper half of its previously stated range of 1,900-2,000 kt.
BHP, in March 2026, submitted the Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) permit for the Escondida New Concentrator to replace the aging Los Colorados plant as it nears the end of operations, a move that backs its growth strategy while addressing asset longevity. With an estimated investment of $4.4-$5.9 billion, the project targets new capacity to produce 220-260 kt of copper annually. If executed on schedule, it could provide a significant boost to BHP’s broader copper expansion plans.
The company’s balance sheet remains strong with cash and cash equivalents of $13.5 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025. BHP’s net operating cash flow increased 13% to $9.4 billion in the first half of fiscal 2026, driven by higher realized copper and iron ore prices. Free cash flow increased 10% to $2.9 billion, after spending $5.3 billion on capital and exploration projects. BHP also ended the first half with net debt of $14.7 billion, well within its $10-$20 billion target range.
BHP remains committed to driving shareholder value, having determined an interim dividend of $3.7 billion. Since the introduction of its capital allocation framework in 2026, BHP has delivered more than $110 billion to its shareholders. BHP offers a dividend yield of roughly 3.3% at the current stock price.
FCX & BHP: Price Performance, Valuation & Other ComparisonsThe FCX stock has gained 64.7% over the past year, while BHP has rallied 81.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FCX is currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 23.01. BHP is currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 15.86, below FCX.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BHP’s return on equity of 17.72% is higher than FCX’s 9.88%. This reflects BHP’s efficient use of shareholder funds in generating profits.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How the Zacks Consensus Estimate Compares for FCX & BHPThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for FCX’s 2026 sales and EPS implies a year-over-year rise of 6.1% and 44.6%, respectively. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been going up over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimate for BHP’s current fiscal year sales implies a year-over-year rise of 2.6%. The same for EPS suggests a 41.5% year-over-year increase. The EPS estimates for the current fiscal year have been trending northward over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FCX or BHP: Which Is a Better Pick?Both Freeport and BHP present compelling investment cases. FCX is poised to gain from progress in expansion activities that will boost production capacity. Robust financial health allows FCX to invest in growth projects and drive shareholder value. Strong cash generation, investment in growth projects and higher operational efficacy, aided by the adoption of technology, bode well for BHP Group. BHP appears to have an edge over FCX due to its more attractive valuation. BHP’s higher ROE also indicates that it is more effectively utilizing shareholder funds. Investors seeking exposure to the copper mining space might consider BHP to be the more favorable option at this time.
BHP currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), while FCX has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
In the latest close session, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX - Free Report) was down 6.95% at $64.40. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 1.44%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.09%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 2.22%.
The mining company's shares have seen an increase of 11.65% over the last month, surpassing the Basic Materials sector's loss of 0.5% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.08%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Freeport-McMoRan in its upcoming earnings disclosure. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.6, marking a 11.11% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $6.37 billion, down 15.99% from the year-ago period.
For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $2.56 per share and a revenue of $27.5 billion, signifying shifts of +44.63% and +6.12%, respectively, from the last year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Freeport-McMoRan. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. 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, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.21% lower. Right now, Freeport-McMoRan possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In the context of valuation, Freeport-McMoRan is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 27.04. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 25.99.
Meanwhile, FCX's PEG ratio is currently 0.84. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Mining - Non Ferrous industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.47 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Mining - Non Ferrous industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 104, which puts it in the top 43% of all 250+ industries.
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.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
You cannot build a data center without copious amounts of copper -- and that goes double for an artificial intelligence (AI) data center. A traditional data center requires between 5,000 and 15,000 tons of copper, according to the Copper Development Association. AI data centers, by contrast, can need up to 50,000 tons of copper per facility.
An enormous amount of money will be spent on constructing AI data centers over the next decade by cloud computing providers such as Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Alphabet, the parent of Google. They plan to spend some $765 billion this year on AI infrastructure, according to Goldman Sachs, a figure that's expected to increase to more than $1.6 billion by 2031.
As a result of that investment, AI data centers could use half a million tons of copper a year by 2030. That's in addition to all the copper needed for other modes of electrification.
Image source: Getty Images.
The global copper supply gap is poised to widen Yet the supply of new copper is not keeping pace with the feverish growth in demand.
Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of S&P Global, put it this way: "Economic demand, grid expansion, renewable generation, AI computation, digital industries, electric vehicles, and defense are scaling all at once -- and [copper] supply is not on track to keep pace." S&P Global published a study in January predicting that global copper supply will be 24% short of demand by 2040.
That's why the price of copper has jumped 57% over the past five years and 35% over the past 52 weeks. At the moment, I don't see any long-term factors that will keep that price growth contained over the coming decade. So investing in copper right now is a very smart move. I've identified three ways to do it effectively.
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Freeport-McMoRan is the world's largest public copper company Freeport-McMoRan (FCX 6.95%) is an American mining company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It operates global mines that produce several metals and elements, including copper, gold, and molybdenum, an element used in steel alloys. And it is the world's largest publicly traded copper-focused company.
The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia, one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits, and significant operations in the Americas, including the large-scale Morenci minerals district in North America and the Cerro Verde operation in South America.
The stock is up 70% over the past 52 weeks.
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Also headquartered in Phoenix, Southern Copper (SCCO 5.68%) operates copper mines in Mexico and Peru, and it's the world's second-largest publicly traded copper company. It also produces molybdenum, zinc, and silver (all of which are also critical to data centers). The company is majority-owned by Grupo Mexico, a Mexican conglomerate involved in mining, transportation, and infrastructure.
The stock has more than doubled in price over the past year.
Finally, there's the Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX 6.37%). I've been writing about this ETF for months. It provides investors with access to a broad range of copper mining companies. The fund currently has net assets of about $8.2 billion. It holds 41 different copper miner stocks (including Freeport-McMoRan and Southern Copper), with no one stock accounting for more than 6% of the fund.
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So if you're looking to diversify your copper investment among a lot of producers, COPX is a great way to do so. The ETF has more than doubled in price over the past year.
The AI data center build-out appears set to continue driving the stock market higher for the foreseeable future. Many companies beyond the cloud compute firms will benefit from it, from electric utilities and construction equipment firms to manufacturers of memory chips. Copper producers, too, should see big gains.
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What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
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To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
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Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Southern Copper (SCCO - Free Report) Phoenix, AZ-based Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals. The company conducts exploration activities in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.
SCCO is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.
Momentum investors should take note of this Basic Materials stock. SCCO has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 7.4% over the past four weeks.
Four analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.83 to $7.62 per share. SCCO also boasts an average earnings surprise of +9.1%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, SCCO should be on investors' short list.
Southern Copper (SCCO - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $189.91, demonstrating a -1.57% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.37% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.29%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.33%.
Heading into today, shares of the miner had gained 7.38% over the past month, outpacing the Basic Materials sector's gain of 3.31% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.02%.
The upcoming earnings release of Southern Copper will be of great interest to investors. In that report, analysts expect Southern Copper to post earnings of $1.9 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 55.74%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $4.23 billion, up 38.73% from the year-ago period.
SCCO's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $7.62 per share and revenue of $16.54 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +45.42% and +23.22%, respectively.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Southern Copper should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 9.96% upward. Southern Copper is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Investors should also note Southern Copper's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 25.34. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 26.09, which means Southern Copper is trading at a discount to the group.
We can also see that SCCO currently has a PEG ratio of 1.73. 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 Mining - Non Ferrous was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.49 at yesterday's closing price.
The Mining - Non Ferrous industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 169, positioning it in the bottom 31% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.
The Kroger Co (KR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong eCommerce Growth and Profitability Amid Operational Challenges The Kroger Co (KR) reports a 19% increase in eCommerce and turns profitable in its media segment, while addressing rising operating costs and market share stagnation. Summary
Identical Sales Growth (Excluding Fuel): 1% growth, led by eCommerce, Fresh, and Our Brands.eCommerce Growth: 19% increase, with delivery leading the growth.Adjusted FIFO Operating Profit: $1.5 billion.Adjusted EPS: $1.58, reflecting 6% growth compared to last year.Gross Margin Rate (Excluding Rent, Depreciation, Amortization, Fuel, and Adjustment Items): Decreased by 9 basis points.Operating, General, and Administrative Rate (Excluding Fuel and Adjustment Items): Increased by 16 basis points.Free Cash Flow: Strong adjusted free cash flow driven by operating results.Net Total Debt to Adjusted EBITDA: 1.75x, compared to target range of 2.3 to 2.5.eCommerce and Media Profitability: Turned profitable this quarter.Fuel Rewards Program: Outpaced industry benchmarks by more than 400 basis points.Media Business Growth: Over 20% growth this quarter.
Release Date: June 18, 2026
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points The Kroger Co KR reported strong growth in eCommerce, with a 19% increase led by delivery, and achieved profitability in its eCommerce business, including media, for the first time.The company's 'Our Brands' segment gained market share and outpaced national brands by 175 basis points, showing strong momentum in private label offerings.Kroger's omnichannel customers spend nearly 2.5 times more than in-store-only customers, highlighting the success of its integrated shopping experience.The company is making significant progress in cost savings, achieving savings 30% ahead of plan in the first quarter, which supports its pricing investments.Kroger's media business, Kroger Precision Marketing, grew over 20% this quarter, leveraging its extensive customer data to drive high-margin growth. Negative Points Operating costs have been growing faster than sales, which is unsustainable and requires urgent cost-cutting measures.There is a significant execution gap between the best-performing stores and the rest, indicating inconsistency in store operations.The company has not been opening enough new stores, which has led to a stagnation in market share growth compared to competitors.Higher transportation costs, particularly due to increased diesel prices, have put unexpected pressure on margins.The shift from branded to generic prescriptions in the pharmacy segment has created a 40-basis-point headwind to total company sales. Q & A Highlights Q: Execution gap between really good stores and laggards, how do you think about closing that? And how impactful would that be to market share? What's your thought on food volumes?
A: Gregory Foran, CEO: I've visited over 100 stores and noticed that 2 out of 5 are in very good condition, 2 out of 5 are moderate, and 1 out of 5 needs improvement. We focus on improving all stores by spending time with division presidents, VPs, and district managers. Improving store conditions can quickly impact sales positively. Regarding food volumes, we're starting to pull away from traditional grocery competitors, and while we're not yet where we want to be, there's a meaningful break, and we're focused on getting into positive territory.
Q: When Kroger did big pricing investments in the early 2000s, it took years for sales to move. Can you give a sense of the time frame for current pricing strategies?
A: Gregory Foran, CEO: We'll provide more details on October 20. It's too early to comment on specifics, but we're learning as we go. The market has changed since the early 2000s, especially with eCommerce. We have a significant cost opportunity to fund price investments, and we'll share more in the fall.
Q: Can you talk about operating costs growing faster than sales and areas of opportunity for cost savings?
A: Gregory Foran, CEO: There are opportunities both above and below the gross margin line, such as shrinkage rates, replenishment, and productivity. We're already ahead of expectations for cost savings in Q1, and we expect savings to ramp up throughout the year and beyond, supporting our ability to improve affordability for customers.
Q: How are you weighing the speed of price investments versus competition?
A: Gregory Foran, CEO: It's about threading the needle, balancing short-term and long-term goals, and ensuring store readiness. Our objective is not to match discount prices but to offer fair and reasonable prices. We're being surgical and thoughtful, and we'll share more on October 20.
Q: How are you thinking about the headwind related to the Inflation Reduction Act and branded generic for the balance of the year?
A: David Kennerley, CFO: The Inflation Reduction Act is a 130-basis-point headwind to sales but neutral to profit. The shift from branded to generic drugs is a 40-basis-point headwind to sales but profit positive. Despite these pressures, we're gaining share in core scripts and GLP-1s, and the overall Kroger ecosystem is well-positioned to serve customers.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
Kroger’s revenues ticked up slightly last quarter as its shoppers felt increased financial strain.
“The customer is under pressure,” Greg Foran, chief executive of America’s largest traditional supermarket chain, said Thursday (June 18) as Kroger reported earnings showing revenues up 1%, compared to a 3.2% rise in the same quarter last year.
“High gas prices and reduced SNAP benefits are squeezing budgets,” Foran continued. “Customers are managing spend carefully and shopping with real intent. That pressure is showing up in the market.”
SNAP, he said later in the call, is impacted the most in three states in particular, a phenomenon that shows up in terms of the price of fuel impacting “when that price gets up to what it has.”
“I think we see that some of the basket sizes, some of the items that people buy tend to be traded down a bit. I think that helps probably with Our Brands and how we’re operating,” he added, referring to the company’s private label products.
Those brands outpaced national brands by 175 points during the quarter, said Foran, a Walmart vet who became CEO in February. The quarter also saw Kroger’s eCommerce business turn a profit, with revenues from that unit up 19% and attracting a record number of new households.
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Foran also noted that Kroger’s omnichannel customers — those who shop both online and in person — spend nearly two and a half times more than in store-only shoppers. And 95% of all transactions, he said, are tied to the company’s loyalty card.
The selective behavior Kroger is witnessing from its shoppers is in keeping with PYMNTS Intelligence research, which found that financially stressed consumers across generations continually cite grocery prices as a hardship.
Foran told Bloomberg News in May that the company was considering significant price reductions as it tries to reclaim market share from companies such as Walmart that have pushed into the traditional grocery space.
During Thursday’s call, the executive spoke of opportunities for Kroger to “sharpen” its pricing and “make value simpler” for its shoppers.
“Over time our promotions have gotten too complicated and our price position has not kept pace where it needed to,” Foran said.
“Let me be clear on what this means. We do not need to be the lowest price retailer. We need to be more competitive, more consistent and easier for customers to understand. When a customer is deciding where to shop, we want more of them.”
Meanwhile, rival grocery chain Aldi is spending $9 billion as it tries to compete with Kroger in the U.S. According to a Financial Times (FT) report Thursday, the German company plans to have 4,000 stores nationwide, giving it more locations than Kroger.
“We don’t know what the ceiling is,” Scott Patton, Aldi USA’s chief commercial officer, told the FT. “We’re trying to take market share from anyone who sells groceries.”
The Kroger Co. delivered a mixed Q1, with a slight revenue beat, a minor EPS miss, and a cautious management tone highlighting operational challenges. KR's management is proactively addressing pricing complexity and unsustainable operating costs, aiming to sharpen competitiveness without directly matching Walmart or Costco. eCommerce sales grew 19% YoY and turned profitable, supporting a bullish pillar alongside initiatives in Pharmacy, Ads, and Media.
Kroger Co. is upgraded to Buy after a post-earnings drop, with valuation offering a solid margin of safety amid potential business improvements. KR maintains 2026 guidance for 1–2% identical sales growth, $5.10–$5.30 EPS, and $2.7B–$2.9B FCF despite macro headwinds. The new CEO is pursuing price cuts to drive long-term differentiation and growth alongside their mixed (digital and brick-and-mortar) expansion.
Shares of Kroger (KR +2.31%) sank on Thursday after the supermarket operator's earnings fell a bit short of investors' expectations.
Image source: Getty Images.
Q1 challenges Kroger's adjusted sales inched up 0.5% year over year to $46 billion in its fiscal first quarter, which ended on May 23.
Excluding fuel, the retailer's identical sales, which measure revenue at stores open for at least five full quarters, rose by 1%.
During a conference call with analysts, CEO Greg Foran said he's working to bring more consistency to the supermarket chain's operations.
"Today, the gap between our best stores and the rest of the fleet needs to improve," Foran said. "Closing it is one of our biggest near-term opportunities."
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57.05
Kroger's gross margin declined to 22.7% from 23% in the year-ago quarter, driven in part by higher shipping costs and price reductions. Higher labor costs further impacted the company's operating margin.
All told, Kroger's adjusted operating profit increased by less than 2% to $1.5 billion. Its adjusted earnings per share, boosted by stock buybacks, rose 6% to $1.58. That was slightly below Wall Street's estimates, which had called for per-share profits of $1.59.
Leadership is laser-focused on stripping out costs Still, Kroger said it's on track to achieve its full-year financial forecast. Management continues to expect an adjusted operating profit of roughly $5.1 billion and earnings per share of $5.10 to $5.30.
Foran noted that operating costs have been growing faster than Kroger's sales, a trend he intends to reverse.
"Taking costs out of this business is not optional," Foran said. "It's the starting point for everything else we want to do."
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Kroger. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Kroger faces mounting pressure as weak Q1 gross margins and volume losses drive a notable earnings miss and stock decline. KR's guidance remains intact, but I expect full-year results at the low end of ranges, with continued volume losses and gross margin pressure. KR's defensive compounder status is in jeopardy; I assign a Hold rating and a $51 price target, reflecting limited upside and better value elsewhere.
Kroger Co (NYSE:KR, XETRA:KOG) shares closed more than 8% lower on Thursday after the grocery retailer reported first-quarter results that largely met expectations and reaffirmed its full-year outlook, while investors looked for greater clarity on planned investments and cost savings.
Jefferies analysts maintained a ‘Buy’ rating on the stock and a $74 price target, describing Kroger's strategy as becoming more defined under CEO Greg Foran.
"Kroger's Q1 results were in-line with expectations, with identical sales excluding fuel up 1% led by e-commerce, fresh products and private-label brands," the analysts wrote. They added that grocery volumes remained negative but improved relative to prior periods, while management indicated unit market share performance was the strongest in two to three years.
Jefferies wrote that fiscal 2026 is expected to be "an H2 story," with Kroger anticipating earnings growth to accelerate in the second half of the year as cost-saving initiatives and investments increase. Management expects second-quarter identical sales to be roughly in line with the first quarter and adjusted earnings per share to be flat year over year, while acknowledging continued pressure on consumers.
The analysts noted that cost savings in the quarter exceeded internal plans by about 30%, with opportunities identified across merchandise costs and non-resale expenses. E-commerce sales increased 19%, driven by delivery services, and Kroger's combined e-commerce and retail media business became profitable.
Jefferies wrote that Foran's strategy is centered on narrowing Kroger's price gap with competitors, simplifying promotions and fostering a faster-paced operating culture. Management has indicated that planned price and value investments will be fully funded by cost reductions and that savings are expected to exceed investments.
However, the company declined to quantify either the amount of expected savings or the scale of planned investments, instead directing investors to its Oct. 20 investor day for additional details.
"Importantly, management was explicit that the strategy is not about being the lowest-price retailer, rather, it's about being more competitive," Jefferies wrote, adding that Kroger is resisting supplier price increases while maintaining pricing discipline.
Despite reducing earnings estimates to account for ongoing consumer weakness, Jefferies wrote that accelerating market share gains, profitable e-commerce operations and a greater focus on execution support its positive view on the company.
Thistle Resources (TSX-V:TRCG, OTC:TRCGF) has completed the second anniversary payment under its option agreement for the Brunswick antimony project in New Brunswick, keeping the company on track to acquire full ownership of the property.
The payment comprised $25,000 in cash and 250,000 common shares issued to optionor Prospect 'Or Corp.
The Brunswick project spans approximately 199 mineral claim units across four blocks, known as Pabineau River 1, Pabineau Falls Granite, Brunswick East and Knights Brook.
Under the staged earn-in arrangement, Thistle may acquire a 100% interest in the project by making aggregate cash payments of $90,000 and issuing a total of 1 million common shares over the term of the option agreement, subject to a 2% net smelter return royalty in favour of Prospect 'Or Corp.
Retailer shares easy meals, grill-ready favorites and fuel rewards to help families celebrate Dad
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) is helping customers celebrate Dad with convenient and delicious summer meal inspiration to make Father's Day memorable. From grilling to gifting, Kroger is helping dads relax and refuel this holiday.
Retailer shares easy meals, grill-ready favorites and fuel rewards to help families celebrate Dad "Father's Day is about celebrating the moments that matter most – whether that's firing up the grill, sharing a great meal or simply spending time together," said Mary Ellen Adcock, executive vice president and chief merchant and marketing officer. "At Kroger, we're making it easy to relax, refuel and repeat with ready-to-enjoy meals, simple recipe inspiration and fuel rewards that help families go further while creating meaningful memories."
Kick Off the Day with Heart (and Fuel Points)
Make the moment meaningful with a heartfelt card and the perfect gift. Kroger offers a wide selection of Father's Day cards featuring a buy 2, save $3 offer until June 21 along with gift cards for restaurants, home improvement and more to match dad's interests. Plus, customers can earn 4x Fuel Points on select gift card purchases with a digital coupon, helping families celebrate and save on the road ahead.
Ready-to-Go Meals
Make Father's Day effortless with ready-to-enjoy favorites perfect for grilling or gathering. Customers can pick up fully cooked Home Chef St. Louis-style ribs for $13.99; fresh, fried or baked chicken meals; and deli-prepared party trays and sushi platters ready to serve. For backyard cookouts, grab Private Selection Angus beef patties (4 for $8), pre-seasoned burgers, or 8-piece fried chicken for only $8.99, for a quick, satisfying spread.
Make His Cookout Complete
Whether Dad is a grill master or just getting started, Kroger offers simple ingredients and inspiration to build a standout meal. Fire up the grill with ribeye steaks for as low as $9.99/lb, pork ribs and Johnsonville brats, pair with fresh summer sides like corn, watermelon and snacking tomatoes, and finish with crowd-pleasing desserts like Bakery Fresh cookies for $3 a dozen or select varieties of cakes for $9.99. From marinades and BBQ sauces like Sweet Baby Ray's for $1.49 or Kinder's Mix and Match buy 1, get 1 to fresh-cut veggies and easy sides, Kroger makes it simple to create a memorable meal.
Cheers to Dad
Raise a glass to dad with a wide assortment of refreshing beverages for every celebration. Stock the cooler with fan-favorite beers like Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and Modelo, or keep it family-friendly with buy 3, get 3 free of equal or less value of Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Gatorade or Waterloo Sparkling Water products. Whether celebrating big or keeping it casual, Kroger has everything needed to toast dad all weekend long.
Take Care of Dad and His Health
Celebrate dad's special day by prioritizing his wellness and showing you care. Equip him with sunscreen to protect against summer's most intense rays and stock up on vitamins and supplements that support his vitality year-round. Kroger Health pharmacists are ready to offer a variety of health screenings and convenient vaccines, including flu, pneumonia and Tdap, which is recommended for expecting fathers every ten years. From skincare essentials to preventive care, Kroger has everything dad needs to live his healthiest life.
Save even more with Kroger's hot features, BOGOs and weekly digital deals, including*:
Mix and match buy 1, get 1 of equal or lesser value free of Tillamook Cheese 4/$10 Lay's Potato Chips Make clean up easy with Kroger paper plates for $2.99 Stock up on everyday items like Kroger 80% lean ground beef for $5.99/lb, Kroger cheese for $1.49, 3/$5 20oz Kroger bread or 16oz Kroger peanut butter Kroger frozen dairy dessert sandwiches for $2.99 Kroger 15.4lb bags of charcoal for $5.99 No matter how you shop, Kroger makes it easy. Customers can get these deals and more in store or Kroger.com, offering the same fresh items at the same low prices for pickup at a convenient store location or delivery in as little as 30 minutes. For even more convenience, Kroger's full product assortment is available on demand at DoorDash and Uber Eats marketplaces, shopped from your local store and delivered directly to your door.
Find even more Father's Day inspiration at Kroger's blog, The Fresh Lane brimming with grill out recipes, party essentials and even more gift ideas for dad.
*Prices valid beginning June 17. Prices and products may vary by geography. Discount and number of items vary by location.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies more than 400,000 associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through an eCommerce experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
Key Takeaways Kroger's Q1 earnings missed estimates, while sales rose 2.2% and topped expectations. Adjusted e-commerce sales grew 19%, led by delivery and convenience orders under an hour. Kroger reaffirmed fiscal 2026 guidance for identical sales growth, profits and free cash flow. The Kroger Co. (KR - Free Report) reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.58 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 by 0.63%. The bottom line improved 6% from $1.49 reported in the year-ago quarter.
Total sales of $46,121 million increased 2.2% year over year and beat the consensus mark of $45,524 million by 1.31%. The quarter benefited from solid e-commerce gains, continued strength in Our Brands and higher customer traffic, though cost pressures and price investments weighed on margins.
KR's Sales Reflect Grocery MomentumKroger’s identical sales, excluding fuel and adjustment items, increased 1% year over year. This included an unfavorable 130-basis-point impact from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Excluding fuel and Vitacost, sales rose 0.5% from the year-ago period. Management noted that grocery sales represented a larger portion of the overall mix, pointing to improving trends in the company’s core business.
Kroger's Digital Business Shows StrengthAdjusted e-commerce sales grew 19% year over year, led by delivery. Convenience orders delivered in under an hour represented approximately 50% of digital growth.
The company also achieved profitability in e-commerce, including media, for the first time. Management attributed the improvement to store-based fulfillment, reduced the cost to serve and continued scaling of its hybrid fulfillment model.
KR's Brands and Pharmacy Support GrowthOur Brands gained share and outpaced national brands by 175 basis points. The performance was driven by innovation in Private Selection and momentum in Simple Truth.
Pharmacy delivered profit growth despite top-line pressure. The business was supported by core script growth, GLP-1 demand and an accelerating shift from branded to generic medications, which hurt sales but aided profitability.
Kroger's Margins Face Cost HeadwindsGross margin was 22.7% of sales compared with 23% in the prior-year quarter. The decline stemmed from a higher fuel sales mix, higher transportation costs, egg deflation and planned price investments.
FIFO gross margin rate, excluding rent, depreciation and amortization, fuel and adjustment items, declined 9 basis points. Transportation costs created a 15-basis-point headwind, as higher oil prices increased fuel-related logistics costs.
KR's Operating Profit Edges HigherOperating profit came in at $1,407 million compared with $1,322 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted FIFO operating profit was $1,544 million, up from $1,518 million.
The operating, general and administrative rate, excluding fuel and adjustment items, rose 16 basis points. The increase reflected planned investments in associate wages, store hours, training and uniforms, partly offset by productivity initiatives and the lapping of higher multi-employer pension contributions.
Kroger's Cash Flow and Debt PositionKroger generated $1,774 million in net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter compared with $2,149 million in the prior-year period. Capital investments, excluding lease buyouts, totaled $1,450 million.
The company ended the quarter with cash and temporary cash investments of $2,873 million. Total debt was $16,995 million, while net total debt to adjusted EBITDA was 1.75, below the company’s target range of 2.30-2.50.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
KR's Guidance Remains IntactKroger reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook. The company expects identical sales without fuel to grow 1-2%, including about 130 basis points of unfavorable impact from the Inflation Reduction Act.
The company continues to expect FIFO operating profit of $5-$5.2 billion and adjusted earnings of $5.10-$5.30 per share. Free cash flow is projected at $2.7-$2.9 billion, while capital expenditures are expected to be $3.8-$4 billion.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have declined 21.3% over the past year compared to the industry’s growth of 20.3%.
Picks You Can’t Miss Out OnRoss Stores, Inc. (ROST - Free Report) is one of the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chains in the United States. ROST sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The consensus estimate for Ross Stores’ current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 9.1% and 17.1%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. ROST delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.2%, on average.
Casey's General Stores, Inc. (CASY - Free Report) is one of the leading convenience store chains in the United States. CASY currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Casey's current fiscal-year sales and earnings calls for growth of 17.8% and 9.1%, respectively, from the year-ago reported figures. CASY delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.4%, on average.
The Chef's Warehouse, Inc. (CHEF - Free Report) , a specialty food distributor serving restaurants, hotels and hospitality customers, sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Chef's Warehouse’s current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 8.3% and 24.7%, respectively, from the prior-year reported levels. CHEF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 28.9%, on average.
Kroger's NYSE: KR share price is under pressure due to slowing growth, sluggish results relative to high-flying AI names, and an expected slowdown in buybacks. However, despite the headwinds, the fundamental forces remain bullish, and the stock price is at long-term lows. Look for the company, institutions, and analysts to signal a buy that soon shows up in the charts.
Technically, KR shares are testing critical support with long-term implications. The level represents a convergence of lesser targets, including previous lows and a long-term exponential moving average that has provided support numerous times.
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A sustained dip below this level is unlikely, as it would indicate a significant change in the fundamental outlook; more likely, the June price implosion triggers a robust market response, confirming support and the long-term uptrend.
Kroger Isn’t a Growth Investment: Kroger Is About Cash Flow and Capital ReturnBoiled down to its essence, Kroger is not so much a growth story as an inflation-resistant buy-and-hold story for long-term investors. Its attractions include a strong industry position, robust cash flow, and capital returns. Its industry position is that of a retailer focused on daily necessities and essentials like food, health and family care. Its benefits to investors include predictable cash flows, a healthy balance sheet, and the capacity for capital returns to increase over time.
Capital returns, specifically buybacks, are aggressive this year, the result of 2024's failed Albertsons NYSE: ACI bid, and are likely to slow in the upcoming year, remaining a driver for this market. The dividend is the base payment, yielding approximately 2.5% as of mid-year 2026, and the distribution is expected to grow. Kroger has increased its dividend for 19 years, is on track to be included in the Dividend Champions, and is unlikely to alter its trajectory without dire need.
Buybacks are the bonus. Accelerated in 2026 to utilize unneeded cash, which had been hoarded in anticipation of an acquisition, Kroger reduced its share count by an average of over 8% over the trailing 12 months. It is on track to exhaust a multi-billion-dollar authorization by year’s end. The question is what comes next, and an additional authorization is likely, albeit with a slower implied pace of share count reduction.
Kroger Analysts and Institutions Limit Downside RiskAnalysts and institutional trends highlight the quality of capital returns. MarketBeat tracks 17 analysts, high for such a mundane name, rating the stock as a consensus of Moderate Buy with a 53% Buy-side bias and no Sell rating logged.
Overall MarketRank™85th Percentile
Analyst RatingModerate Buy
Upside/Downside26.0% Upside
Short Interest LevelBearish
Dividend StrengthStrong
News Sentiment0.43 Insider TradingN/A
Proj. Earnings Growth6.86%
See Full Analysis
They forecast approximately 30% upside at consensus, up from last year and steady over the trailing three-month period. It is unlikely that the Q1 release will catalyze price target revisions, whether bullish or bearish. The more likely outcome is for targets to fall, but sentiment and outlook to remain otherwise positive.
Institutional trends also reflect bullish behavior, with them owning more than 80% of the stock and accumulating shares. Selling has intensified in recent months, but is offset by greater buying, underpinning support for this market. The likely outcome from this vector, given the low share price and technical setup, is that selling pressure dwindles while buying ramps up. Kroger provides value at its current levels relative to its long-term forecasts and competitors. Competitors trade at double the valuation, while long-term forecasts suggest the stock could double over time while maintaining the current valuation.
Kroger’s Mixed Results Were Priced Into the MarketKroger’s Q1 earnings release was mixed, providing reasons for caution but no impetus to shed shares. Revenue grew 2.2% to $46.12 billion, more than $500 million above expectations, but the margin was weak. The caveat is that margin contraction was minimal, leaving cash flow in solid shape. While lower than expected, the cash flow provides ample coverage of capital returns.
Looking ahead, guidance is also insufficient to catalyze a bullish market response but does not alter the capital return outlook. Near-term pressures will ease over time, enabling buybacks and distribution growth to do their work on the share price.
Kroger’s biggest risk this year is capital-intensive store updates. The company is rolling out nationwide digital shelf labels and supply chain enhancements expected to pay off over time. The risk is that they don’t translate into improved revenue or profits as quickly as hoped, and drag on results moving forward. Catalysts include systemwide price reductions intended to improve competitiveness and private label. The near-term headwind is margin pressure, but market share gains and private label strength will offset it over time.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Kroger Right Now?Before you consider Kroger, you'll want to hear this.
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Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.
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Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
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How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
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Stock to Watch: Kroger (KR - Free Report) The Kroger Co., which operates in the thin-margin grocery industry, has been undergoing a complete makeover, not only with respect to products but also in terms of the way consumers prefer shopping grocery. The company is focusing on plant-based products as well as eyeing technological expansion. It acquired meal kit company Home Chef and partnered with British online grocery delivery firm Ocado that reinforces its position in the online ordering, automated fulfillment and home delivery space. It has also introduced grocery delivery service Kroger Ship and inked a deal with driverless car company Nuro.
KR is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 10.78; value investors should take notice.
For fiscal 2027, three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.01 to $5.25 per share. KR boasts an average earnings surprise of +2.8%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, KR should be on investors' short list.
Kroger Co (NYSE:KR, XETRA:KOG) shares closed more than 8% lower on Thursday after the grocery retailer reported first-quarter results that largely met expectations and reaffirmed its full-year outlook, while investors looked for greater clarity on planned investments and cost savings. Jefferies analysts maintained a ‘Buy' rating on the stock and a $74 price target, describing Kroger's strategy as becoming more defined under CEO Greg Foran.
This Sunday, June 21, is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which officially marks the first day of summer. To celebrate the arrival of many people’s favorite time of the year, the supermarket giant Kroger is giving away 100,000 free pints of ice cream. But if you want one, you’ll have to act fast today.
How do I get my free ice cream from Kroger?Kroger and its subsidiaries are giving away 100,000 pints of ice cream through a coupon system.
Today, Friday, June 19, beginning at 12 p.m. ET, Kroger will give away the 100,000 coupons on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
To grab one, you’ll need to go to the website FreeKrogerIceCream.com and choose a participating store from the drop-down list provided. You’ll then be given access to your digital coupon, which can be redeemed for one free pint of ice cream.
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What type of ice cream can the coupon be redeemed for?The digital coupon can be redeemed for any pint of Kroger® Brand Ice Cream.
Kroger offers numerous flavors of branded ice cream, including traditional ones like vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, and rocky road.
And to celebrate the summer, the company is also introducing a limited-time All-American Ice Cream collection featuring three new flavors: Seventh Inning Swirl, Sweet As Cherry Pie, and Banana Split Social.
The collaboration consists of flowers, ornaments, candles and plant care accessories
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced the expansion of Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus, a floral collection curated by businesswoman, TV personality, author and philanthropist Lisa Vanderpump to include Vanderpump Home featuring several new products available in stores now with more to be released throughout the year. Available exclusively at Kroger Family of Stores, the additional items include an assortment of floral-inspired candles, a plant care starter kit, ornaments, preserved and silk roses, a "VanderPUMP" glass shoe with preserved mini roses, a preserved rose glass handbag, preserved rose hatboxes, individual blossoms as well as more bouquets and arrangements in the same sophisticated style that customers have come to love from Vanderpump's expert aesthetic.
The collaboration consists of flowers, ornaments, candles and plant care accessories "Bloom Haus was created to help customers celebrate life's moments with beautiful, high-quality florals, and our continued collaboration with Lisa Vanderpump brings that vision to life in a truly special way," said Carlo Baldan, group vice president of Fresh Merchandising at Kroger. "This collection blends Lisa's signature style with thoughtful design and seasonal inspiration, making it easy for customers to add a touch of elegance to everyday moments."
"I have loved creating and expanding my floral line with Kroger, it's been such a passion project from day one," said Lisa Vanderpump. "From gorgeous blooms to decadent candles, I've been able to embrace my love of flowers and create things that are truly unique and beautiful. I am so thrilled to expand my line with Kroger into all of these different areas – the candles are delicious, the line of preserved roses are stunning keepsakes that last indefinitely, everything is perfect for gifts or to adorn your home."
New Expansion Items:
Vanderpump Home Pillar Candles: Let Lisa Vanderpump show you the best new trends for your table. Hand poured, this set of three candles is chic and elegant to round out any dinner party. Vanderpump Home Three Wick Candles: Gorgeous frosted glass in three shades of Vanderpump pink, these three wick candles are richly scented and beautiful in any room. Three scents are available - Royal Garden, Villa Blanca and of course Lisa's Signature Pink. Vanderpump x Bloom Haus Plant Care Starter Kit: The Vanderpump Plant Care Collection brings a polished touch to everyday plant care. Packaged in a soft pink display box, it includes a glass mister with a coated plastic pump, precision pruning shears and a moisture sensor that come together as a simple care set for watering, trimming and checking soil moisture. VanderPUMP: Chic, playful, and undeniably glamorous, the VanderPUMP is a stunning shoe featuring delicate preserved roses nestled inside. Displayed in an upscale gifting box and finished with a branded Lisa Vanderpump ribbon, this signature piece is an iconic keepsake that captures Lisa's timeless style. Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus Sphere Ornament: Romantic and beautifully balanced, the Lisa Vanderpump Sphere Ornament features a real preserved rose in a delicate glass sphere. Accented with a gold-toned bracelet adorned with dainty pearls, and a signature Lisa Vanderpump charm. Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus Teardrop Ornament: Elevate your décor with the Lisa Vanderpump Teardrop Ornament. This ornament features elegant gold and pearl detailing in a teardrop shape with a preserved red rose placed inside. This piece blends beauty and elegance, creating a decorative accent that adds a graceful touch of luxury to any space. Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus Rose Purse: Bold and sophisticated, the Lisa Vanderpump Rose Purse features real preserved roses within a sleek glass purse. Designed to deliver a dramatic take on floral elegance. This striking piece blends fashion with florals, capturing Lisa's signature glamour and timeless style. A perfect gift or standout accent piece for special occasions. The collection presents an easy way to achieve Vanderpump's signature refined aesthetic. Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus bouquets can be placed directly into a vase, or customers can style the flowers by following a QR code to view step-by-step video tutorials instructed by Vanderpump. For an effortless ready for display option, customers may purchase floral arrangements or kalanchoes already in custom vases or hat boxes, all designed or selected by Vanderpump and beautifully executed, requiring zero effort.
Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus can be shopped while products last exclusively at Kroger Family of Stores and through Door Dash and Uber Eats. Find a location here. Customers on the search for these items can join in on the fun on social media tagging @lisavanderpump and @veryvanderpump and visit VanderpumpBlooms.com for tutorials, videos, tips and tricks.
Media assets available for download here.
About Lisa Vanderpump
Businesswoman, TV personality, author, and philanthropist, Lisa Vanderpump hails from London, England. Lisa and her husband Ken Todd have been entrenched in the restaurant and nightclub industry since they started their partnership over 30 years ago. Their very successful restaurants and bars in Los Angeles SUR and Tom Tom Restaurant and Bar, as well as Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace Las Vegas and Vanderpump à Paris at the Paris Las Vegas, are just a peek into their joint ventures; Wolf by Vanderpump marks their 37th restaurant and bar, recently opened at Caesars Entertainments' Harvey's Casino & Hotel in Lake Tahoe and Pinky's by Vanderpump marks their 38th restaurant venture which opened at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
Vanderpump became known for the hit Bravo TV series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, as well as her spinoff show Vanderpump Rules, of which she is an Executive Producer.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies more than 400,000 associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through an e-Commerce experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
Last Thursday was a rough day for Kroger (KR +2.31%) shareholders. The stock fell nearly 8% -- its largest single-day drop in close to five years -- after the grocery chain's first-quarter results landed one penny below Wall Street's earnings estimate. One penny. The irony of that drop is almost too on-the-nose for a company whose new CEO has spent his first 100 days publicly declaring that lower prices and more value for shoppers are his top priorities.
This is how the market works sometimes. A company posts $46.12 billion in quarterly revenue (beating expectations) and maintains its full-year guidance -- and yet the stock falls 8% because of a rounding error in earnings per share.
The reaction has little to do with what Kroger actually is and everything to do with how investors feel right now: scared. Inflation just hit its fastest annual pace in more than three years. The Federal Reserve signaled the possibility of a rate hike in its most recent meeting, sending stocks to their worst "Fed day" since 1994. Consumer confidence sat at 93.1 in May. People are rattled, and rattled people sell.
But that creates a window -- in this case, for Kroger investors.
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What Kroger is building Greg Foran took over as CEO in February with a resume investors should know: he ran Walmart's U.S. division and is credited with one of the most successful operational turnarounds in modern retail history. His strategy at Kroger isn't complicated. "The basket has to come down," he said publicly in May. He plans to cut prices on thousands of products, funded by better supplier sourcing and technological efficiency, not by squeezing margins blindly.
Behind that price-cut strategy is a digital business that has posted seven consecutive quarters of double-digit growth and is expected to reach profitability in the first half of 2026. Kroger's e-commerce operation is now a $16 billion business. It has partnerships with Instacart and DoorDash for same-day delivery. It launched an agentic AI shopping tool -- the kind that helps customers build grocery baskets, plan meals, and find deals -- that it is rolling out to more divisions this year.
Image source: Getty Images.
Kroger also introduced more than 1,100 new private-label products in fiscal 2025, up from 900 the prior year. Private label is what happens when a retailer becomes a brand. These are the products where margins are highest, loyalty is deepest, and consumers return regardless of what the economy is doing.
Why this dip is a great buying opportunity Kroger's shares are now trading near a 52-week low. The stock yields around 2.26% at current prices. The company is planning capital expenditures of $3.8 billion to $4 billion in 2026, with a 30% increase in new store openings and expansion into two new geographic regions.
None of that changed yesterday. The grocery category is one of the most durable in all of retail. People eat regardless of what the Fed does.
Kroger is not a growth stock. It is a compounding machine for patient capital -- a business with 2,700 stores, a growing digital arm, and a CEO who knows how to turn the flywheel. For investors with a long time horizon, the fear-driven sell-off looks less like a warning and more like the kind of entry point that, in hindsight, looks obvious.
Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends DoorDash and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Instacart and Kroger. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Key Takeaways Kroger framed its next phase around cost control, sharper value and stronger store execution.Kroger is using supplier, sourcing and other savings to fund price investments without hurting profit goals.Kroger's adjusted e-commerce sales rose 19%, while its e-commerce business turned profitable. The Kroger Co. (KR - Free Report) used its first quarter of 2026 earnings call to outline a sharper operating agenda under CEO Greg Foran, with cost control, price competitiveness and store execution at the center of the message. Adjusted earnings of $1.58 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 by 0.6%, while revenues of $46.12 billion topped the consensus mark of $45.52 billion by 1.3%.
What stood out on the call was not the quarter itself, but management’s effort to frame Kroger’s next phase around disciplined reinvestment, a more efficient cost structure and a profitable digital model.
KR Sets a More Demanding ToneForan used his first full earnings call as CEO to argue that Kroger has the right assets but is not operating at the standard required to lead the industry. He said operating costs have been growing faster than sales and called that trend unacceptable, while also pointing to inconsistent execution across stores and online.
Foran organized the strategy around what he called the “5 Fs” of fresh, fast, for you, friendly and affordable, with value and consistency carrying much of the near-term urgency. The message was that Kroger does not need a radical reset, but it does need to operate faster and with more discipline.
That framing mattered because it shifted the discussion away from a simple earnings recap and toward a broader operational reset, one that management plans to detail further at an investor update on Oct. 20.
Kroger Uses Savings to Fund ValueKroger’s management repeatedly returned to the idea that price investment will be funded, not chased at the expense of profits. Foran said the company is being surgical in how it sharpens value and using savings from supplier negotiations, sourcing and goods-not-for-resale efficiencies to build room for reinvestment.
CFO David Kennerley added that first-quarter COGS savings ran about 30% ahead of internal plans, reinforcing management’s view that the savings opportunity is broad enough to support affordability moves and still protect the full-year profit outlook.
That theme answered one of the market’s main questions in the Q&A: how quickly Kroger can close pricing gaps without damaging the model. Management stopped short of offering a size target for those investments, but the company sounded firm that savings should exceed the spending tied to them.
KR Finds Momentum in Digital and MediaDigital execution was one of the clearest bright spots. The company reported adjusted e-commerce sales growth of 19%, while Kroger Precision Marketing profit rose more than 20% in the quarter. Management also said the e-commerce business, including media, turned profitable for the first time.
Kennerley tied that progress to more store-based fulfillment, stronger delivery economics and the closure of three fulfillment centers at the end of the prior quarter. In markets where Kroger still had stores, Kennerley said it retained nearly all affected households and moved them to store-based delivery and pickup.
For investors, that made digital less of a margin drag and more of a potential contributor to earnings growth. Management also pointed to third-party partnerships, faster delivery and expanding retail media capabilities as reasons profitability should continue to improve through the rest of 2026.
Kroger Faces Margin CrosscurrentsThe financial context behind the strategy was mixed. Identical sales without fuel rose 1.0%, adjusted FIFO operating profit reached $1.544 billion and adjusted EPS increased from $1.49 a year earlier. Total sales rose from $45.1 billion.
At the same time, gross margin fell to 22.7% from 23.0% and FIFO gross margin rate declined 9 basis points. Management said the pressure came from higher transportation costs, egg deflation and planned pricing investments, partly offset by pharmacy mix, sourcing benefits and improved e-commerce profitability.
OG&A rate, excluding fuel and adjustment items, rose 16 basis points as Kroger invested in wages, store hours, training and uniforms. Kennerley said those were deliberate choices tied to improving store conditions and customer experience.
KR Guidance Holds as Q&A Adds ClarityKroger reaffirmed full-year 2026 guidance for identical sales without fuel growth of 1.0% to 2.0%, FIFO operating profit of $5.0 billion to $5.2 billion and EPS of $5.10 to $5.30. Free cash flow guidance remained $2.7 billion to $2.9 billion.
In Q&A, analysts pressed management on the pace of price investment, the size of the cost opportunity and what drives a second-half profit acceleration. Kennerley pointed to ramping savings initiatives, improving e-commerce profitability and some increase in inflationary pressure later in the year as the main supports for the outlook.
Management also highlighted consumer pressure from higher gas prices and reduced SNAP benefits, while arguing that traffic gains and improving share data show Kroger’s value message is beginning to resonate.
Kroger Leaves a Message of Controlled ChangeThe call’s broader tone was more demanding than promotional. Foran acknowledged that Kroger is not yet where it wants to be on store consistency, cost discipline or market share. But he emphasized that the company has enough scale, store density and data advantages to compete more effectively.
That left investors with a picture of a retailer trying to fund a better price position and stronger execution from inside the model, rather than through a one-time reset. The October investor update now looks like the next major checkpoint.
Zacks Signals for KR StockKR carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), along with a Value Score of A, Growth Score of B, Momentum Score of A and VGM Score of A. Based on Zacks’ framework, those Style Scores point to attractive value, growth and momentum characteristics, with the VGM score indicating strong balance across all three factors. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Still, Zacks’ guidance gives the greatest near-term edge to stocks ranked #1 or #2 (Buy) with Style Scores of A or B. A Zacks Rank #3 can support a hold stance, especially with strong underlying Style Scores, but estimate revisions remain the main driver of the ranking, meaning KR’s signal can change after analysts update their forecasts following these results.
Industry Leaders Gather in the Washington D.C. metro area in June 2027
, /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health, (NYSE: KR) Hy-Vee and Ahold Delhaize USA announced they are working together to elevate the Nourishing Change movement, advancing the future of health. Founded by Kroger Health, the initiative brings together leaders from across healthcare, retail, food, pharmacy, policy, technology, academia and community organizations. Ahold Delhaize USA, the parent company of omnichannel grocery brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, will join Kroger Health and Hy-Vee as a host for the 2027 Nourishing Change Conference in Washington D.C.
Kroger Health, Hy-Vee and Ahold Delhaize USA to Convene Industry Leaders Advancing the Future of Health at Nourishing Change The announcement follows the 2026 Nourishing Change Conference co-hosted by Kroger Health and Hy-Vee in Des Moines, Iowa, which brought together more than 1,200 leaders and more than 60 emerging brands to explore solutions that help people live healthier lives. The event was another step forward in a growing movement to improve health through collaboration, innovation and action.
"Nourishing Change's ethos is that the challenges facing America's health system are too large for any one company to solve alone," said Colleen Lindholz, group vice president and president of Kroger Health. "When Kroger Health, Hy-Vee and Ahold Delhaize USA stand together, it sends a clear message that improving health outcomes is important to each of our companies.. Taking this movement to Washington D.C is a natural next step in showing what's possible when industry leaders unite around a common purpose."
As chronic disease trends, GLP-1 adoption and growing interest in food and health continue to reshape American healthcare, the Nourishing Change movement reflects a shared belief that some of the greatest opportunities to improve health begin in the places people visit every day. Kroger Health, Hy-Vee and Ahold Delhaize USA are working to shape the future of health by advancing ideas, relationships and solutions needed to help communities thrive.
"Improving access to affordable, nutritious food and supporting healthier communities is at the heart of what we do," said Marc Stolzman, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ahold Delhaize USA. "Through a family of local brands, we see every day the important role retailers play in improving access and supporting the communities they serve. As a host of Nourishing Change 2027, we're proud to help bring this conversation forward to Washington, D.C., where leaders across sectors can come together to advance practical solutions that make a difference for customers and communities."
"Hosting Nourishing Change this year gave us a firsthand look at what happens when people and industries come together around a common goal," said Aaron Wiese, President, Hy-Vee, Inc. "The conversations recently in Des Moines were thoughtful, practical and focused on real challenges facing communities today. This conference shows that when leaders from various backgrounds come together, we have an opportunity for lasting change across health and wellness."
The Nourishing Change Steering Committee, a coalition of retail and healthcare leaders, supports this announcement and works year-round to advance collaborative solutions across food, pharmacy, prevention, workforce development and health system transformation.
Founded by Kroger Health in 2024, Nourishing Change was created to elevate new thinking around nutrition, prevention, retail health, and community well-being. Since then, it has grown into a national forum. Additional details regarding the 2027 Nourishing Change Conference and opportunities to engage with the movement will be announced in the coming months. To learn more, visit nourishingchange.com.
About Kroger Health
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations. Kroger Health and the Kroger Family of Pharmacies operate more than 2,200 pharmacies in 35 states, serving more than 17 million patients annually. The Little Clinic offers telehealth services in nine states and operates more than 220 in-person clinics in eight states. Our team of healthcare practitioners, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners, dietitians and technicians, believe in practicing at the top of our licenses, enabling food for health to help prevent disease before it starts, and helping people live healthier lives. For more information, visit https://www.kroger.com/health.
About Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 560 business units across nine Midwestern states with sales of more than $14 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee was recently named one of the top grocery stores in America by USA TODAY. The company's more than 70,000 employees provide "A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle" to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
About Ahold Delhaize USA
Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of international food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which also includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands: Food Lion, The GIANT Company, Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. When considered together, the companies of Ahold Delhaize USA comprise the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest in the nation, serving 26 million omnichannel customers each week. Ahold Delhaize USA was recently recognized as a Top Employer in the U.S. by the Top Employers Institute for the second consecutive year, underscoring the company's commitment to cultivating an exceptional, people centered workplace. For more information, visit www.adusa.com.
Kroger's NYSE: KR share price is under pressure due to slowing growth, sluggish results relative to high-flying AI names, and an expected slowdown in buybacks. However, despite the headwinds, the fundamental forces remain bullish, and the stock price is at long-term lows. Look for the company, institutions, and analysts to signal a buy that soon shows up in the charts.
Technically, KR shares are testing critical support with long-term implications. The level represents a convergence of lesser targets, including previous lows and a long-term exponential moving average that has provided support numerous times.
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A sustained dip below this level is unlikely, as it would indicate a significant change in the fundamental outlook; more likely, the June price implosion triggers a robust market response, confirming support and the long-term uptrend.
Kroger Isn’t a Growth Investment: Kroger Is About Cash Flow and Capital ReturnBoiled down to its essence, Kroger is not so much a growth story as an inflation-resistant buy-and-hold story for long-term investors. Its attractions include a strong industry position, robust cash flow, and capital returns. Its industry position is that of a retailer focused on daily necessities and essentials like food, health and family care. Its benefits to investors include predictable cash flows, a healthy balance sheet, and the capacity for capital returns to increase over time.
Capital returns, specifically buybacks, are aggressive this year, the result of 2024's failed Albertsons NYSE: ACI bid, and are likely to slow in the upcoming year, remaining a driver for this market. The dividend is the base payment, yielding approximately 2.5% as of mid-year 2026, and the distribution is expected to grow. Kroger has increased its dividend for 19 years, is on track to be included in the Dividend Champions, and is unlikely to alter its trajectory without dire need.
Buybacks are the bonus. Accelerated in 2026 to utilize unneeded cash, which had been hoarded in anticipation of an acquisition, Kroger reduced its share count by an average of over 8% over the trailing 12 months. It is on track to exhaust a multi-billion-dollar authorization by year’s end. The question is what comes next, and an additional authorization is likely, albeit with a slower implied pace of share count reduction.
Kroger Analysts and Institutions Limit Downside RiskAnalysts and institutional trends highlight the quality of capital returns. MarketBeat tracks 17 analysts, high for such a mundane name, rating the stock as a consensus of Moderate Buy with a 53% Buy-side bias and no Sell rating logged.
Overall MarketRank™85th Percentile
Analyst RatingModerate Buy
Upside/Downside26.0% Upside
Short Interest LevelBearish
Dividend StrengthStrong
News Sentiment0.43 Insider TradingN/A
Proj. Earnings Growth6.86%
See Full Analysis
They forecast approximately 30% upside at consensus, up from last year and steady over the trailing three-month period. It is unlikely that the Q1 release will catalyze price target revisions, whether bullish or bearish. The more likely outcome is for targets to fall, but sentiment and outlook to remain otherwise positive.
Institutional trends also reflect bullish behavior, with them owning more than 80% of the stock and accumulating shares. Selling has intensified in recent months, but is offset by greater buying, underpinning support for this market. The likely outcome from this vector, given the low share price and technical setup, is that selling pressure dwindles while buying ramps up. Kroger provides value at its current levels relative to its long-term forecasts and competitors. Competitors trade at double the valuation, while long-term forecasts suggest the stock could double over time while maintaining the current valuation.
Kroger’s Mixed Results Were Priced Into the MarketKroger’s Q1 earnings release was mixed, providing reasons for caution but no impetus to shed shares. Revenue grew 2.2% to $46.12 billion, more than $500 million above expectations, but the margin was weak. The caveat is that margin contraction was minimal, leaving cash flow in solid shape. While lower than expected, the cash flow provides ample coverage of capital returns.
Looking ahead, guidance is also insufficient to catalyze a bullish market response but does not alter the capital return outlook. Near-term pressures will ease over time, enabling buybacks and distribution growth to do their work on the share price.
Kroger’s biggest risk this year is capital-intensive store updates. The company is rolling out nationwide digital shelf labels and supply chain enhancements expected to pay off over time. The risk is that they don’t translate into improved revenue or profits as quickly as hoped, and drag on results moving forward. Catalysts include systemwide price reductions intended to improve competitiveness and private label. The near-term headwind is margin pressure, but market share gains and private label strength will offset it over time.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Kroger Right Now?Before you consider Kroger, you'll want to hear this.
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Robotics and automation are rapidly becoming essential infrastructure across healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and many other industries.
"Physical AI" is coming to the United States, and there are four ways that investors can gain exposure to this new robotics revolution. Plus, learn which seven companies are most positioned to benefit as intelligent robots enter the workforce.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mercurius Media Capital (MMC), the first U.S.-based pooled media-for-equity fund, today announced a $5 million media-for-equity investment in Copper, a rapidly growing financial empowerment company helping Americans earn, save, and make smarter financial decisions through its consumer rewards and commerce platform.
The investment will provide Copper with access to MMC's premium media network and advertising inventory, enabling the company to accelerate customer acquisition, expand brand awareness, and continue investing in product innovation as it scales nationwide.
Founded by fintech entrepreneurs Eddie Behringer and Stefan Berglund, Copper is on a mission to narrow the economic gap by making earning money universally accessible and truly rewarding. The company has built a diversified consumer platform powered by rewards, commerce, receipt intelligence, and emerging AI-driven shopping experiences.
Today, Copper has processed more than 29 million receipts over the past 12 months, maintains a 4.7-star rating across more than 100,000 app store reviews, and has built a growing network of more than 100 direct advertiser relationships spanning financial services, gaming, retail, and consumer packaged goods.
“What drew us to Copper is the durability of what they’ve built. By combining rewards, commerce, and consumer intelligence into a compelling user experience, Copper has created a powerful data asset that becomes more valuable with scale,” said Piyush Puri, Founding Partner of Mercurius Media Capital. “Eddie, Stefan, and the team have demonstrated exceptional execution, building a rapidly growing platform with strong economics and significant long-term potential. We believe Copper is uniquely positioned at the intersection of financial empowerment, consumer commerce, and artificial intelligence, and is well positioned to build category-defining products as the market continues to evolve.”
Copper enables consumers to earn rewards through everyday activities including shopping, receipt scanning, offers, surveys, gaming experiences, and other engagement opportunities. The company is also leveraging its proprietary consumer transaction and receipt dataset to develop AI-powered commerce and shopping tools designed to help consumers discover products, save money, and make more informed purchasing decisions.
"Most consumer platforms are designed to take more from the user - more time, more money, more attention,” said Eddie Behringer, CEO of Copper. “We’re building the opposite. Copper is designed to give value back, whether that’s through how you spend your time or how you spend your money day to day. "
Through MMC's media-for-equity model, Copper will gain access to premium advertising inventory across television, digital, streaming, out-of-home (OOH), and other high-impact media channels. The partnership is expected to significantly increase Copper's national visibility while allowing the company to preserve capital for product development, engineering, and continued growth initiatives.
Copper joins MMC's growing portfolio of innovative consumer and technology companies leveraging media capital to accelerate growth, expand market presence, and build category-defining brands.
About Copper
Copper is a financial empowerment company on a mission to narrow the economic gap by making earning money universally accessible and truly rewarding. Through its consumer platform, users can earn rewards through shopping, receipt scanning, gaming, surveys, offers, and other everyday activities while gaining access to tools designed to improve financial outcomes. Copper is also developing AI-powered commerce solutions leveraging one of the largest consumer receipt datasets in its category. For more information, visit www.getcopper.com.
About Mercurius Media Capital
Mercurius Media Capital (MMC) is the first U.S.-based media-for-equity fund, providing growth-stage companies with access to premium advertising inventory in exchange for equity. Co-founded by Satyan Gajwani and Piyush Puri, MMC builds on more than 15 years of media capital experience and partners with leading media organizations to help high-growth companies accelerate customer acquisition, expand brand awareness, and scale efficiently.
CompaniesJune 19 (Reuters) - Suncor Energy's (SU.TO), opens new tab 85,000 barrels per day refinery in Sarnia, Ontario had a small fire at the facility that was quickly contained and extinguished, according to a community alert on Friday.
Appropriate regulatory authorities and community stakeholders have been notified, the alert said.
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Suncor did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Reporting by Anjana Anil in Bengaluru, Editing by Franklin Paul
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
The Iridium 9604 Module and Development Kit streamline global IoT development with integrated satellite, cellular, and GNSS connectivity
, /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services, today announced commercial availability of the Iridium® 9604 module and Development Kit, giving developers, OEMs, and solution providers a faster path to build and scale connected IoT solutions worldwide.
Iridium 9604 Module and Development Kit Combining Iridium Short Burst Data® (SBD®) satellite connectivity, LTE-M cellular, and GNSS positioning, the Iridium 9604 module delivers a compact, integrated solution for global IoT deployments. Alongside the Iridium 9604 Development Kit, developers can rapidly prototype, test, and validate hybrid satellite, cellular, and GNSS applications with resources that simplify integration and streamline deployment workflows.
Built on the u-blox SARA-R5 platform, the Iridium 9604 is designed to reduce hardware complexity, lower integration costs, and accelerate time to market for connected solutions operating across industrial, infrastructure, transportation, mobility, utilities, maritime, and remote monitoring applications. The integrated design helps reduce board space requirements by 60 percent or more while simplifying RF routing, power architecture, and firmware development.
"The Iridium 9604 module and Development Kit represent a major milestone in making truly global IoT connectivity more accessible and easier to deploy," said Tim Last, executive vice president, Iridium. "By replacing three separate components with one integrated solution, developers can simplify device design, reduce costs, and create smarter, location-aware products capable of staying connected far beyond terrestrial coverage."
Early developers and beta participants reported significant operational and economic benefits from the platform's integrated architecture.
"The Iridium 9604 has enabled us to develop a truly global asset tracking solution without relying on terrestrial network infrastructure. Its reliable coverage, compact form factor, and straightforward integration have significantly accelerated our development process and allowed us to focus on optimizing the end-user experience," said Askar Gabit, CEO, GPSOne. "For applications in remote and challenging environments, the Iridium network provides the confidence that critical data can be delivered when it matters most."
The Iridium 9604 gives developers independent control over satellite, LTE-M, and GNSS subsystems, enabling flexible implementation of failover logic, location-aware connectivity decisions, and application-specific routing strategies. A unified AT command set and comprehensive SDK resources further simplify development and integration.
Built for scalable and power-sensitive IoT applications, the Iridium 9604 features a compact 16 mm x 26 mm x 2.4 mm form factor optimized for deployments where size, resiliency, and efficiency are critical. The platform supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou GNSS services alongside LTE-M (Cat-M1) and Iridium's 100% global L-band satellite network.
The Iridium 9604 represents the next evolution of Iridium's broader IoT strategy, expanding beyond traditional satellite-only hardware to support unified, multi-mode connectivity architectures. The Iridium network now supports multiple IoT pathways, including dedicated Iridium SBD modules, Iridium NTN DirectSM standards-based direct-to-device capabilities, and larger payload connectivity through the Iridium Certus® 9704 module.
Operating on the world's only truly global mobile satellite network, the Iridium 9604 delivers reliable connectivity across remote land areas, oceans, airways, and polar regions where other networks are unavailable or unreliable.
To learn more about the Iridium 9604 IoT module, visit: www.iridium.com/9604
To order the Iridium 9604 Development Kit, visit: www.iridium.com/9604-devkit
For more information about Iridium, visit: www.iridium.com
About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) operates the world's only truly global mobile satellite network, delivering reliable voice, data, and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services anywhere on Earth. Iridium supports safety- and mission-critical operations for diverse markets such as aviation, maritime, government, emergency services, critical infrastructure, autonomous systems, and remote monitoring applications, where connectivity is essential. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Iridium provides its products and services through an ecosystem of 500-plus partner companies around the world. For more information, visit www.iridium.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the capabilities, benefits and availability of the Iridium 9604, expected demand by developers and the suitability of the Iridium 9604 for dual-mode IoT deployments across industrial, infrastructure, and mobility applications. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "anticipates," "may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends," "likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the company's ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its satellite constellation, general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 12, 2026, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium's expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
HPQ signed an LOI with LN Innov' and Novacium SAS to evaluate a Canadian-based platform integrating advanced batteries, electric motors and propulsion systems for North American drone and defense markets. HPQ has direct exposure to the proposed platform through their 36.8% equity interest in Novacium SAS and exclusive North American commercialization rights. More than 20 customers have tested LN Innov electric propulsion systems, and more than a dozen have subsequently placed commercial orders. LN Innov is presently scaling up its manufacturing capacity to reach up to 20,000 drone motors per month in France by the end of Q3 2026. Novacium's advanced battery technologies are currently being evaluated by French drone manufacturers introduced through LN Innov for potential integration into future drone platforms. , /PRNewswire/ - HPQ Silicon Inc. ("HPQ" or the "Company") (TSXV: HPQ) (OTCQB: HPQFF) (FRA: O08), a technology company specializing in advanced materials innovation and next-generation industrial processes, today announced that it signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with LN Innov' ("LN Innov"), a French developer and manufacturer of high-performance electric propulsion systems, and Novacium SAS ("Novacium") on June 16 2026, during the 2026 edition of the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris, France.
HPQ holds a 36.8% equity interest in Novacium and exclusive North American commercialization rights to its technologies.
"As drones become increasingly critical across commercial, industrial and defense applications, governments and industry are recognizing that batteries and electric propulsion systems have become strategic technologies," said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO of HPQ Silicon. "Today, much of that supply chain remains concentrated in Asia, creating vulnerabilities that many jurisdictions are actively working to reduce. Through our partnership with Novacium and this new collaboration with LN Innov, we have an opportunity to evaluate the adaptation of an industrial model currently being deployed in Europe for North American markets, combining advanced battery technologies with proven electric propulsion expertise. For HPQ, this represents another step in our broader strategy of identifying innovative technologies with demonstrated market potential and positioning the Company to assess potential commercialization opportunities across North America."
Scope of the LOI
The LOI establishes a framework for HPQ, Novacium and LN Innov to evaluate, over the next 190 days, the feasibility of establishing a Canadian-based platform integrating Novacium's battery technologies, to be sold under the HPQ ENDURA+ brand and LN Innov's electric propulsion systems for drone, robotics and defense markets across North America.
The parties have already completed preliminary technical reviews that supported the decision to enter into this LOI. The evaluation contemplated under the LOI will focus primarily on industrialization, manufacturing, supply-chain requirements, certification pathways, target applications, business structure and potential commercialization strategies for North American markets.
The LOI is non-binding, does not grant exclusivity and does not include financial commitments, payment obligations or minimum purchase requirements. Any future collaboration would remain subject to further evaluation and the negotiation of definitive agreements.
Any future collaboration would remain subject to further evaluation and the negotiation of definitive agreements.
There can be no assurance that the evaluation activities contemplated by the LOI will result in the execution of a definitive agreement or any commercial arrangement between the parties.
LN Innov' Sovereign High-Performance Electric Propulsion Platform
Electric motors are at the heart of every autonomous platform, directly influencing performance, efficiency and thrust-to-weight ratio. LN Innov' develops and manufactures high-performance propulsion systems for a broad range of applications, including FPV drones, interception systems, surveillance platforms and payload-delivery drones.
More than 20 customers operating in the drone, robotics and defense sectors have tested LN Innov's electric motors under operating conditions, and more than a dozen customers have subsequently placed commercial orders.
These activities support LN Innov's ongoing efforts to expand its production capacity in France, with the objective of scaling its manufacturing capability to up to 20,000 drone motors per month by the end of Q3 2026. The parties intend to evaluate whether elements of this industrial model could be adapted for North American markets.
"We are still at the beginning of this adventure, but the market signals are encouraging," said Nathalie Mazeau, President of LN Innov'. "Having more than 20 customers test our motors and seeing more than a dozen subsequently place orders provides valuable feedback regarding the performance of our technology. This Letter of Intent creates an opportunity to explore how our industrial and technological expertise, combined with Novacium's advanced battery technologies and HPQ's North American presence, could contribute to the development of an electric propulsion ecosystem in North America."
As drone adoption continues to expand across commercial, industrial and defense applications, operators seek battery solutions that balance energy density, reliability, safety and manufacturability.
Novacium is developing silicon-enhanced battery technologies intended for drone and autonomous-system applications. As part of its ongoing development activities, Novacium has produced battery configurations designed to meet operating requirements commonly used in current drone platforms, including systems delivering approximately 15 Ah capacity, 21.3 V nominal voltage and energy densities near 205 Wh/kg.
Novacium's advanced silicon-enhanced battery technologies are being developed to meet these requirements while providing a pathway toward future higher-energy-density solutions.
Novacium's battery technologies are currently being evaluated by industrial and defense-sector participants to assess their suitability for integration into future drone and autonomous-system platforms.
The proposed collaboration with LN Innov provides an opportunity to evaluate the integration of Novacium's advanced battery technologies, marketed under the HPQ ENDURA+ brand, into complete electric propulsion systems for drone, robotics and autonomous-system applications in North America.
"One of the most important developments in our battery program is that manufacturers are evaluating our technologies against defined operational requirements," said Jed Kraiem, COO of Novacium. "The collaboration with LN Innov creates an opportunity to assess how advanced battery technologies and high-performance electric propulsion systems can be combined into integrated solutions for drone, robotics and autonomous-system applications."
About HPQ Silicon
HPQ Silicon Inc. is a Quebec-based TSX Venture Exchange industrial issuer (TSX-V: HPQ) focused on innovation in advanced materials and critical process development. In partnership with its research and development partner Novacium—of which HPQ is a shareholder—the Company is advancing next-generation silicon-based anode materials (Gen3 and Gen4) for batteries, commercializing its ENDURA+ lithium-ion cells, and developing breakthrough clean-hydrogen and waste-to-energy technologies, for which HPQ holds exclusive North American rights.
HPQ is also pursuing proprietary technologies to become a low-cost, zero-CO₂ producer of fumed silica with technical support from PyroGenesis Inc. Together, these initiatives position HPQ to capture growth opportunities in the energy storage, clean hydrogen, and advanced materials markets essential to achieving global net-zero goals.
For more information, please visit HPQ Silicon web site.
About NOVACIUM SAS
Novacium is an innovative technology start-up created in 2022, in France. It is an engineering and R&D company dedicated to materials for energy, with a specialization in silicon and hydrogen. Novacium is developing 2 technologies. The first concerns a new silicon-based anode material that significantly increases the capacity of Li-ion batteries. Novacium's second activity is the generation of hydrogen. Novacium is developing an autonomous hydrogen generation system for civil and military applications fueled by a patented alloy based on silicon and aluminum.
About LN Innov'
LN Innov' is a French technology company specialized in high-performance electric propulsion systems for drones and unmanned platforms. The company develops next-generation motors and integrated propulsion solutions delivering industry-leading power-to-weight ratios, efficiency and reliability. Through its Groupe Moto-Propulseur strategy, LN Innov' is building a complete ecosystem integrating batteries, power electronics, motors and propulsion
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements rely on assumptions about technology performance, market demand, permits, financing, supply chains, and economic conditions but remain subject to significant risks, including delays, regulatory challenges, competition, pricing, financing availability, and macroeconomic uncertainties. Actual outcomes may differ materially from expectations. Detailed risk factors are outlined in HPQ's Annual Information Form available on SEDAR+. Forward-looking information is provided solely to outline management's future expectations and objectives.
A more detailed cautionary note regarding forward-looking information related to the HPQ Endura+ batteries project is available for download [here].
Further information regarding the Company is available in the SEDAR+ database (www.sedarplus.ca), and on the Company's website at: http://www.hpqsilicon.com/
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This News Release is available on the company's CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.
Strategic acquisition of 3rd largest self-storage platform in Canada expected to create long-term internal and external growth opportunities
Transaction valued at $1.2 billion and primarily funded with Public Storage Operating Partnership Units (“OPUs”)
Acquisition to provide attractive going-in NOI yield in the high-5’s, significant operational upside on 83% occupied portfolio, and double-digit IRR potential
FRISCO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) (“Public Storage” or the “Company”), the largest owner of self-storage facilities, today announced that its operating partnership, Public Storage OP, L.P. (“Public Storage OP”), and Public Storage Operating Company (“PSOC”) have entered into an agreement to acquire Public Storage Canada (“PS Canada”) in a transaction valued at approximately $1.2 billion USD ($1.67 billion CAD). The PS Canada platform was built by industry visionary and Public Storage founder Wayne Hughes and has been independently owned and operated by the Hughes family under the Public Storage® brand for decades. The acquisition is expected to expand Public Storage’s platform in major Canadian markets with long-term growth driven by high household incomes, strong relative population growth, and low supply per capita compared to the U.S.
Under the terms of the transaction, PSOC will pay consideration worth approximately $1.2 billion at closing, consisting of approximately $889 million of Public Storage OP units (2.76 million OPUs, valuing each such unit at $321.98 per unit) and approximately $310 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The transaction will also include an opportunity for the sellers to receive earn-out consideration of up to $288 million in Public Storage OP units priced at $375 per unit, contingent on the achievement of certain NOI performance targets. All values are represented in USD. The transaction was entered into with Tamara Hughes Gustavson and family pursuant to the Company’s existing Right-of-First-Offer (“ROFO”) and Right-of-First-Refusal (“ROFR”), providing attractive pricing due to off-market purchase.
Strategic Rationale
Public Storage believes the acquisition offers compelling strategic benefits, including:
gaining exposure to a growing Canadian self-storage industry with low supply ratios; revenue and operational upside through the PS Next™ operating platform; a platform opportunity in major Canadian markets, including expanded acquisition, new development, expansion, and lending opportunities; an existing Public Storage®-branded portfolio that reduces upfront capital expenditures and minimizes customer disruption; and allows for low-cost CAD-denominated borrowing to fund recently announced external growth. Portfolio Highlights
The portfolio consists of 68 properties totaling 5.3M square feet. PS Canada had Q1 2026 same-store occupancy of 83.1% with same store rents of $23.24 (USD) per occupied square foot. The portfolio is located in the key Canadian markets of Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, and Ottawa. These markets benefit from low supply per capita (well below the U.S. average) and the portfolio features robust 3-mile trade area populations and household incomes.
Financial Highlights
Public Storage expects the acquisition to provide:
an attractive going-in NOI yield in the high-5’s; high-single-digit compounding NOI growth near-term as synergies and operational upside are realized, driven by implementation of the PS NextTM operating platform with key areas of focus on customer experience, rental revenue, operating expense efficiencies, and tenant reinsurance; accretive to long-term portfolio IRR, NOI growth, and FFO per share growth given attractive basis and cash flow upside; and leverage-neutral OP unit funding that retains balance sheet strength for future opportunities. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Tom Boyle, CEO, said, “The acquisition of PS Canada represents a strategic opportunity to expand the Public Storage platform into major Canadian markets with attractive long-term fundamentals. This portfolio includes high-quality real estate in key markets, carries the Public Storage brand, and offers meaningful upside through our PS Next™ operating platform. Together with our previously announced National Storage Affiliates Trust transaction, this acquisition demonstrates the momentum of our value creation engine and the opportunity to deploy capital into highly strategic external growth opportunities. We are grateful to Tamara Hughes Gustavson and family for the opportunity to acquire this exceptional portfolio, which was thoughtfully built and operated for many decades. We are humbled by their continued confidence in the Company through a meaningful further investment as part of this transaction.”
Advisors
Scotiabank is serving as the financial advisor to Public Storage. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Torys LLP are serving as legal advisors, and Kekst CNC is serving as strategic communications advisor to Public Storage. Eastdil Secured is serving as financial advisor, and Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP are serving as legal advisors to the sellers.
About Public Storage
Public Storage, a member of the S&P 500, is a REIT that primarily acquires, develops, owns, and operates self-storage facilities. At March 31, 2026, the Company: (i) owned and/or operated 3,546 self-storage facilities located in 40 states with approximately 259 million net rentable square feet in the United States and (ii) owned a 35% common equity interest in Shurgard Self Storage Limited (Euronext Brussels: SHUR), which owned 333 self-storage facilities located in seven Western European countries with approximately 19 million net rentable square feet operated under the Shurgard® brand. Public Storage is headquartered in Frisco, Texas.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this communication, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, which may be identified by the use of the words “outlook,” “guidance,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “should,” “estimates,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual events to be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors and risks that may impact future results and performance include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the Transaction, including the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Transaction and the parties’ ability to satisfy the closing conditions to consummating the Transaction, including required regulatory approvals, and complete the Transaction on the proposed terms or on the anticipated timeline, if at all. Additional factors that could affect future results of the Company can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 12, 2026, in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2026, filed with the SEC on April 27, 2026, and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Public Storage does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement except as required by law, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Key Takeaways Public Storage plans a $1.2B acquisition of Public Storage Canada, entering major Canadian markets.The 68-property portfolio has 5.3M square feet and first-quarter 2026 occupancy of 83.1%.PSA expects a high-5% NOI yield and potential double-digit internal rates of return over time. Public Storage (PSA - Free Report) is taking a major step beyond its core U.S. footprint with a planned $1.2 billion acquisition of Public Storage Canada. The deal gives PSA an immediate presence in several major Canadian markets, including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa, instead of building that network one property at a time.
The move is expected to benefit Public Storage by adding a well-known self-storage brand in markets with strong population growth, high household incomes and relatively lower storage supply than the United States. The portfolio includes 68 properties and 5.3 million net rentable square feet, with first-quarter 2026 occupancy of 83.1%, leaving room for better pricing and operations over time.
Public Storage expects the acquisition to deliver a going-in NOI yield in the high-5% range and potential double-digit internal rates of return over the long run. The company also plans to use its PS Next operating platform to improve revenue management, control costs, enhance customer experience and grow tenant reinsurance income.
The consideration will comprise $889 million in Public Storage OP units and $310 million in cash, subject to adjustments. Sellers may also receive up to $288 million in additional OP units if certain NOI performance targets are met.
The Canada deal comes as Public Storage is already pursuing another large transaction. Its pending acquisition of National Storage Affiliates Trust is valued at about $10.5 billion. Together, these moves show a clear focus on scale and market reach. In first-quarter 2026, PSA reported core FFO of $4.22 per share, up 2.4% from a year earlier.
For investors, the key point is that Public Storage is not just buying assets; it is buying future growth channels. Canada gives PSA a solid platform in attractive urban markets, while the use of operating partnership units helps preserve balance sheet flexibility. However, the deal still needs to close, and execution will matter, but it adds another reason to watch Public Storage as a large, disciplined player in self-storage.
Over the past three months, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have rallied 19.5%, outperforming the industry's growth of 10.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Equinix, Inc. (EQIX - Free Report) and Prologis, Inc. (PLD - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Equinix’s 2026 FFO per share is pinned at $42.93. This indicates projected year-over-year growth of 12%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Prologis’ 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $6.18. This calls for year-over-year growth of 6.37%.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
After soaring to new highs in 2026, CrowdStrike (CRWD +1.03%) announced its first-ever stock split. When trading opens on June 2, a 4-for-1 split of CrowdStrike's shares will go into effect.
Before CrowdStrike's stock officially splits, it's important to understand exactly what this means (and doesn't mean) for you as an investor before you open your brokerage account and find four times the number of shares you bought.
Image source: Getty Images.
Like most processes involving publicly traded companies, such as dividend distributions, there are a few dates that you might hear when it comes to stock splits. With CrowdStrike:
June 25 (record date)-Every shareholder of record as of the close of trading on this date will receive three additional shares. July 1 (distribution date)-The additional shares will be distributed after the close of trading on this date. July 2 (effective date)-CrowdStrike stock will start trading on a split-adjusted basis on this date. Here's a key takeaway before we move on. For most investors, the effective date of July 2 is the only one you'll notice. If you own shares of CrowdStrike in your brokerage account, they'll trade normally until the end of the day on July 1. When you log into your brokerage account the following morning, you'll notice the split adjustments.
What the split does (and doesn't) mean Here's exactly what will change when you log into your brokerage account on July 2:
You'll notice there are four times the number of shares you previously owned. If you owned 50 shares of CrowdStrike prior to the split, you'll now have 200 shares in your account. The share price will be (approximately) one-fourth of what it was pre-split. As of this writing, CrowdStrike trades for about $694 per share. If this were the price at the time of the split, each share would be worth $173.50 after the split went into effect. If you own CrowdStrike options, you will have four times the number of contracts, and the strike price of each will be divided by four as well. Because the number of shares is multiplying by four and the share price is being divided by four, the net effect on the value of your investment is neutral. Stock splits are generally intended to make a stock with a high share price more accessible to investors. They don't have any effect on the value of the business, the percentage of ownership your investment represents, or the company's fundamentals.
Will CrowdStrike's split boost the stock price? As a final thought, although the mechanics of a stock split don't change the value of a business all by themselves, a stock split is a sign of confidence by management. In simple terms, CrowdStrike is implying that its stock price will remain elevated and that the split is necessary to ensure it is accessible to investors.
The recent results from the business back this up. In the most recent quarter, CrowdStrike's net new annual recurring revenue grew 32%, cash flow reached an all-time high, and earnings per share came in well above expectations. Plus, it's looking more like the agentic AI revolution will be a net tailwind for the business and its cybersecurity platform, not a disruptive force. After all, agentic AI could create a new generation of security threats, and companies positioned to help fight them could be big winners.
The bottom line is that CrowdStrike's upcoming stock split doesn't change anything with your investment, other than the number of shares. The overall economic interest you have in CrowdStrike will remain the same. Having said that, a stock split like this is usually a sign of confidence that management believes there's still significant upside ahead.
AUSTIN, Texas & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AWS Summit New York – CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) today announced that it is expanding Project QuiltWorks with Amazon Web Services (AWS), extending the coalition from the technology, services, and financial protection to mitigate frontier AI risk, to the attack surface where vulnerabilities live and are exploited. As frontier AI collapses the window between vulnerability and exploitation – marking a significant inflection point in cybersecurity history.
CrowdStrike expands Falcon AI Detection and Response protections for AI applications built on AWS and broadens Falcon platform access through AWS Marketplace free trials and new cloud-scale integrations
AUSTIN, Texas & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AWS Summit New York -- CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD), in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), today announced new AI, cloud, and Next-Gen SIEM innovations that help organizations securely build, deploy, and operate AI applications and cloud workloads on AWS.
CrowdStrike is expanding CrowdStrike Falcon® AI Detection and Response (AIDR) capabilities on AWS, helping organizations identify and mitigate AI runtime risks across AI applications built with AWS technologies including Amazon Bedrock, Kiro, and Strands Agents.
CrowdStrike is also expanding CrowdStrike Falcon® platform availability in AWS Marketplace with new 30-day free trials for CrowdStrike Falcon® Next-Gen SIEM, CrowdStrike Falcon® Cloud Security, and CrowdStrike Falcon® Endpoint Security on a pay-as-you-go basis. New Quick Start connectors for Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) access logs help streamline onboarding and accelerate time-to-value. AWS PrivateLink cross-region support further simplifies cloud-scale security operations on AWS.
Securing AI Applications on AWS
As organizations operationalize AI agents and autonomous workflows on AWS, CrowdStrike is helping customers securely build, deploy, and scale AI applications across the AI development and deployment lifecycle. Building on CrowdStrike's designation as an inaugural AWS Agentic AI Specialization Partner and the companies' broader work advancing secure frontier AI innovation through Anthropic's Project Glasswing initiative, CrowdStrike is extending visibility and protection across customer AI applications built on AWS.
Falcon AIDR delivers real-time security evaluation of agent, LLM, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) communications to help stop prompt injection, sensitive data leakage, and malicious AI activity. CrowdStrike is extending these protections across AI applications built on AWS, including applications developed with Kiro, agents built with Strands Agents, and workloads running on Amazon Bedrock, helping organizations identify and mitigate AI runtime risks while maintaining continuous visibility across the AI development and deployment lifecycle.
The CrowdStrike Falcon MCP integration for Kiro enables developers to securely access CrowdStrike intelligence, detections, and security context directly within coding workflows, creating real-time feedback loops during agentic application development. Together with Falcon Next-Gen SIEM and Falcon Cloud Security, organizations can secure their broader AI workload stack on AWS by protecting non-human identities and credentials, governing data flows, and assessing Amazon Bedrock and AWS service misconfigurations, enabling customers to accelerate AI adoption with confidence.
"Organizations are rapidly moving AI applications from experimentation into production," said Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike. “Together, CrowdStrike is helping customers securely build, deploy, and operate AI-powered applications on AWS, with protection that spans development, runtime, identities, and cloud infrastructure."
Expanding Flexible Access to Falcon on AWS
Following the flexible pay-as-you-go consumption model introduced for the Falcon platform in AWS Marketplace, the new 30-day free trials make it easier for organizations to experience Falcon Next-Gen SIEM, Falcon Cloud Security and Falcon Endpoint Security before transitioning to consumption-based pricing, accelerating onboarding and time-to-value.
Accelerating Cloud-Scale Security Operations on AWS
Building on recent Falcon Next-Gen SIEM integrations for AWS services including AWS Security Hub, Amazon GuardDuty, and AWS CloudTrail, CrowdStrike is introducing new AWS Quick Start connectors for Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon S3 access logs, streamlining onboarding and helping organizations rapidly ingest AWS telemetry at scale across multi-account, multi-region AWS deployments.
CrowdStrike is also introducing AWS PrivateLink cross-region support, enabling organizations to securely route Falcon platform traffic across the AWS backbone while reducing internet exposure and data transfer costs.
Together, these capabilities help organizations accelerate investigations, simplify operations, and optimize security at cloud scale.
For more information on the CrowdStrike and AWS collaboration, visit CrowdStrike at AWS Summit New York Booth #438.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include discussion of unreleased services or features. Any unreleased services or features referenced here are still in development and subject to change. Customers should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available.
About CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD), a global cybersecurity leader, has redefined modern security with the world’s most advanced cloud-native platform for protecting critical areas of enterprise risk – endpoints and cloud workloads, identity and data.
Powered by the CrowdStrike Security Cloud and world-class AI, the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform leverages real-time indicators of attack, threat intelligence, evolving adversary tradecraft, and enriched telemetry from across the enterprise to deliver hyper-accurate detections, automated protection and remediation, elite threat hunting, and prioritized observability of vulnerabilities.
Purpose-built in the cloud with a single lightweight-agent architecture, the Falcon platform delivers rapid and scalable deployment, superior protection and performance, reduced complexity, and immediate time-to-value.
CrowdStrike: We stop breaches.
Learn more: https://www.crowdstrike.com/
Follow us: Blog | X | LinkedIn | Instagram
Start a free trial today: https://www.crowdstrike.com/trial
AWS Summit New York -- CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD), in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), today announced new AI, cloud, and Next-Gen SIEM innovations that help organizations securely build, deploy, and operate AI applications and cloud workloads on AWS.
CrowdStrike is expanding CrowdStrike Falcon® AI Detection and Response (AIDR) capabilities on AWS, helping organizations identify and mitigate AI runtime risks across AI applications built with AWS technologies including Amazon Bedrock, Kiro, and Strands Agents.
CrowdStrike is also expanding CrowdStrike Falcon® platform availability in AWS Marketplace with new 30-day free trials for CrowdStrike Falcon® Next-Gen SIEM, CrowdStrike Falcon® Cloud Security, and CrowdStrike Falcon® Endpoint Security on a pay-as-you-go basis. New Quick Start connectors for Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) access logs help streamline onboarding and accelerate time-to-value. AWS PrivateLink cross-region support further simplifies cloud-scale security operations on AWS.
Securing AI Applications on AWS
As organizations operationalize AI agents and autonomous workflows on AWS, CrowdStrike is helping customers securely build, deploy, and scale AI applications across the AI development and deployment lifecycle. Building on CrowdStrike's designation as an inaugural AWS Agentic AI Specialization Partner and the companies' broader work advancing secure frontier AI innovation through Anthropic's Project Glasswing initiative, CrowdStrike is extending visibility and protection across customer AI applications built on AWS.
Falcon AIDR delivers real-time security evaluation of agent, LLM, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) communications to help stop prompt injection, sensitive data leakage, and malicious AI activity. CrowdStrike is extending these protections across AI applications built on AWS, including applications developed with Kiro, agents built with Strands Agents, and workloads running on Amazon Bedrock, helping organizations identify and mitigate AI runtime risks while maintaining continuous visibility across the AI development and deployment lifecycle.
The CrowdStrike Falcon MCP integration for Kiro enables developers to securely access CrowdStrike intelligence, detections, and security context directly within coding workflows, creating real-time feedback loops during agentic application development. Together with Falcon Next-Gen SIEM and Falcon Cloud Security, organizations can secure their broader AI workload stack on AWS by protecting non-human identities and credentials, governing data flows, and assessing Amazon Bedrock and AWS service misconfigurations, enabling customers to accelerate AI adoption with confidence.
"Organizations are rapidly moving AI applications from experimentation into production," said Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike. “Together, CrowdStrike is helping customers securely build, deploy, and operate AI-powered applications on AWS, with protection that spans development, runtime, identities, and cloud infrastructure."
Expanding Flexible Access to Falcon on AWS
Following the flexible pay-as-you-go consumption model introduced for the Falcon platform in AWS Marketplace, the new 30-day free trials make it easier for organizations to experience Falcon Next-Gen SIEM, Falcon Cloud Security and Falcon Endpoint Security before transitioning to consumption-based pricing, accelerating onboarding and time-to-value.
Accelerating Cloud-Scale Security Operations on AWS
Building on recent Falcon Next-Gen SIEM integrations for AWS services including AWS Security Hub, Amazon GuardDuty, and AWS CloudTrail, CrowdStrike is introducing new AWS Quick Start connectors for Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon S3 access logs, streamlining onboarding and helping organizations rapidly ingest AWS telemetry at scale across multi-account, multi-region AWS deployments.
CrowdStrike is also introducing AWS PrivateLink cross-region support, enabling organizations to securely route Falcon platform traffic across the AWS backbone while reducing internet exposure and data transfer costs.
Together, these capabilities help organizations accelerate investigations, simplify operations, and optimize security at cloud scale.
For more information on the CrowdStrike and AWS collaboration, visit CrowdStrike at AWS Summit New York Booth #438.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include discussion of unreleased services or features. Any unreleased services or features referenced here are still in development and subject to change. Customers should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available.
About CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD), a global cybersecurity leader, has redefined modern security with the world’s most advanced cloud-native platform for protecting critical areas of enterprise risk – endpoints and cloud workloads, identity and data.
Powered by the CrowdStrike Security Cloud and world-class AI, the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform leverages real-time indicators of attack, threat intelligence, evolving adversary tradecraft, and enriched telemetry from across the enterprise to deliver hyper-accurate detections, automated protection and remediation, elite threat hunting, and prioritized observability of vulnerabilities.
Purpose-built in the cloud with a single lightweight-agent architecture, the Falcon platform delivers rapid and scalable deployment, superior protection and performance, reduced complexity, and immediate time-to-value.
CrowdStrike: We stop breaches.
Learn more: https://www.crowdstrike.com/
Follow us: Blog | X | LinkedIn | Instagram
Start a free trial today: https://www.crowdstrike.com/trial
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD | CRWD Price Prediction) is a stock worth owning for decades because cybersecurity has quietly become a non-negotiable utility, and the Falcon platform now sits at the center of how the world’s largest enterprises secure both their existing infrastructure and the new wave of AI workloads that businesses cannot switch off even during a downturn.
For a retirement-focused investor who has been burned chasing trends, the appeal here is the structural reality that long-term tech analysts keep returning to: cybersecurity has shifted from a discretionary corporate expense to a non-negotiable utility, and CrowdStrike stands out as the gold standard in end-user and cloud security thanks to its cloud-native Falcon platform.
Pillar 1: Durability of the Business CrowdStrike’s revenue is overwhelmingly recurring. In the most recent quarter, $1.32 billion of $1.39 billion in Q1 revenue came from subscriptions, and total ARR reached $5.51 billion, up 24% year over year. Customers are deepening their commitment: 51% of customers now run 6 or more modules, 35% run 7 or more, and 25% run 8 or more. The platform is wired into AWS, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Google Cloud, OpenAI, Anthropic, IBM, and Salesforce, which makes Falcon less a vendor and more a layer of enterprise plumbing.
CEO George Kurtz framed the position bluntly: “CrowdStrike is AI security infrastructure, critical to successful AI adoption.” That is the language of a utility.
Pillar 2: Compounding Through Free Cash Flow CrowdStrike pays no dividend, so the compounding case rests on free cash flow and buybacks. Q1 free cash flow reached $468.5 million, up 66.76% year over year, at a 34% margin. Full-year FY26 free cash flow was $1.24 billion, and the company holds $4.55 billion in cash against $949.4 million remaining under its share repurchase program. Management already repurchased $175.6 million of stock in Q1 FY27. Management’s long-range marker is $20 billion in ending ARR by FY36, a goal supported by FY27 EPS guidance of $4.88 to $4.96.
Pillar 3: Surviving Market Cycles Enterprises freeze hiring before they freeze endpoint protection. Gross retention sits at 97%, and CrowdStrike is the first pure-play cybersecurity company to reach $5.25 billion in ending ARR. Analyst sentiment confirms the durability of the franchise, with 43 buy ratings against 1 sell.
The Scenario Where It Underperforms The underperformance case is a risk-off market. CrowdStrike trades at a forward earnings multiple of 141x, and in a sharp bear market, high-multiple software names compress first. The stock has already run 45.7% year to date and 178.86% over five years, so drawdowns of 30% or more are part of the ride. That volatility does not change the forever thesis. The recurring revenue keeps compounding, the buyback keeps shrinking the share count, and the platform keeps absorbing new attack surfaces as AI agents proliferate. Owners who stop watching the quote stay aligned with the cash flows.
The thesis rewards long-term ownership over short-term trading.
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Over the past month, shares of this cloud-based security company have returned +5.7%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.4% change. During this period, the Zacks Security industry, which CrowdStrike falls in, has gained 11.5%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
CrowdStrike is expected to post earnings of $1.17 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +25.8%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -10%.
The consensus earnings estimate of $4.93 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +32.2%. This estimate has changed -8.3% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $6.24 indicates a change of +26.7% from what CrowdStrike is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +1.6%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, CrowdStrike is rated Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of CrowdStrike, the consensus sales estimate of $1.44 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +23.2%. The $5.94 billion and $7.23 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +23.5% and +21.6%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryCrowdStrike reported revenues of $1.39 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +25.6%. EPS of $1.1 for the same period compares with $0.73 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.36 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.7%. The EPS surprise was +2.8%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
CrowdStrike is graded F on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about CrowdStrike. However, its Zacks Rank #4 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW +1.65%) could be one of the biggest winners from the invisible artificial intelligence cybersecurity war. CrowdStrike (CRWD +1.03%) remains a powerful competitor, but Palo Alto's broader platform strategy, cheaper valuation, and enterprise consolidation opportunity may give investors a more compelling risk-reward setup today.
Stock prices used were the market prices of June 11, 2026. The video was published on June 21, 2026.
Rick Orford has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CrowdStrike. The Motley Fool recommends Palo Alto Networks. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. NASDAQ: CRWD is up approximately 45% in 2026, making it one of the best-performing stocks of 2026. However, CRWD is down approximately 10% since reporting solid earnings on June 3.
That dip comes even though the company’s board approved a 4-for-1 stock split. Shareholders of record as of June 25 will receive three additional shares for every share they own, and the stock is expected to begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on July 2.
Get CrowdStrike alerts:
A stock split can increase shareholder value indirectly, but by itself, shouldn’t be a reason to buy or sell a stock. Instead, investors ought to look at the company’s fundamentals and its valuation.
CrowdStrike Just Delivered a Strong ReportIt's hard to overstate the strength of CrowdStrike’s recent earnings report. The cybersecurity company beat on the top and bottom lines. Revenue of $1.39 billion was up 26% year-over-year (YOY). Earnings per share (EPS) growth was even stronger with the company’s $1.10 coming in 51% higher YOY.
A key metric for cybersecurity companies is annual recurring revenue (ARR). CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform has had a significant flywheel effect in which companies sign up for one or more services and not only continue to use those services but also add additional modules over time. That’s a key reason why the company raised its net new ARR growth guidance for the current fiscal year by 520 basis points to 27.7%.
Look Past the Split: What Actually Supports CRWDSimply put, there's a difference between price and value. A stock split doesn't change a company's valuation, so the fact that CrowdStrike will soon trade at a more accessible price won't make the stock a better value than it was pre-split.
And on traditional valuation metrics—price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-book (P/B)—CRWD looks expensive, so investors focused on those measures may find better options elsewhere. The bull case for the stock rests less on it being cheap and more on other factors.
One of those is that the company is betting on itself. CrowdStrike recently announced a $500 million increase to its prior authorization, bringing the new authorization to approximately $1.5 billion. Companies don’t increase a buyback authorization without the free cash flow (FCF) to support it.
Another is index membership. CRWD is part of the S&P 500 index, and it was the fastest cybersecurity company to achieve that milestone. It also means the stock is included in many of the largest technology and cybersecurity-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds. Over 71% of the stock’s shares are owned by institutions.
The takeaway for investors: a lofty share price doesn't appear to be keeping people away from the stock.
Why You Shouldn’t Discount the SplitThe split won't change CRWD's valuation, but it could still change how investors respond to the stock—and with more retail investors in the market than ever, that psychology matters.
Many retail investors prefer not to own fractional shares, even though the option is available to them. For those investors, seeing CRWD trade for under $200 is likely to hold significantly more appeal. That’s particularly true for growth-focused investors. CrowdStrike doesn’t pay a dividend, so aside from buybacks, stock price appreciation is the primary compensation for shareholders.
To be clear, none of this is the "right" reason to buy CRWD—a split creates no real value. But markets aren't perfectly efficient, and sometimes how investors feel about a price matters as much as the underlying valuation.
A Cautiously Bullish ChartCRWD is trading around $690, well extended above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) at $571.48. That gap signals strong momentum, but also elevated short-term risk.
The stock staged a powerful breakout in May, surging from the $400s to a high near $790 before pulling back into a consolidation range around $680–$720. That pullback appears healthy rather than bearish, with price holding well above the 50-day SMA.
The relative strength index sits at 59, with the signal line at 61. The bearish RSI cross visible on the chart coincides with the recent peak. That's a classic momentum fade following an overbought reading above 80. Current RSI levels are neutral-to-bullish, leaving room to run without immediate overbought pressure.
Adding to that optimism, volume remains constructive, supporting the thesis that institutional buyers absorbed the breakout. The dotted resistance line near $760–$780 is the key level to watch on the next leg higher.
Should You Invest $1,000 in CrowdStrike Right Now?Before you consider CrowdStrike, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and CrowdStrike wasn't on the list.
While CrowdStrike currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
The space race is growing fast, and you don’t have to have gotten in early on SpaceX to profit. This report shows seven space stocks you can buy today that may grow as rockets, satellites, defense, space internet, and new space technology become more important.
NEW YORK, June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Presidio, a leading global digital services and AI solutions provider, today announced its participation in CrowdStrike’s Project QuiltWorks, expanding its ability to enable enterprises to connect vulnerability discovery with practical, validated remediation. Project QuiltWorks is the only coalition uniting frontier AI labs, top systems integrators, leaders from the cyber insurance industry, and cloud infrastructure to assess, prioritize, remediate, and financially protect against frontier AI risk.
As frontier AI accelerates vulnerability discovery and exploitation, Presidio bridges the gap between vulnerability insight and remediation action, helping companies to find and fix what matters most before cyberattackers can take advantage.
“Presidio’s participation in CrowdStrike’s Project QuiltWorks reflects the depth of our technical integration and our shared commitment to delivering measurable security outcomes for joint customers,” said Dustin Harriman, Cybersecurity Consulting Services Sr. Director at Presidio. “Together, we are accelerating the adoption of the Falcon platform across enterprise environments and setting a higher standard for what integrated security looks like in practice.”
Project QuiltWorks works with partners like Presidio to secure every layer of frontier AI risk, including the development of board-level analysis that transforms incident reports and data into clear answers and actionable insights for stakeholders. For Presidio, this milestone builds on its cybersecurity practice and deep partner ecosystem, helping enterprises reduce risk, improve resilience, and close the gap between what is discovered and what is resolved.
For more information, please visit https://www.presidio.com/solutions/cybersecurity/.
About Presidio
At Presidio, speed and quality meet technology and innovation. Presidio is a trusted ally for organizations across industries with a decades-long history of building traditional IT foundations and deep expertise in AI and automation, security, networking, digital transformation, and cloud computing. Presidio fills gaps, removes hurdles, optimizes costs, and reduces risk. Presidio’s expert technical team develops custom applications, provides managed services, enables actionable data insights and builds forward-thinking solutions that drive strategic outcomes for clients globally. For more information, visit www.presidio.com.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. NASDAQ: CRWD is up approximately 45% in 2026, making it one of the best-performing stocks of 2026. However, CRWD is down approximately 10% since reporting solid earnings on June 3.
That dip comes even though the company’s board approved a 4-for-1 stock split. Shareholders of record as of June 25 will receive three additional shares for every share they own, and the stock is expected to begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on July 2.
Get CrowdStrike alerts:
A stock split can increase shareholder value indirectly, but by itself, shouldn’t be a reason to buy or sell a stock. Instead, investors ought to look at the company’s fundamentals and its valuation.
CrowdStrike Just Delivered a Strong ReportIt's hard to overstate the strength of CrowdStrike’s recent earnings report. The cybersecurity company beat on the top and bottom lines. Revenue of $1.39 billion was up 26% year-over-year (YOY). Earnings per share (EPS) growth was even stronger with the company’s $1.10 coming in 51% higher YOY.
A key metric for cybersecurity companies is annual recurring revenue (ARR). CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform has had a significant flywheel effect in which companies sign up for one or more services and not only continue to use those services but also add additional modules over time. That’s a key reason why the company raised its net new ARR growth guidance for the current fiscal year by 520 basis points to 27.7%.
Look Past the Split: What Actually Supports CRWDSimply put, there's a difference between price and value. A stock split doesn't change a company's valuation, so the fact that CrowdStrike will soon trade at a more accessible price won't make the stock a better value than it was pre-split.
And on traditional valuation metrics—price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-book (P/B)—CRWD looks expensive, so investors focused on those measures may find better options elsewhere. The bull case for the stock rests less on it being cheap and more on other factors.
One of those is that the company is betting on itself. CrowdStrike recently announced a $500 million increase to its prior authorization, bringing the new authorization to approximately $1.5 billion. Companies don’t increase a buyback authorization without the free cash flow (FCF) to support it.
Another is index membership. CRWD is part of the S&P 500 index, and it was the fastest cybersecurity company to achieve that milestone. It also means the stock is included in many of the largest technology and cybersecurity-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds. Over 71% of the stock’s shares are owned by institutions.
The takeaway for investors: a lofty share price doesn't appear to be keeping people away from the stock.
Why You Shouldn’t Discount the SplitThe split won't change CRWD's valuation, but it could still change how investors respond to the stock—and with more retail investors in the market than ever, that psychology matters.
Many retail investors prefer not to own fractional shares, even though the option is available to them. For those investors, seeing CRWD trade for under $200 is likely to hold significantly more appeal. That’s particularly true for growth-focused investors. CrowdStrike doesn’t pay a dividend, so aside from buybacks, stock price appreciation is the primary compensation for shareholders.
To be clear, none of this is the "right" reason to buy CRWD—a split creates no real value. But markets aren't perfectly efficient, and sometimes how investors feel about a price matters as much as the underlying valuation.
A Cautiously Bullish ChartCRWD is trading around $690, well extended above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) at $571.48. That gap signals strong momentum, but also elevated short-term risk.
The stock staged a powerful breakout in May, surging from the $400s to a high near $790 before pulling back into a consolidation range around $680–$720. That pullback appears healthy rather than bearish, with price holding well above the 50-day SMA.
The relative strength index sits at 59, with the signal line at 61. The bearish RSI cross visible on the chart coincides with the recent peak. That's a classic momentum fade following an overbought reading above 80. Current RSI levels are neutral-to-bullish, leaving room to run without immediate overbought pressure.
Adding to that optimism, volume remains constructive, supporting the thesis that institutional buyers absorbed the breakout. The dotted resistance line near $760–$780 is the key level to watch on the next leg higher.
Should You Invest $1,000 in CrowdStrike Right Now?Before you consider CrowdStrike, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and CrowdStrike wasn't on the list.
While CrowdStrike currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
The space race is growing fast, and you don’t have to have gotten in early on SpaceX to profit. This report shows seven space stocks you can buy today that may grow as rockets, satellites, defense, space internet, and new space technology become more important.
Magnite (MGNI) was a big mover last session on higher-than-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions might not help the stock continue moving higher in the near term.
Magnite delivered strong Q1 results, with CTV contribution ex-TAC up 30% YoY and now over 50% of total contribution. I remain bullish and reiterate my buy rating, citing positive sentiment, robust CTV growth, and improved profitability metrics including a 27% adj. EBITDA margin. MGNI paid down $205M in senior notes, reducing net leverage to 0.7x and aligning with management's target of less than 1x.
Sean Patrick Buckley, President of Revenue and Market Strategy, reported the sale of 19,233 shares of Magnite (MGNI +3.15%) in an open-market transaction executed on June 17, 2026, as disclosed in the SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (direct)19,233Transaction value$365,000Post-transaction shares (direct)373,514Post-transaction value (direct ownership)$6.8 millionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 reported price ($19.00); post-transaction value based on June 17, 2026 market close ($18.24).
Key questionsHow does the size of Buckley’s latest sale compare to his historical pattern of open-market sales?
This transaction’s 19,233 shares is moderately above his historical sell-only average of ~15,847 shares per trade, but well within his established range (2,213 shares to 40,000 shares) and consistent with prior allocations.Did this sale impact Buckley’s indirect or derivative holdings?
No; the transaction affected only direct common stock holdings, with no changes to indirect entities or derivative security positions.What proportion of Buckley’s total direct Magnite stake was involved in this transaction?
The sale represented 4.90% of his direct shares, moving his direct holdings from 392,747 to 373,514 shares post-transaction.Is there evidence this sale reflects a shift in strategy or accelerated disposition?
No; the cadence and scale of the sale are consistent with Buckley’s multi-year pattern of Rule 10b5-1 plan-driven activity, and capacity analysis shows that trade sizes have naturally trended lower as overall holdings have declined.Company overviewMetricValueRevenue (TTM)$722.55 millionNet income (TTM)$158.66 millionEmployees9051-year price change-4.43%* 1-year performance calculated using June 17th, 2026 as the reference date.
Company snapshotMagnite provides a global digital advertising platform enabling publishers to manage and monetize ad inventory across connected TV, mobile, and web channels.It operates a marketplace model, earning revenue through technology fees and commissions from facilitating transactions between advertising buyers and sellers.The company serves digital content publishers, advertisers, agencies, agency trading desks, and demand-side platforms worldwide.Magnite, Inc. is an independent provider of programmatic advertising technology, supporting publishers and buyers in the digital ad ecosystem. The company leverages a scalable sell-side platform and international sales presence to deliver advanced monetization and procurement solutions.
What this transaction means for investorsThe June 17 sale of Magnite stock by the company’s President of Revenue and Market Strategy, Sean Buckley, came at a time when shares were on an upswing, well above the 52-week low of $10.82 reached in February of this year. Even so, the disposition is not a cause for investor concern as it was a non-discretionary transaction.
The sale was part of a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted back in September of 2025. Such plans are often implemented by insiders to avoid accusations of trading based on insider information.
Magnite stock has rebounded due to a solid first-quarter earnings report. Sales totaled $164.4 million, representing a 6% year-over-year increase. Moreover, the company swung from a net loss of $9.6 million in Q1 of 2025 to net income of $4.4 million this year thanks to a combination of rising revenue and cost reductions.
Magnite has also steadily lowered its debt, and acquired key digital advertising partnerships with the likes of Walmart. These wins bolstered investor confidence in the company, helping shares to rise.
Robert Izquierdo has positions in Magnite and Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Magnite. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
When most tech sector investors think of neocloud businesses, the ones that come to mind are Nebius (NBIS 2.79%) and Iren (IREN 3.78%). And both of them have performed well for those who have held their shares over the last year and a half, delivering multibagger returns.
However, at this point, the AI data center operators offering investors the best chances for high returns may be a couple that aren't on most people's radars.
Mara Holdings (MARA 1.01%) and Soluna Holdings (SLNH 3.59%) don't receive as much attention in this industry. They are smaller than Nebius and Iren, but both have pivoted away from crypto mining and now have multigigawatt pipelines of AI data center projects under development. These projects should produce tremendous recurring revenues once they are complete. Here are some key details to consider when comparing these two growth stocks.
Image source: Getty Images.
Soluna Holdings has a larger gigawatt pipeline If you're looking just at their development pipelines, Soluna Holdings is the winner. It closed out the first quarter with 4.3 gigawatts (GW) of data centers in the works. Mara Holdings only said it had 2.2 gigawatts of combined operational and development capacity in a recent press release.
For data center operators, securing gigawatts of power and development capacity puts them on course for higher annual recurring revenues in the future. Soluna Holdings has more potential, especially since it has added gigawatts quickly. The company's pipeline exceeded 1 gigawatt in Q3 2025 and reached 4.3 gigawatts in Q4 2025. Management cited "new curtailment assessments, active term sheet discussions, and six new development-stage projects" as the catalysts that resulted in that elevated power pipeline.
Soluna Holdings is following a similar playbook to Iren's: Get the gigawatts now and figure out the monetization later. For now, Soluna Holdings continues to burn through cash, but that's a problem across the entire industry.
Mara Holdings is closer to monetizing its sites Although Soluna Holdings has a more impressive development pipeline, most of its sites are still in the early stages of construction. Mara Holdings is closer to artificial intelligence (AI) monetization, and the company recently outlined a near-term goal of delivering more than 1 gigawatt of IT capacity. Most of Soluna Holdings' 4.3 gigawatt pipeline is multiple years away from energization.
The longer it takes for neocloud providers to build and monetize AI data centers, the more they will have to rely on financing. Higher interest rates will take a toll on these companies' finances, but since Mara Holdings is closer to the finish line with its projects, it won't be affected as much.
Right now, neither of these companies is making much money. Soluna Holdings made $9.4 million in Q1, which was a 58% year-over-year increase, from a mix of data center hosting and crypto mining. Mara Holdings reported $174.6 million in revenue. Although it's a much higher figure, it represents an 18% year-over-year decline and is from crypto mining. Both companies reported heavy net losses as they work to break free from their unprofitable crypto mining business models.
Mara Holdings is making more progress in that regard. The company recently entered a partnership with Starwood Capital Group to jointly develop, finance, and operate digital infrastructure projects across Mara Holdings' existing energy capacity. That deal reduces Mara Holdings' financial burden as it seeks to capitalize on the AI build-out. Soluna Holdings also uses joint ventures to minimize its total costs.
These arrangements are good in the short run, but they involve giving up a percentage of the total revenue that these sites can generate. Since Mara Holdings is closer to monetization, it benefits from the present returns of joint ventures while maintaining greater near-term financial flexibility to build AI data centers without partners in the future.
The final verdict There's no clear-cut answer as to which of these two picks is the better investment; your conclusion will depend largely on your risk tolerance. Soluna Holdings has greater potential due to its larger development pipeline. It can make substantially more money than Mara Holdings once it gets its new data centers energized and online.
However, Mara Holdings will likely make big tech deals with hyperscalers sooner and generate high annual recurring revenue. The fact that Mara Holdings is closer to monetization also reduces the execution and financial risks for its shareholders.
Both companies are well positioned to benefit from the rising demand for AI, which should continue for some time. Grand View Research projects that the AI market as a whole will grow at a 30.6% compound annual rate from now until 2033, and intensifying public activism in communities across the country against AI data center projects could make existing facilities more valuable.
Goldman Sachs recently released a report projecting that AI data center power demand in 2027 would be twice as much as it was in 2025. It's important to understand the tailwinds driving Mara Holdings' and Soluna Holdings' stock. It just comes down to how long investors are willing to wait for secured gigawatts to turn into dollars.
Bitcoin's wild decade produced two very different stories on Wall Street. MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA | MARA Price Prediction), then known as Marathon Digital, focused on running mining rigs, while Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), the software firm formerly known as MicroStrategy, bet its balance sheet on holding the coins themselves.
Yet while Bitcoin continues to trade far below its highs, two closely watched crypto stocks are starting to send a very different message.
The divergence is raising an interesting question: Are crypto stocks seeing a recovery before Bitcoin itself?
Bitcoin Is Still Deep In A DrawdownThe scale of Bitcoin’s decline remains significant.
A drop from roughly $123,641 to $62,533 represents a loss of more than $61,000 per coin and places Bitcoin nearly 50% below its October high.
The cryptocurrency is also down about 29% year-to-date and nearly 38% over the past year, according to TradingView data.
Historically, moves of this magnitude have weighed heavily on crypto-linked equities, particularly miners whose revenues are tied to Bitcoin prices.
That’s what makes the recent technical developments in MARA and HIVE noteworthy.
MARA And HIVE Are Flashing A Different SignalChart created using Benzinga Pro
MARA shares are trading near $14.43 and recently formed a golden cross as the stock’s 50-day moving average climbed above its 200-day moving average.
A similar pattern has emerged at HIVE, where shares are trading around $4.51.
Chart created using Benzinga Pro
For technical traders, golden crosses are often interpreted as evidence that momentum is improving and that investors are beginning to position for a potential recovery.
The signals don’t guarantee higher prices. But they do suggest the market may be becoming more optimistic about the outlook for crypto-related equities despite Bitcoin’s ongoing weakness.
What Are Investors Seeing?One possibility is that investors believe much of Bitcoin’s bad news has already been priced into mining stocks.
Another is that equity investors are looking beyond current cryptocurrency prices and focusing on future catalysts, including improving industry economics, lower competition and the possibility of a broader recovery in digital assets.
HIVE also brings an additional dimension to the conversation. In recent years, the company has expanded into high-performance computing and AI-focused infrastructure, giving investors exposure to themes beyond cryptocurrency mining alone.
A Leading Indicator Or A False Start?Markets often move ahead of fundamentals.
Homebuilders can rally before housing data improves. Semiconductor stocks frequently bottom before chip demand recovers. The same dynamic can sometimes play out in crypto-related equities.
That doesn’t mean Bitcoin has found its bottom.
But with the cryptocurrency still down nearly 50% from its peak and both MARA and HIVE flashing bullish technical signals, investors are left with a question worth watching:
Are crypto miners getting ahead of themselves—or are they seeing a recovery that Bitcoin hasn’t yet priced in?
Image via Shutterstock
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NIO shares are showing limited movement. What should traders watch with NIO? What Is Driving NIO Stock Amid Geopolitical Tensions?The Trump administration has labeled Nio a "Chinese military company," and the automaker says the inclusion is "not justified," adding it plans to engage with the U.S. Department of Defense and may pursue legal action if needed. The Pentagon list also includes other China-linked names such as BYD, Baidu and Alibaba Group.
Nio has also explicitly denied any military ties, saying it is "not a Chinese military company or a military-civil fusion contributor," keeping the focus on whether a formal challenge can compress the risk premium while the Nasdaq tries to stay bid.
NIO Stock: Key Technical Levels To WatchTechnically, NIO is still in rebuild mode: at $5.01 it's trading 8.6% below its 20-day SMA ($5.48) and 15.9% below its 50-day SMA ($5.96), so rallies often struggle until the mid-$5s are reclaimed. It's also 14.2% below the 200-day SMA ($5.84), reinforcing that overhead supply remains an issue on bounces.
The moving-average structure is mixed, with the 20-day SMA below the 50-day SMA (bearish near-term), but the 50-day SMA still above the 200-day SMA after the golden cross in April, which keeps the longer-term recovery case alive if price can base. Key turning points also frame the range: the stock broke below support in February, set a swing high in April, and then put in a swing low in May.
For momentum, MACD is the cleaner read right now: it's below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to fading upside pressure versus the recent baseline unless buyers step back in. That cooling momentum fits with the stock sitting below multiple moving averages rather than trending cleanly higher.
Key Resistance: $6.00 — a round-number ceiling that lines up closely with the 50-day SMA ($5.96), where rebounds can stall Key Support: $5.00 — a round-number floor just below current price that acts as a quick sentiment check What Is NIO and How Does It Operate?Nio is a leading electric vehicle maker, targeting the premium segment. Founded in November 2014, it designs, develops, jointly manufactures, and sells premium smart electric vehicles, and it tries to stand out with battery swapping and autonomous driving.
Its current model portfolio spans midsize to large sedans and SUVs, and it sold around 326,000 EVs in 2025—about 2% of China's passenger new energy vehicle market. That's why U.S. policy and regulatory headlines can matter so much for the stock: they can quickly change the risk premium investors assign to China-linked EV names.
NIO Stock Price Action For WednesdayNIO Stock Price Activity: Nio shares were trading at $5.01 Wednesday morning, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Image: Shutterstock
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NIO stock is moving in positive territory. Why is NIO stock advancing? What Is NIO’s Response to Military Company Label?The Trump administration has labeled Nio a "Chinese military company," and the automaker says the inclusion is "not justified," adding it plans to engage with the U.S. Department of Defense and may pursue legal action if needed. The Pentagon list also includes other China-linked names such as BYD, Baidu and Alibaba Group.
Nio has also explicitly denied any military ties, saying it is "not a Chinese military company or a military-civil fusion contributor," keeping the focus on whether a formal challenge can change the near-term risk premium.
NIO Stock: Key Levels and Momentum IndicatorsNIO is still trying to rebuild its trend, and the chart shows why rallies have been choppy: at $5.19, the stock is trading 5.4% below its 20-day SMA ($5.45) and 13.2% below its 50-day SMA ($5.93). It's also 11.6% below the 200-day SMA ($5.83), so there's still overhead supply to work through if buyers want a cleaner recovery.
Momentum is best read through MACD right now: MACD is below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to upside pressure fading versus the recent baseline unless buyers step back in. In plain terms, when MACD sits below its signal line, it often means the latest bounce is losing steam rather than accelerating.
The moving-average structure is mixed across timeframes, with the 20-day SMA below the 50-day SMA (bearish near-term), but the 50-day SMA remains above the 200-day SMA after the golden cross in April (a longer-term constructive backdrop if price can base). Key turning points help frame the current range: the stock broke below support in February, set a swing high in April, and then carved a swing low in May.
Key Resistance: $6.00 — a round-number ceiling that also sits near the 50-day SMA area, where rebounds can stall Key Support: $5.00 — a round-number floor just below current price that acts as a quick sentiment check What Is NIO and How Does It Compete?Nio is a leading electric vehicle maker focused on the premium segment in China, and it differentiates itself with tech like battery swapping and autonomous driving. It designs, develops, jointly manufactures, and sells smart EVs across a lineup of sedans and SUVs.
That positioning matters for the current tape because U.S.-listed China ADRs can see their risk premium expand or compress quickly on regulatory and geopolitical headlines. Nio sold around 326,000 EVs in 2025—about 2% of China's passenger new energy vehicle market—so sentiment can swing between "scale story" and "headline risk" depending on the day.
NIO Stock Price Movement in Thursday’s PremarketNIO Stock Price Activity: Nio shares were up 2.38% at $5.17 during premarket trading on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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