Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Apple (AAPL - Free Report) ) and Broadcom (AVGO - Free Report) ) grabbed investors' attention this week after announcing a major expansion of their semiconductor partnership.

The agreement, expected to exceed $30 billion over multiple years, will see Broadcom continuing to design and manufacture custom silicon and advanced wireless connectivity technologies for Apple products while significantly expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint.

This partnership underscores Apple's commitment to strengthening its domestic supply chain while ensuring continued access to critical wireless components. Meanwhile, Broadcom further solidifies one of its largest customer relationships, extending its role as a key Apple supplier through 2031.

However, investors may be wondering if the extended partnership provides a big enough tailwind to still buy stock in either tech giant, especially Broadcom, with AVGO soaring over 130% in the last two years while Apple shares are up a respectable 37%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Apple's Supply Chain Gets Even StrongerApple has spent years increasing control over its hardware ecosystem through custom silicon, and the latest Broadcom agreement complements that strategy rather than replacing it.

The agreement covers custom silicon, radio frequency components, FBAR filters, and advanced wireless connectivity technologies that are essential for future generations of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices.

Production is expected to exceed 15 billion U.S.-made chips, with Broadcom investing approximately $1.5 billion to expand its Fort Collins, Colorado, manufacturing facility.

This will also advance Apple's broader $600 billion U.S. investment initiative, which includes expanding domestic semiconductor manufacturing and reducing supply chain concentration overseas.

From a financial perspective, the agreement doesn't materially alter Apple's near-term earnings outlook. Still, it does reduce execution risk by locking in a trusted supplier for mission-critical connectivity chips, with Apple gaining traction on Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) ) to become the world’s most valuable company.

Broadcom May Be the Bigger Immediate WinnerWhile Apple benefits strategically, Broadcom may receive the more immediate financial boost.

Apple has historically represented roughly 20% of Broadcom's annual revenue, making the iPhone maker one of its most important customers. Extending the partnership through 2031 removes uncertainty surrounding one of Broadcom's largest revenue streams while reinforcing demand for its custom connectivity and semiconductor solutions.

The agreement also comes as Broadcom continues to benefit from multiple secular growth trends.

Beyond Apple, Broadcom remains one of the semiconductor industry's largest beneficiaries of artificial intelligence infrastructure spending, supplying custom AI accelerators, networking chips, and data center connectivity solutions to hyperscale customers.

The Apple agreement further diversifies Broadcom's growth profile by adding another long-duration revenue catalyst outside traditional enterprise AI spending.

Tracking the Trend of EPS RevisionsBased on Zacks estimates, Apple’s annual earnings are expected to increase 17% this year and are projected to rise another 9% in fiscal 2027 to $9.57 per share. In the last 60 days, FY26 EPS estimates have remained unchanged, while FY27 EPS revisions are modestly higher.

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Pivoting to Broadcom, FY26 EPS is expected to spike more than 70% to $11.73 compared to earnings of $6.82 per share last year. Furthermore, Broadcom’s annual earnings are projected to increase another 63% next year to $19.17 per share.

Broadcom’s FY26 EPS estimates are up 2% in the last 60 days from $11.45, with FY27 EPS revisions rising 7% from $17.81.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AAPL & AVGO Valuation Comparison (P/E)At current levels, Apple and Broadcom stock trade at noticeable premiums to the benchmark S&P 500, with forward P/E multiples of roughly 36X and 39X, respectively.

While those valuations are elevated relative to the benchmark's forward earnings multiple of around 23X, neither stock appears excessively valued compared to many other high-growth technology companies.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Choosing Between Apple & Broadcom Stock  Apple generally trades at a premium valuation because of its unmatched ecosystem, recurring services revenue, exceptional profitability, and consistent capital returns. Investors typically view Apple as a lower-volatility mega-cap technology holding capable of delivering dependable long-term earnings growth.

Broadcom generally offers faster earnings growth thanks to its expanding AI infrastructure business, enterprise software operations, and custom semiconductor portfolio. Although Broadcom’s valuation has risen considerably during the AI boom, analysts continue to project robust double-digit EPS growth over the next several years.

For investors seeking greater AI exposure, Broadcom may offer a higher long-term growth ceiling and better capital appreciation (stock performance). Those prioritizing stability and cash generation that lead to reliable shareholder returns through dividends and stock buybacks may find Apple the more conservative choice.

Summary & ConclusionApple's expanded partnership with Broadcom reinforces the strategic importance of both companies in the evolving semiconductor landscape. Apple strengthens its domestic supply chain while securing critical wireless technologies for future devices, and Broadcom gains additional long-term revenue visibility through one of its most valuable customer relationships.

Despite the positive implications of the announcement, Apple and Broadcom stock both land a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at the moment. That said, a buy rating could be on the way for Broadcom if EPS revisions continue to rise, but this may be less plausible for Apple after today’s news that its iPhone sales are still slowing in China.

The logo for Occidental Petroleum is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 30, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CompaniesJuly 10 (Reuters) - Shale producer Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N), opens new tab said in a filing on Friday its worldwide average ​realized oil prices rose 38.4% in ‌the second quarter compared with the previous three months, driven by higher benchmark crude ​rates amid the Middle East conflict.

​The U.S.-Iran war has injected a hefty geopolitical ⁠risk premium into the energy ​markets and disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, ​which carries about a fifth of global oil flows.

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

Benchmark Brent crude saw an average closing ​price of $96.68 per barrel during the ​April-June quarter, up 23% from the first three ‌months ⁠of the year.

Occidental's worldwide average realized oil price in the second quarter was $96.78 per barrel, compared with $69.91 a barrel ​in the ​previous ⁠three months.

Worldwide realized natural gas prices averaged negative 80 cents per ​million cubic feet, compared with positive $1.20 ​per ⁠mcf in the previous quarter.

Worldwide realized natural gas liquids prices rose nearly 30% ⁠to $24.64 ​per barrel, compared with $18.99 ​per barrel in the previous quarter.

Reporting by Dharna ​Bafna in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda

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The first five months of 2026 were rough on Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX 2.22%). The biotech's shares moved in the wrong direction through early June. However, the drugmaker has bounced back in style over the past month, with its stock gaining 10%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is now up 9% this year and recently hit a fresh 52-week high. Is there more upside left for the stock? Let's find out.

Potential catalysts on the horizon Several recent developments explain why the market is increasingly excited about Vertex Pharmaceuticals' prospects. First, the company recently received a label expansion for Casgevy, a gene-editing medicine for sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT), two blood-related diseases. Casgevy is now indicated to treat patients as young as two who have TDT or SCD (it was previously approved for people 12 and older).

Image source: The Motley Fool.

This regulatory milestone adds 5,500 patients to Vertex's addressable market, but, even more importantly, it allows patients and their families to treat these diseases before they have had time to significantly impact their lives. Casgevy has not generated much revenue since its 2023 approval. This label expansion should help boost its sales. Second, Vertex Pharmaceuticals is awaiting approval for povetacicept, an investigational medicine for IgA nephropathy (IgAN), a kidney disease. U.S. regulators could give this therapy the green light by the end of November.

Povetacicept would be a key addition to Vertex's lineup. Given the more than 1.5 million IgAN patients worldwide and the medicine's potential approval across other indications, some analysts project it could reach peak sales of about $4.3 billion. Third, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has several other late-stage clinical trial candidates that could make good progress. For instance, the company is developing inaxaplin, a potential therapy for APOL-1-mediated kidney disease, and expects some data readouts later this year.

Lastly, Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced the acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (CRNX 0.05%), a biotech company focused on developing medicines for endocrine diseases, for $10 billion in cash. Vertex estimates that this buyout adds more than $5 billion in potential peak annual sales to its lineup. All these developments make Vertex Pharmaceuticals' medium-term prospects attractive.

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The core business is still going strong Vertex Pharmaceuticals remains the leader in its core therapeutic area: developing medicines for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This rare disease causes thick mucus to form in the lungs, disrupting the airways and leading to chronic infections. Vertex remains the only game in town. It markets the only drugs that treat the underlying causes of CF. Though the biotech has been dominating this area for a long time, business is still good. In the first quarter, Vertex Pharmaceuticals' revenue increased by 8% year over year to $2.99 billion. The company's adjusted earnings per share climbed 10% year over year to $4.47.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals still has a decent patient population to address as it expands into new territories and earns new label expansions, especially for younger patients. The company's core business should remain a growth driver over the next decade, as its most important products won't face patent cliffs until the late 2030s. Even though some pharmaceutical companies are developing competing therapies, all previous attempts have failed. Successes may come, eventually, but that's also why Vertex has diversified its lineup.

The company's newer non-CF approvals, including Casgevy and Journavx, a medicine for acute pain, should start meaningfully contributing to top-line growth within a couple of years. Vertex expects at least $500 million in non-CF revenue this year. That will represent less than 5% of its revenue, but with Casgevy gaining traction thanks to label expansions and Journavx meeting strong demand for non-opioid pain drugs, they should post solid sales growth over the next few years. So, Vertex Pharmaceuticals still has plenty of upside ahead, even though it recently hit a new 52-week high. Investors can safely hold this stock for the long term.

MILWAUKEE, July 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: APAM) today reported that its preliminary assets under management ("AUM") as of June 30, 2026 totaled $183.4 billion. Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds accounted for $93.5 billion of total firm AUM, while separate accounts and other AUM1 accounted for $89.9 billion.

  PRELIMINARY ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT BY STRATEGY2   As of June 30, 2026 - ($ Millions) Growth Team Global Opportunities$13,441Global Discovery 1,885U.S. Mid-Cap Growth 10,359U.S. Small-Cap Growth 2,981Franchise 1,112Global Equity Team Global Equity 420Non-U.S. Growth 16,465U.S. Value Team3 Value Equity 473U.S. Mid-Cap Value 1,298Value Income 8International Value Group International Value 57,099International Explorer 1,230Global Special Situations 39Global Value Team Global Value 38,967Select Equity 1,068Sustainable Emerging Markets Team Sustainable Emerging Markets 3,508Credit Team High Income 14,288Credit Opportunities 417Floating Rate 290Custom Credit Solutions 1,515Developing World Team Developing World 3,292Antero Peak Group Antero Peak 2,562Antero Peak Hedge 254International Small-Mid Team Non-U.S. Small-Mid Growth 4,309EMsights Capital Group Global Unconstrained 1,825Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities 1,506Emerging Markets Local Opportunities 1,941Grandview Property Partners Grandview Property Partners4 837  Total Firm Assets Under Management ("AUM")$183,389 1 Separate account and other AUM consists of the assets we manage in or through vehicles other than Artisan Funds or Artisan Global Funds. Separate account and other AUM includes assets we manage in traditional separate accounts, as well as assets we manage in Artisan-branded collective investment trusts, and in our own private funds.
2 AUM includes $381.8 million in aggregate for which Artisan Partners provides investment models to managed account sponsors (generally reported on a lag not exceeding one quarter).
3 In June, the termination of a U.S. sub-advisory mandate resulted in approximately $5.7 billion of net outflows from the Value Equity strategy. Artisan has commenced an orderly wind-down of the US Value team's strategies, with the process expected to continue throughout the third quarter.
4 Represents NAV plus uncalled and recallable capital.

ABOUT ARTISAN PARTNERS
Artisan Partners is a global multi-asset investment platform providing a broad range of high value-added investment strategies in growing asset classes to sophisticated clients around the world. Since 1994, the firm has been committed to attracting experienced, disciplined investment professionals to manage client assets. Artisan Partners' autonomous investment teams oversee a diverse range of investment strategies across multiple asset classes. Strategies are offered through various investment vehicles to accommodate a broad range of client mandates.

Investor Relations Inquiries: 866.632.1770 or [email protected]
Source: Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc.

Key Takeaways QBTS bookings jumped 1,994% year over year as commercial momentum continued into first-quarter 2026. QBTS is expanding beyond annealing with a gate-model roadmap after the Quantum Circuits acquisition. QBTS revenues can fluctuate as larger contracts depend on customer deployment schedules and milestones. D-Wave Quantum’s (QBTS - Free Report) shares have surged 42.9% over the past year, showing impressive momentum. It has significantly outperformed the industry’s 14.2% decline and the S&P 500 composite’s 23.1% gain.  

With healthy fundamentals and strong growth opportunities, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company appears to be a solid wealth creator for its investors at the moment.

D-Wave Quantum develops and delivers quantum computing systems, software, and services for commercial customers. Core use cases focus on optimization-workforce and production scheduling, vehicle routing and resource allocation, with expanding applications in AI and research. The current sixth-generation annealing system is Advantage2. Revenues come from three primary sources — cloud-based quantum computing as a service (QCaaS), professional services that help customers deploy solutions and on-premises system sales. 

Key Catalysts for QBTS’ GrowthD-Wave Quantum’s share price is trending upward, prompted by its commercial momentum carried into the first quarter of 2026. Bookings were up 1,994% from the year-ago period. Over two dozen commercial customers represented over 31% of bookings, while the largest order was the $20 million Florida Atlantic University system sale. Remaining performance obligations were $42.4 million as of March 31, 2026, with about 54% expected to convert to revenues in the next 12 months and 71% in the next two years. 

Investors are also focused on the company’s annealing platforms - Advantage2 and the Leap cloud service. The company is extending its product set into gate-model computing following the Quantum Circuits acquisition in January 2026. It highlighted dual-rail qubits with built-in error detection and on-chip cryogenic control as key elements of its gate-model approach. It is targeting roughly 175 physical qubits by the end of 2028 to demonstrate error correction and logical operations, then 10 logical qubits by 2030 and 100 logical qubits by the end of 2032. Alongside this long-dated gate-model roadmap, D-Wave continues to add commercial annealing applications in production and expand research use cases, including work in quantum AI and blockchain benchmarking.

From solvency view point, cash and cash equivalents totaled $338.2 million and marketable investment securities amounted to $250.2 million. Operating cash outflow was $45 million in the first quarter, while investing cash outflow included $250.8 million of cash consideration for the Quantum Circuits acquisition. Even after that step-down, the balance sheet supports continued investment in R&D, sales coverage and system installations. Leap cloud utilization was below 50% entering 2026, which leaves capacity headroom, and additional annealing systems can be installed within months at modest cost.

Factors That May Offset QBTS’ GainsD-Wave’s revenue mix still depends on the timing of larger contracts and system deliveries. First-quarter 2026 revenues fell to $2.9 million from $15.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 because the prior-year quarter included $12.6 million from the first system sale, with no comparable system revenues recognized in the current period. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

While deferred revenues increased to $11.6 million and remaining performance obligations rose to $42.4 million, conversion depends on customer deployment schedules and contract milestones. This setup can drive quarter-to-quarter volatility and delay reported revenues even when bookings are rising.

A Glance at QBTS’ EstimatesIn the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 loss per share EPS has remained unchanged at 25 cents. 

Revenues are projected to grow 63.3% to $40.16 million in 2026, while the same for 2027 is expected to reach $91.76 million (up 128.5%).  

Key PickSome better-ranked stocks in the broader internet space are Atlassian (TEAM - Free Report) , BILL Holdings, Inc. (BILL - Free Report) and Compass (COMP - Free Report) .

Atlassian has an earnings yield of 7.1%, well ahead of the industry’s 4.5% yield. Its earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 21.5%. The company’s shares have rallied 43.8% against the industry’s 4.8% decline over the past year.

TEAM carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

BILL Holdings, carrying a Zacks Rank #1 at present, has an earnings yield of 8.4% compared to the industry’s negative 4.5% yield. Shares of the company have gained 22.8% compared with the industry’s 4.5% growth. BILL’s earnings topped estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 21.7%.

Compass, carrying a Zacks Rank #1 at present, has an earnings yield of 0.8% compared with the industry’s 4.5% yield. Shares of the company have climbed 43.1% against the industry’s 27.9% decline. COMP’s earnings beat estimates in two of the trailing four quarters, missed in one and matched in the other, the average surprise being 37.8%.

ToplineMark Zuckerberg’s net worth increased by $12 billion on Friday as Meta’s stock concluded its best weekly performance in more than two years, following the debut of a new AI model and reported plans for the Facebook parent to develop in-house AI chips.

The Facebook parent’s stock saw a positive investor reaction to its new AI model and reported plans for in-house AI chips.

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Key FactsMeta jumped 6% on Friday to just under $670, extending a more than 14% rally for the stock over the week, its best five-session performance since a 20.5% surge the week ending Feb. 2, 2024, according to FactSet data.

The latest boost in Meta shares added $12.7 billion to Zuckerberg’s net worth, valued at $229.3 billion, as he ranks No. 6 in the world behind No. 5 Michael Dell ($241.3 billion) and No. 4 Jeff Bezos ($255.2 billion), according to Forbes estimates (for the rest, see our Real-Time Billionaire List).

This week Meta rolled out Muse Image, a new AI model to be used as a tool for creating images, and the latest update to its foundational AI model Muse Spark, which Meta claimed is a “significant upgrade” that makes the model better at coding, using software tools and understanding texts and images together.

On Thursday, Meta’s shares rallied by 4.7% after Reuters reported the company planned to start producing an in-house AI chip by September.

Bank of America Analyst Justin Post applauded Meta’s chip plans, writing in a note that the company may have found a way to build or operate its AI infrastructure much more cheaply than Wall Street expected.

contraMeta has faced backlash for its Muse Image tool from Hollywood unions, talent agencies and cybersecurity firms over privacy concerns. Instagram’s implementation of the tool allowed users to create AI content based on images posted by public accounts, which are not notified when their posts are used for image generation, and users are automatically opted into the program. SAG-AFTRA, a major Hollywood union representing more than 160,000 actors and entertainment industry professionals, urged its members to opt out of the tool late Thursday, while talent agency Creative Arts Agency called for Meta to make the feature opt-in, not opt-out. Cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes warned the tool could be used for “impersonation, scams, or other abuse.” Meta, in response to criticism, said in a statement that users under 18 were automatically opted out and that it will “take action” against content that violates its community standards.

what to watch forMeta is expected to report quarterly earnings by the end of the month. The company is expected to report a nearly 7% boost in revenue quarter-to-quarter, but a 31% downturn in earnings per share, according to FactSet. Meta’s $10.44 earnings per share through its first quarter were boosted by a one-time $8 billion tax benefit.

key backgroundInvestors poured into Meta’s stock to open the year as shares briefly peaked in late January before stumbling to a low in March. That monthlong decline came as Meta was struck by a pair of landmark court rulings, one of which found Meta and Google liable for harming a woman’s mental health because of addictive design features on their platforms, and the brief closure of its metaverse. At the time, Meta also reportedly delayed the release of its AI model after it failed to outperform AI models from rivals OpenAI, Google and Anthropic in benchmark tests. The stock has since rebounded by more than 28% as Meta has ramped up production of its AI products, including Muse Spark and Muse Image.

further readingForbesInstagram’s New AI Update Faces Blowback From Hollywood, Cybersecurity CompaniesBy Conor MurrayForbesMeta’s Rare Selloff Deepens After Court Losses, AI Delays And Metaverse’s DeclineBy Ty Roush

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Gil Luria, Head of Technology Research at D.A. Davidson, frames the debate over AI capital spending as a timing problem. Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet say their data center investments are already generating attractive returns because much of the capacity is sold before construction is complete. Investors are still waiting for those returns to become visible in reported cash flow.

“There’s a disconnect between what the companies are saying about return on investment from this AI spend and what investors feel,” Luria explained during a July 10 CNBC interview. “What investors see is diminishing cash flows, the lowest levels of cash flow margin they’ve seen in a long time.”

Luria believes both sides can be right. Hyperscalers are spending enormous sums upfront to meet contracted demand from customers such as OpenAI and Anthropic, while the revenue and cash flow from those investments will arrive over several years. The key question is whether cloud growth can accelerate quickly enough to justify the historic spending underway today.

OpenAI and Anthropic’s Cumulative Run Rate Climbed From Under $20B to Over $75B in 6 Months The clearest evidence that this spending cycle is anchored in real consumption sits on the customer side. “OpenAI and Anthropic combined had less than $20 billion run rate just six months ago. Now they have more than $75 billion run rate. That’s a huge curve,” Luria said.

That is the readthrough Luria wants investors to focus on. “For Microsoft, Amazon and Google… what those three companies are saying is these investments are already coming at good returns. You just don’t see that yet. When we build a data center, it’s already pre-sold. We know what it’s going to cost to build and operate. We’re marking that up substantially to our customers, and therefore there’s a good return.”

Microsoft Nearly Doubled Capex Without Sacrificing Its Margins Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) Q3 FY26 capex totaled $30.88 billion, up 84.39% year-over-year, while operating margin held at 46.3% and the AI business reached a $37 billion annual run rate, up 123% year-over-year. Commercial remaining performance obligations reached $627 billion, an enormous pre-sold backlog.

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Luria pointed to the offset that keeps margins steady: “We saw Microsoft do layoffs at Xbox to make sure that they can show that their revenue acceleration is happening with stable margins. That’s a sign of good returns.” He also expects Azure growth to accelerate from 40% in upcoming guidance. Microsoft shares are down 20.17% year-to-date through July 9, 2026, trading at $384.36.

Amazon Is Spending $200 Billion to Meet Explosive AI Demand Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) posted AWS revenue of $37.587 billion in Q1 2026, up 28%, the fastest growth in 15 quarters, at a 37.7% operating margin. The custom chips line topped a $20 billion revenue run rate, growing triple digits year-over-year. Anthropic committed to up to 5 GW of Trainium capacity and OpenAI to roughly 2 GW starting in 2027. Q1 capex climbed to $44.203 billion, and full-year 2026 capex is guided at roughly $200 billion.

Google Cloud Grew 63% as Free Cash Flow Fell 47% Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) posted the most dramatic acceleration. Google Cloud revenue grew 63% to $20.03 billion, with backlog nearly doubling quarter-on-quarter to over $460 billion. Capex more than doubled to $35.67 billion, and 2026 capex is guided at $175-$185 billion. Free cash flow fell to $10.12 billion, down 46.63% year-over-year. That is exactly the cash flow compression Luria described. Alphabet shares are up 14.81% year-to-date.

What to Watch Next Luria’s thesis rests on a multi-year gap between when hyperscalers spend money and when investors see the returns. Data centers require enormous upfront capital, while the revenue and cash flow they generate will likely arrive over years one through five. In the meantime, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet are protecting margins by cutting costs elsewhere and pointing to pre-sold capacity, accelerating cloud growth, and enormous backlogs as evidence that the demand is real.

The near-term test will be whether Azure accelerates from 40% growth and whether AWS and Google Cloud sustain their recent momentum. Microsoft’s $627 billion commercial backlog, Amazon’s capacity commitments from Anthropic and OpenAI, and Alphabet’s cloud backlog above $460 billion all support the hyperscalers’ argument.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Microsoft didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

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Fifty-four. That is how many consecutive years PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP | PEP Price Prediction) will have raised its dividend once the 4% increase in the annualized dividend per share takes effect with the June 2026 payment. The company which now trades at a $200 billion market capitalization reaffirmed the streak in its Q1 FY2026 earnings release filed April 15, 2026, pushing its annualized payout to $5.92 per share.

For a retirement-focused reader who cares about income that keeps showing up, that streak is the story.

What It Means A 54-year run puts PepsiCo in a club of two Dividend Kings with 50-plus years of consecutive dividend increases. The raise is backed by real capital return. Management sized total FY2026 shareholder returns at roughly $8.9 billion, split between $7.9 billion in dividends and $1.0 billion in repurchases, on top of a new $10 billion share repurchase program running through February 28, 2030.

The cash flow behind that promise is doing its job. Pepsi’s Q1 core EPS came in at $1.61 against a $1.54 consensus, revenue landed at $19.44 billion versus $18.92 billion expected, and operating margin expanded 210 basis points to 16.5%. International segments carried the quarter, with EMEA core operating profit up 29% and Asia Pacific Foods up 35%. That is the plumbing that funds five decades of raises.

Market Reaction Pepsi stock closed at $144.22 on July 2, 2026, up 2.17% on the day. On a longer look, the stock is up 2.44% year to date, 3.37% over one week, and 9.84% over one year. That trails the S&P 500’s 9.22% YTD and 20.04% one-year gain, but recent trading has turned. TradingKey reported the stock rose 4.21% on July 1 driven by institutional accumulation, with the market pricing in a valuation floor ahead of Q2.

The same investor newsletter that told subscribers to buy Amazon in 2002, Netflix in 2004, and Nvidia in 2005 still publishes two new stock picks every month. Over 23 years, Motley Fool's Stock Advisor has more than quadrupled the S&P 500. New members get this month's picks, the Top 10 Rankings, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click here to unlock their next top stocks while new members are still being accepted.

Bull Case The defensive rotation is the setup. UBS analyst Sean Burns wrote on July 2 that “defensive dividend stocks like PepsiCo (PEP) and McDonald’s (MCD) are poised for a comeback, offering attractive value compared to high-growth tech stocks,” citing a 4.4% market-implied yield on lower-risk companies versus 1.4% for high-risk stocks. PepsiCo’s current dividend yield of 4.2% sits inside that band, and the stock trades at 16 times forward earnings against a trailing P/E of 22.

Valuation adds a second leg. Shares sit 17.55% below the 52-week high of $171.48 set on February 12, 2026, and the analyst average target of $166.82 implies room above the current print. CEO Ramon Laguarta framed the setup on the call: “We are encouraged with the resilience of the International business while North America continued to make progress in the first quarter.” Reaffirmed FY2026 guidance calls for organic revenue growth of 2-4% and core constant currency EPS growth of 4-6%, with free cash flow conversion of at least 80%.

The macro backdrop favors the thesis. Per capita disposable income has risen from $63,638 in 2024 Q1 to $68,391 in 2026 Q1, and personal consumption expenditures ran at $21,634.9 billion in 2026 Q1. Consumers keep buying snacks and drinks. Additionally, a beta of 0.359 means PepsiCo moves roughly a third as much as the broader market, exactly the profile retirement portfolios lean on when volatility picks up.

Bottom Line Fifty-four consecutive raises is a track record you can plan retirement income around. Pepsi’s Q2 2026 earnings are scheduled for July 9, 2026, with forecasted EPS of $2.19 on revenue of $23.97 billion, and a repeat of Q1’s international strength would validate the pricing the market is starting to put back into the stock. For long-term holders, the anchor is the payout streak, and the payout streak is still intact.

If You'd Bought Amazon When the Motley Fool Said To…In September 2002, Stock Advisor told subscribers to buy Amazon. In December 2004, Netflix. In April 2005, Nvidia. The newsletter still publishes two new stock picks every month — and over 23 years, has more than quadrupled the S&P 500. Here's how to get this month's picks:

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Key Takeaways Intuitive Surgical reports Q2 results on July 16, with sales seen up 15% and EPS up 13.2% year over year.ISRG faces margin pressure from da Vinci 5 rollout, tariffs and higher input costs despite strong growth.ISRG's recurring revenues, procedure growth and da Vinci 5 adoption support its long-term outlook. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter results on July 16. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales is pegged at $2.81 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 15%, and the same for earnings per share (EPS) implies an improvement of 13.2% to $2.48. The estimate for EPS has remained stable over the past seven days.

In the last reported quarter, Intuitive Surgical delivered an earnings surprise of 20.19%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 16.82%.

Although ISRG’s top and bottom-line figures are likely to reflect strong growth during the second quarter, its shares have underperformed the Zacks Medical - Instrument industry as well as other robotic-surgery device makers — Stryker (SYK - Free Report) , Zimmer Biomet (ZBH - Free Report) , Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) and Stereotaxis (STXS - Free Report) — so far this year. The stock has declined 27.4%, its industry has dipped 14.2%, and the S&P 500 Index has gained 9.5% in the same period. The share prices of SYK, ZBH, GMED and STXS have decreased 6.9%, 0.8%, 12.2% and 24.4%, respectively.

YTD Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

While Stryker commercializes its Mako robotic system for orthopedic joint replacements, Zimmer Biomet has ROSA system, which is available for orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures. Globus Medical and Stereotaxis’ robotic portfolios include ExcelsiusGPS and Genesis systems, respectively, used for spine and cranial procedures, and endovascular interventions.

The underperformance of the ISRG stock has led to a decline in its valuation multiples as well. The Price-to-Earnings Forward 12 Month (P/E F12M) valuation has fallen from a high of 96.05X at the beginning of 2025 to its current 37.12X, reflecting a significant decline despite robust earnings growth. At its current valuation multiples, the ISRG stock looks attractive amid its strong fundamentals.

P/E F12M Valuation of ISRG vs Industry

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Why Investors Are Selling ISRG StockDespite consistently delivering double-digit revenue and earnings growth, Intuitive Surgical stock has remained under pressure this year as investors weigh near-term margin headwinds against its long-term growth story. The biggest concern stems from the ongoing rollout of the next-generation da Vinci 5 platform.

Although customer adoption has exceeded expectations, the system currently carries lower margins than the mature Xi platform due to higher manufacturing, service and support costs. The company also expects elevated trade-in activity as hospitals replace older systems with da Vinci 5, creating an additional drag on profitability. Management further expects faster growth of newer da Vinci 5 and Ion platforms, along with higher depreciation from recent manufacturing expansions, to keep gross margins under pressure in 2026.

Tariffs, higher freight expenses and rising semiconductor memory costs are expected to increase input costs through the remainder of the year, while management continues to monitor potential supply constraints across components. Internationally, China remains a difficult market due to lower tender activity, domestic competition and pricing pressure, while Japan continues to face slower capital placements despite supportive reimbursement initiatives.

Investors are also watching the impact of GLP-1 obesity drugs, which continue to reduce bariatric procedure volumes. Although none of these challenges materially alter Intuitive Surgical’s long-term outlook, they have contributed to weaker investor sentiment and multiple compression in recent months. The entry of both large and smaller players, including Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, Globus Medical and Stereotaxis, into the robotic surgery market could intensify competition over time and erode ISRG's market share.

The Bull Case: What Drives ISRG's Prospect?While short-term concerns have weighed on the stock, Intuitive Surgical's underlying business remains exceptionally strong. The company continues to generate robust financial performance, reporting 23% revenue growth and a 36% increase in adjusted earnings during the first quarter of 2026, supported by 17% overall procedure growth across its da Vinci and Ion platforms.

Recurring revenues accounted for 86% of total sales, highlighting the resilience of its business model. Higher utilization of installed systems continues to drive high-margin instruments, accessories and service revenues, creating a recurring revenue stream that becomes increasingly valuable as the installed base expands. U.S. da Vinci utilization increased 4% during the first quarter, while utilization of da Vinci 5 systems remains approximately 11% higher than the legacy Xi platform.

The da Vinci 5 upgrade cycle is likely to remain Intuitive Surgical's biggest growth catalyst over the next several quarters. Customer adoption has been stronger than expected, with nearly 1,500 da Vinci 5 systems installed and approximately 13,000 surgeons already using the platform. Hospitals continue to upgrade their older systems, reflected by a sharp increase in trade-ins.

da Vinci Market Opportunity

Image Source: Intuitive Surgical

New Force Feedback instruments, additional FDA clearances and ongoing software enhancements are expected to improve clinical outcomes and further accelerate adoption. Intuitive Surgical continues to invest heavily in AI-enabled capabilities through its digital ecosystem. The company is leveraging surgical video, robotic data, force-feedback information and electronic medical records to develop AI-powered anatomy identification, decision support, workflow optimization and, eventually, augmented dexterity and automation.

Combined with rapid growth in the Ion lung biopsy platform, expanding SP procedures, rising international adoption and a growing installed base, these innovations provide multiple long-term growth drivers that reinforce Intuitive Surgical's leadership in robotic-assisted surgery.

Earnings Beat LikelyOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for ISRG this earnings season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat, which is the case here.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate ($2.55) and the Zacks Consensus Estimate ($2.48), is +2.78%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: The company carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ConclusionAlthough near-term margin pressure from the da Vinci 5 rollout, tariffs and higher input costs has weighed on investor sentiment, Intuitive Surgical's long-term investment thesis remains intact. The company continues to deliver industry-leading procedure growth, expanding recurring revenues, increasing system utilization, and driving strong adoption of its newest robotic platforms while building a differentiated AI-enabled surgical ecosystem.

ISRG Short-Term Price Target

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With consistent strong execution and valuation multiples that have compressed significantly from its 2025 peak to around 37.1X despite healthy earnings growth, ISRG's valuation appears considerably more attractive than it was earlier this year. For long-term investors seeking exposure to robotic surgery, the recent pullback presents an opportunity to accumulate shares of a company with durable competitive advantages and robust growth fundamentals. Moreover, an expected earnings beat in the second quarter, along with its favorable rank, makes it an attractive bet before its second-quarter earnings release.

Resources Investor Relations Journalists Agencies Client Login Send a Release News Products Contact , /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today announced that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.820 per share on Aon's outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares. The dividend is payable August 14, 2026 to shareholders of record on August 3, 2026.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that protect and grow their businesses.

Follow Aon on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. Stay up to date by visiting Aon's newsroom and sign up for news alerts here.

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Key Takeaways Dynatrace ended fiscal 2026 with ARR of about $2.1 billion, up 18% year over year.DPS covered over three-quarters of ARR as customers consumed faster than non-DPS users.Higher cloud costs may pressure fiscal 2027 margins, while competition keeps execution tight. Dynatrace (DT - Free Report) is trying to turn enterprise software complexity into a larger platform opportunity. The company’s case rests on annual recurring revenue growth, higher platform consumption and demand for unified observability.

The stock setup is less simple. Usage trends are healthy, but higher cloud costs, competitive pressure and the timing gap between consumption and annual recurring revenue recognition keep the near-term outlook balanced.

How Dynatrace Turns Data Into Platform StickinessDynatrace combines observability, application security, analytics and automation in a single platform built for cloud, hybrid and AI-driven environments. The aim is to give development, security and operations teams one system for monitoring performance, finding root causes and automating responses.

Grail serves as the unified data layer for logs, metrics, traces, events and other telemetry. Smartscape maps real-time dependencies across applications, infrastructure, networks and users. Dynatrace Intelligence adds deterministic and agentic AI, helping customers move from visibility to automated answers and actions.

That architecture matters because the market is moving beyond point tools. Enterprises are looking to reduce tool sprawl, improve reliability and manage AI workloads with more context. Competitors such as Cisco Systems (CSCO - Free Report) , Datadog (DDOG - Free Report) and Elastic (ESTC - Free Report) keep the market crowded, but they also reinforce how important observability has become across enterprise software.

DT Growth Rides ARR and Larger Enterprise DealsDynatrace ended fiscal 2026 with annual recurring revenue (ARR) of about $2.1 billion as of March 31, 2026, up 18% year over year. Fiscal 2026 revenues reached $2 billion, with subscription revenues representing 96% of the total.

Large enterprise activity also improved. Management highlighted a record 22 deals with incremental annual contract value above $1 million in the fiscal fourth quarter, including nine new logos. These larger wins reflect a shift toward strategic platform decisions rather than smaller monitoring-tool purchases.

Logs remain an important growth engine. Log management annualized consumption surpassed $100 million, with growth of more than 100% year over year in every quarter of fiscal 2026. The Bindplane acquisition is intended to reduce telemetry-ingest friction and support broader platform consumption.

Dynatrace Leans on DPS to Expand Customer SpendThe Dynatrace Platform Subscription model is central to the expansion story. Under this structure, customers commit to a minimum annual platform spend and consume services based on actual usage and published rate cards.

By the end of fiscal 2026, more than three-quarters of ARR and more than 60% of customers were on this model. DPS customers have been consuming faster than non-DPS customers, which supports broader adoption across the platform.

The timing is important. Consumption can run ahead of recognized annual recurring revenue because usage is captured through resets and renewals. Fiscal 2027 includes the largest cohort of DPS customers reaching those points, making conversion of usage into contracted recurring revenue a key metric to watch.

DT Risks Start With Margin Pressure and CompetitionThe bull case is measurable, but not clean. Dynatrace expects about a one-point gross margin headwind in fiscal 2027 as cloud hosting costs rise with platform consumption. Management expects the pressure to be temporary, with recovery beginning in fiscal 2028, but profitability optics may remain constrained in the near term.

The consumption model also creates timing risk. Strong usage does not always translate immediately into annual recurring revenue, which can make quarterly trends uneven.

Competition remains another concern. Cisco, through AppDynamics and Splunk, Datadog, and Elastic all compete across parts of observability, application performance monitoring, logs and digital experience monitoring. That leaves Dynatrace with room to win consolidation deals, but it also keeps pricing, product innovation and execution under pressure.

Year to date (YTD), Dynatrace shares have appreciated 1.5% compared with Datadog’s jump of 89.3% and Cisco’s 55.6%. Elastic shares dropped 19.7% YTD.

DT Stock’s Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ConclusionThe bottom line is that Dynatrace has credible business drivers, including recurring revenue growth, AI-powered platform differentiation, log expansion and larger enterprise wins. At the same time, cloud cost pressure and a competitive market keep the stock from being a clean growth story at current levels.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (NASDAQ: COKE) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend for the third quarter of 2026 of $0.25 per share on shares of the Company's Common Stock and Class B Common Stock payable on August 7, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 24, 2026.

CONTACTS: Brian K. Little (Media)Matt Blickley (Investors)Vice President, Corporate Communications OfficerChief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer(980) 378-5537(704) [email protected]@cokeconsolidated.com About Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Coca-Cola Consolidated (NASDAQ: COKE) is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. We make, sell and distribute beverages of The Coca-Cola Company, and other partner companies, in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia, to approximately 60 million consumers.

For over 124 years, we have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers and communities we serve and passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services we offer. Our Purpose is to honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably.

More information about the Company is available at www.cokeconsolidated.com. Follow Coca-Cola Consolidated on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways SouthState continues rewarding shareholders through steady dividend hikes and ongoing share repurchases.SSB maintains strong capital and liquidity, supporting both shareholder returns and future growth initiatives.Strategic acquisitions and disciplined capital management reinforce SSB's long-term growth strategy. SouthState Corporation (SSB - Free Report) maintains a disciplined capital management approach, focusing on shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases while expanding its presence across high-growth markets.

The company has been consistently increasing its dividend payouts since 2020, with the latest hike announced in July 2025, when its board of directors raised the quarterly cash dividend on common stock by 11% to 60 cents per share.

The company has a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 4.7% and a payout ratio of 25%. SSB currently offers a dividend yield of 2.4%. Rather than pursuing aggressive hikes, the company has prioritized a steady and sustainable dividend policy, which strengthens its long-term financial position and supports investor confidence.

Dividend Yield
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Apart from dividend hikes, SouthState has been actively executing share repurchases. In January 2026, the company's board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to 5.56 million shares. As of March 31, 2026, 4.1 million shares remained available under the authorization.

Additionally, SSB continues to pursue strategic acquisitions to strengthen its franchise and expand its presence in attractive growth markets. The acquisition of Independent Bank in January 2025 enhanced its footprint in Texas and Colorado, while earlier acquisitions have increased the company's scale and competitive positioning. Its strong capital and liquidity position support both growth initiatives and shareholder returns.

As of March 31, 2026, the company had total debt of $1.73 billion, lower than its cash and cash-equivalent balance of $2.9 billion, providing a solid liquidity cushion. Its times interest earned ratio improved sequentially to 13.8X at the end of the first quarter of 2026, reflecting strong debt-servicing capacity. Additionally, the company maintained healthy capital levels, with a CET1 ratio of 11.3% and tangible common equity of 8.6%. These metrics indicate that SouthState is likely to remain well-positioned to meet its financial obligations even if economic conditions worsen.

SouthState’s consistent dividend growth, active share repurchases and disciplined capital management reflect financial strength and stability. Backed by solid liquidity, healthy capital levels and a steady growth strategy, the company is well-positioned to sustain capital distribution activities and support long-term shareholder value.

How Do SSB’s Peers Manage Capital Distribution?Similar to SouthState, its peers, BOK Financial Corporation (BOKF - Free Report) and Webster Financial Corporation (WBS - Free Report) , maintain capital distribution strategies through dividends and share repurchases.

In October 2025, BOK Financial raised its quarterly dividend by 10.6% to 63 cents per share, continuing its track record of annual dividend increases.

BOKF also has a share repurchase program in place. On July 29, 2025, the board is likely to authorize the repurchase of up to 5 million shares, replacing the November 2022 program. While the company did not repurchase any shares during the first quarter of 2026, management continues to view buybacks opportunistically within its capital framework. As of March 31, 2026, 2.9 million shares remained available under the authorization.

Likewise, Webster Financial last raised its quarterly dividend by 21% to 40 cents per share in April 2019 and has maintained that payout level since then.

Beyond dividends, WBS expanded its share repurchase authorization to $700 million in April 2025 from the previous $600 million approved in April 2022. As of March 31, 2026, nearly $664 million worth of shares remained available under the authorization.

SSB’s Price Performance & Zacks RankSSB shares have rallied 2.5% in the past six months compared with the industry’s growth of 8%.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways Valero benefits from elevated crack spreads, strong fuel demand and constrained global refining capacity.Rising demand for U.S. Gulf Coast barrels is tightening product inventories.Its Gulf Coast system and logistics network support higher exports while domestic demand stays resilient. Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) is among the largest independent refiners in the United States, with a combined high-complexity throughput capacity of nearly 3 million barrels per day across its refineries. Its refining footprint is heavily concentrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast, providing feedstock sourcing flexibility and access to high-demand growth markets for selling its refined products. Alongside refining, the company runs a growing renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel business through Diamond Green Diesel, as well as 12 ethanol plants.

The current business environment remains supportive for refining players, including Valero. The 3-2-1 crack spread, widely recognized as an indicator of refining profitability, has risen significantly since the start of the conflict in the Middle East and remains at elevated levels. Moreover, during its first-quarter earnings call, VLO noted that constrained global refining capacity, along with tightening refined product flows due to the conflict, has increased demand for refined products, particularly for U.S. Gulf Coast barrels.

Valero is particularly well-positioned to benefit from these trends. Management highlighted a sharp increase in export demand, especially for jet fuel and distillates, which has contributed to declining U.S. product inventories. Its strategically located Gulf Coast refining system and extensive logistics network position Valero to capture increased export volumes while continuing to capitalize on resilient domestic demand. Moreover, low product inventories in key markets are expected to support refining fundamentals and keep margins steady, helping VLO sustain its profitability.

PARR and PBF to Benefit From the Refining EnvironmentPar Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report)  operates an integrated downstream energy business across the United States, with fuel retail operations in Hawaii, Washington and Idaho; refining operations in Hawaii, Wyoming, Washington and Montana; and a supporting logistics network. Its refineries have a combined crude oil throughput capacity of 219,000 barrels per day and produce gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, marine fuels, asphalt and other petroleum products. PARR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

PBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) has a geographically diverse refining network with large-scale processing capacity and a highly complex refining system. It operates six refineries, Delaware City Refinery, Paulsboro Refinery, Toledo Refinery, Chalmette Refinery, Torrance Refinery and Martinez Refinery, with a combined throughput capacity of 1 million barrels per day and the ability to process a wide range of feedstocks. PBF carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.

VLO’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesValero Energy’s shares have jumped 86.2% over the past year compared with the 38.2% improvement of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, VLO trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 8.59X. This is above the broader industry average of 5.73X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VLO’s 2026 earnings has remained unchanged over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways PTCT's Sephience posted revenues of $125M in Q1 2026 with 36% sequential growth after its 2025 launch.PTCT markets multiple rare disease therapies and earns Evrysdi royalty revenues.PTCT advanced votoplam and vatiquinone, with phase III progress and a planned FDA-backed study. PTC Therapeutics (PTCT - Free Report) has built a diversified global commercial portfolio across multiple rare disease indications, providing a strong foundation for sustainable revenue growth.

Sephience: PTCT’s Major Growth DriverPTC’s growth largely depends on Sephience (sepiapterin), its approved therapy for phenylketonuria, which has consistently exceeded market expectations since its 2025 launch. The drug is approved in the United States, Europe, Japan and other international markets. During the first quarter of 2026, Sephience generated $125 million in product revenues, representing 36% sequential growth, as adoption strengthened across both the U.S. and international markets.

Management expects the therapy to be available in nearly 30 countries by the end of 2026, significantly expanding its commercial opportunity and reinforcing its position as PTC’s  primary commercial growth driver. Commercial momentum remains robust, with 1,244 patients receiving therapy worldwide as of March 31, 2026, while the United States continued to add approximately 140 new patient start forms per month.

Year to date, PTCT shares have risen 17.9% compared with the industry’s 6.3% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Other Marketed Drugs in PTCT’s Commercial PortfolioBeyond Sephience, PTC also benefits from a diversified portfolio of marketed rare disease therapies that provide stable revenues to support future innovation.

The company maintains an established Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) franchise through Emflaza, approved in the United States for patients aged two years and older, and Translarna, which continues to generate meaningful revenues in select international markets for patients with nonsense mutation DMD despite ongoing regulatory challenges in Europe.

PTC has strengthened its gene therapy franchise with Upstaza/Kebilidi, an approved treatment for aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency that is commercialized across Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Under its licensing agreement with Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS - Free Report) , PTC holds exclusive commercialization rights for Tegsedi and Waylivra in Latin America and the Caribbean. Tegsedi is approved for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy, while Waylivra is approved for rare lipid disorders, including familial chylomicronemia syndrome and familial partial lipodystrophy.

The company also receives royalty revenues from Evrysdi, Roche's (RHHBY - Free Report) globally marketed spinal muscular atrophy therapy, which is approved in more than 100 countries.

PTCT’s Meaningful Pipeline ExpansionBeyond its marketed therapies, PTC has a promising late-stage pipeline focused on rare neurological disorders.

Votoplam, an oral splicing therapy for Huntington's disease, reported positive 24-month phase II extension data in April 2026, demonstrating dose-dependent slowing of disease progression along with a favorable safety profile. These data support the ongoing global phase III INVEST-HD study being led by Novartis (NVS - Free Report) . The phase III study initiation triggered a $50 million milestone payment from Novartis to PTC in the second quarter of 2026, underscoring the program's strategic and commercial potential.

If successful, votoplam could become the first approved oral therapy capable of modifying Huntington's disease progression, representing a significant commercial opportunity in a disease with high unmet medical need.

Another important value driver is vatiquinone, which is progressing toward a registration-enabling study in Friedreich's ataxia, with study initiation planned for the third quarter of 2026 following constructive FDA discussions.

PTCT's Zacks Rank & EstimatesPTC currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for PTCT’s bottom line have improved from a loss per share of $1.40 to earnings of 78 cents per share. Over the aforementioned period, EPS estimates for 2027 have risen from $1.20 to $2.11.

Key Takeaways BridgeBio Pharma surged after a rival's phase III ATTR-CM trial failed its primary endpoint.BBIO's Attruby is its only marketed drug and posted strong U.S. sales after its FDA approval.BridgeBio sees a large ATTR-CM opportunity as diagnoses rise and the market remains underdiagnosed. Shares of BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO - Free Report) climbed to a 52-week high of $93.42 on Thursday after rival AstraZeneca's (AZN - Free Report) late-stage clinical setback boosted investor confidence in the company's sole marketed drug, Attruby. Although the stock did not hold on to its intraday high, it still ended the session 15% higher, adding roughly $2.3 billion to its market value.

The rally followed AstraZeneca’s announcement that the phase III CARDIO-TTRansform study evaluating Wainua in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) failed to meet its primary endpoint. Investors viewed the setback as a favorable development for BridgeBio's Attruby because it could strengthen the drug’s competitive position in the ATTR-CM space.

Attruby is currently BridgeBio's only marketed product and the primary driver of the company's revenues. Approved by the FDA in November 2024 for adults with ATTR-CM, the drug has enjoyed a strong commercial launch. BridgeBio generated $362.4 million in U.S. Attruby sales in 2025, its first full year on the market, followed by nearly $181 million in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

Attruby's long-term opportunity remains substantial because the target market continues to be significantly underdiagnosed. BridgeBio estimates that the number of diagnosed ATTR-CM patients in the United States grew from fewer than 5,000 in 2019 to more than 50,000 in 2025, while the global market opportunity for ATTR therapies could ultimately exceed $20 billion.

Another company that benefited from AstraZeneca’s clinical setback is Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) , whose shares also rose 1% yesterday. The U.S.-based pharma giant currently dominates the ATTR-CM market with its Vyndaqel family, comprising Vyndaqel, Vyndamax and Vynmac. The franchise generated approximately $1.6 billion in global sales in first-quarter 2026, up 8% year over year, underscoring its leadership in the space. In April, Pfizer entered into a settlement with generic drug manufacturers that extends the effective U.S. patent protection for Vyndamax until June 1, 2031, delaying generic competition and supporting the drug's long-term commercial outlook.

BBIO’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of BridgeBio have risen 18% year to date, outperforming the industry’s 3% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, the company is currently trading at a premium to the industry. Based on the price-to-sales (P/S) ratio, the stock trades at 13.46 times forward 12-month sales, higher than the industry average of 1.95 times.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimates for BridgeBio’s 2026 and 2027 bottom line have declined over the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways SOUN posted 52% revenue growth in Q1 2026 and reaffirmed $225M-$260M full-year guidance.SoundHound's losses and negative operating cash flow cloud the case despite strong AI adoption.SOUN's debt-free balance sheet offers support, but valuation and stock signals limit near-term comfort. SoundHound AI, Inc. (SOUN - Free Report) offers one of the clearer growth-versus-risk debates in enterprise AI. Revenue growth, broader adoption of conversational AI and a debt-free balance sheet keep the bull case alive.

The hesitation is equally visible. Losses, negative operating cash flow and weak stock signals make SOUN difficult to call a straightforward buy, even with long-term AI demand still in focus.

SOUN Revenue Growth Keeps the Bull Case AliveFirst-quarter 2026 revenues reached $44.2 million, up 52% year over year. Management also reaffirmed full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $225 million to $260 million, suggesting the growth plan remains intact.

Underlying demand was not limited to acquired revenue. Excluding acquisitions, core automotive and IoT AI revenues rose 88% year over year, pointing to continued adoption in SoundHound’s original growth pillars.

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) remains a relevant reference point for AI investors because its computing platforms sit closer to the infrastructure layer. C3.ai, Inc. (AI - Free Report) offers another comparison as an enterprise AI software name, but SoundHound’s case rests more directly on voice, agentic AI and customer-interaction use cases.

SoundHound Losses Cloud the Investment CaseRevenue growth has not translated into profitability. SoundHound posted a first-quarter 2026 GAAP net loss of $25 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $26.7 million.

Cash flow also moved in the wrong direction. Net cash used in operating activities was $26.3 million, compared with $19.2 million in the prior-year period. GAAP gross margin declined to 31.1% from 36.5%, as vendor-related true-ups and spending pressure weighed on the quarter.

That makes SOUN a classic growth-versus-profitability stock. Investors are being asked to underwrite future scale while current results still show heavy investment needs.

SOUN Valuation Looks Neither Cheap nor BrokenSOUN trades at 11.45X forward 12-month sales. That is roughly in line with the sub-industry average of 11.64X but above the broader sector and S&P 500 levels.

The stock also carries a $7 price target, modestly above the recent $6.68 stock price. That setup does not point to an obvious bargain, but it also does not suggest valuation has completely detached from its peer framework.

For investors seeking a clear value case, the multiple leaves little margin for disappointment. For growth investors, the valuation may be tolerable only if revenue expansion continues and losses narrow over time.

SoundHound Balance Sheet Offers Real SupportSoundHound’s balance sheet is the main offset to the loss profile. The company ended the first quarter of 2026 with $215.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt.

That liquidity gives management room to fund product innovation, support acquisition integration and pursue commercialization without immediate balance-sheet strain. The company also had total current assets of $288.8 million and stockholders’ equity of $460.7 million.

This matters because the AI opportunity may take time to convert into durable earnings. A debt-free balance sheet does not solve profitability, but it gives SoundHound more time to try.

How SOUN Ratings Frame the Risk RewardThe bottom line is that SOUN looks mixed rather than clearly attractive. Revenue growth and cash resources support the long-term case, while losses, cash burn and valuation limit the near-term comfort level.

SOUN currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). That rank points to weak near-term positioning and makes the stock less suitable for investors who rely on earnings estimate revision trends as a first screen.

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

The Style Scores reinforce that caution. SoundHound has a Value Score of F, a Growth Score of F, a Momentum Score of C and a VGM Score of F. Since stronger scores are generally more favorable, those grades suggest SOUN does not currently screen well for value, growth-at-a-reasonable-price or broad style-based investors.

That does not erase the company’s AI opportunity. It does argue for patience until profitability, cash flow or stock signals show clearer improvement. For now, SOUN is more of a watchlist candidate than a decisive buy.

Key Takeaways Applied Optoelectronics is scaling 800G and 1.6T production as hyperscale customer demand accelerates. AAOI plans monthly capacity above 650,000 units by the end of 2026 and over 930,000 by the end of 2027. AAOI faces competition from NVIDIA-backed partnerships involving Lumentum and Coherent. Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI - Free Report) is benefiting from the strong demand for 800G transceivers, a trend that is fundamentally reshaping the company’s growth trajectory. In the first quarter alone, AAOI completed its first volume shipment of 800G single-mode transceivers to a major hyperscale customer, with 800G revenues reaching $4.6 million, or 5.6% of total data center revenues.

Management expects to ship nearly four times the quantity of 800G units in the second quarter as additional orders move into delivery. The company also announced a first volume order for 1.6T transceivers from another long-term hyperscale customer, with 800G deliveries expected in the second quarter and 1.6T deliveries expected as early as the third quarter, completing by year-end 2026.

AAOI’s ability to scale manufacturing capacity rapidly remains a key catalyst. The company has made significant investments in expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint, especially in Texas, and internationally in Taiwan and China.

The company expects to produce more than 650,000 units of 800G and 1.6T products per month by the end of 2026, and anticipates increasing this to more than 930,000 units per month by the end of 2027. This expansion is crucial, as demand for these high-speed modules is projected to outpace production capacity through mid-2027, underscoring the strength and persistence of the AI infrastructure trend.

AAOI’s strong position in the 800G transceiver market is fueling both operational and financial momentum. The company forecasts that 800G revenues will reach approximately $217 million per month by mid-2027, contributing to a total data center transceiver revenue of about $471 million monthly.

AAOI Faces Stiff CompetitionApplied Optoelectronics is facing stiff competition from Lumentum (LITE - Free Report) and Coherent (COHR - Free Report) in the optical networking market. Coherent and Lumentum’s partnerships with NVIDIA pose a significant threat to AAOI.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Coherent announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA focused on advanced optical networking and CPO technologies for AI data centers. The agreement includes a $2 billion equity investment from NVIDIA and a multi-year supply agreement extending through the end of the decade.

In March 2026, Lumentum entered into a multiyear strategic agreement with NVIDIA to accelerate the development of advanced optical technologies for next-generation AI infrastructure. The partnership includes a multibillion-dollar purchase commitment and a $2 billion NVIDIA investment to expand Lumentum’s U.S. manufacturing capacity and R&D capabilities.

AAOI’s Share Price Performance, Valuation, and EstimatesApplied Optoelectronics shares have skyrocketed 250.6% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s rise of 15.3% and the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors increase of 44.9%.

AAOI Stock’s Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Applied Optoelectronics shares are currently overvalued, as suggested by its Value Score of F. AAOI stock is trading at a premium with a trailing 12-month Price/Sales of 18.32X compared with the Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s 16.35X.

AAOI’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at 80 cents per share, which has been unchanged over the past 30 days. This suggests 407.69% year-over-year growth.

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

Key Takeaways D-Wave was named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape Worldwide Quantum Computing 2026 Vendor Assessment.QBTS reported 200M submitted problems, with Advantage2 usage up 314% year over year.D-Wave's roadmap targets 10 logical qubits by 2030 and 100 logical qubits by 2032. D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) , or D-Wave, has been recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Quantum Computing 2026 Vendor Assessment. The evaluation assessed vendors based on both their existing capabilities and future strategies. According to the company, the recognition comes as organizations increasingly seek practical quantum solutions that can be integrated into existing enterprise and high-performance computing environments.

The report highlighted several of D-Wave’s strengths, such as its broad production deployment footprint, spanning operational manufacturing, telecommunications, retail, logistics, defense, and research computing workflows. D-Wave submitted more than 200 million problems to its systems. The usage of its Advantage2 system grew 314% year over year, while the Stride hybrid solver usage expanded 114% over the six months as of early 2026.

IDC also highlighted that the company’s enterprise accessibility and hybrid adoption framework, including the Leap cloud platform, Ocean SDK, the Stride hybrid solver and the Leap Quantum LaunchPad onboarding program. These tools help organizations to apply quantum-assisted optimization to problems involving up to 2 million variables without requiring dedicated quantum programming expertise. Beyond optimization, IDC recognized D-Wave’s active effort to extend quantum annealing into scientific computing domains relevant to materials science, electronics, medical imaging, and physical systems modeling.

Another highlight was D-Wave’s roadmap, which includes both continued scaling of quantum annealing systems and expansion into gate-model quantum computing. Key roadmap milestones for the gate-model program include the completion of a 10-logical-qubit system by 2030, which can support the first fault-tolerant algorithms, and completion of a 100-logical-qubit system by 2032, which can support initial quantum chemistry and quantum AI applications.

IDC noted that D-Wave’s dual-platform strategy broadens its long-term opportunity to address a wider range of enterprise workloads as the market evolves.

Key Developments Among QBTS PeersQualcomm Inc. (QCOM - Free Report) recently announced a strategic multi-generation collaboration with Meta to be a supplier for data center CPUs for the latter. Qualcomm Technologies’ data center CPU, the Qualcomm DragonflyC1000, is planned to power Meta’s next-generation server fleet, highlighting the growing importance of high-performance, power-efficient compute in large-scale, scale-out environments. The company’s solutions will be in production starting in the second half of 2028 for future data center capacity expansions.

Intel (INTC - Free Report) has unveiled innovations at Computex 2026 that address customers’ chip-to-systems-level AI needs with solutions tailored to address their specific industry challenges. The company announced rackscale AI infrastructure for customers interested in scaling their inference and agentic workloads based on Intel Xeon processors and SambaNova SN-50 Reconfigurable Dataflow Units. Intel also announced strategic collaborations with Foxconn, Siemens, Hitachi, Echo Neurotechnologies and Greenstone Biosciences to deliver integrated vertical customer solutions based on Intel processors and purpose-built silicon.

The Zacks Rundown for QBTS StockOver the past 12 months, QBTS shares have risen 32.1% against the industry’s 15.6% decline. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

D-Wave is trading at a forward, one-year Price/Sales (P/S) of 116.55X, lower than its 169.78X median but significantly above the industry average of 3.89X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Take a look at how estimates for D-Wave’s 2026 and 2027 earnings are shaping up.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Michael N. Intrator, CEO and President of CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV 0.04%), reported a sale of 369,489 shares of Class A Common Stock on July 7, 2026 and July 8, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (total)369,489Shares sold (directly held)261,797Shares sold (indirectly held)107,692Transaction value$30.8 millionPost-transaction shares (directly held)2,876,815Post-transaction value$258.9 millionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($83.37); post-transaction value based on July 08, 2026 market close ($90.00).

Key questionsWhat was the structural nature of this transaction?
Part of the transaction was a conversion-for-sale event involving the conversion of 107,692 Class B shares into Class A. The remainder were from directly-held stock.What is the insider's remaining equity footprint?
Following this sale, Intrator maintains significant exposure to the company through 2,876,815 shares held directly. Furthermore, the insider retains substantial derivative holdings, including ~21.9 million derivative securities held directly and ~30.7 million held indirectly through various family trusts.Which indirect entities were involved in the disposition?
The indirect portion of the sale, totaling 107,692 shares, was executed by Omnadora Capital LLC. While this liquidated the direct Class A position for that entity, other family-related entities, including the PMI 2024 F&F GRAT and the Intrator Family Trust, continue to hold significant derivative positions.How does this sale align with recent stock performance?
The shares were sold at a weighted average price of $83.37 as the company faced a one-year return of -41% as of the July 7, 2026 transaction date. Despite the recent price performance, the insider's remaining beneficial ownership represents approximately 0.53% of the company's $49.1 billion market capitalization.Company OverviewMetricValueShare Price (as of market close 2026-07-08)$90.00Market Capitalization$49.1 billionRevenue (TTM)$6.2 billionNet Income (TTM)-$1.6 billionCompany SnapshotCoreWeave operates a specialized cloud computing platform that delivers high-performance GPU and CPU compute resources, storage solutions, advanced networking capabilities, and fully managed services designed to support generative AI and intensive compute workloads for enterprise clients.The company generates revenue through a flexible consumption-based model, offering customers the choice between virtual server instances and bare-metal infrastructure solutions tailored to their specific computational requirements.CoreWeave primarily serves large enterprises and organizations requiring substantial computational resources for generative AI applications, machine learning workloads, and data-intensive processing operations.CoreWeave operates as a specialized infrastructure provider in the rapidly expanding generative AI compute market, with a market capitalization of $49.1 billion and TTM revenues of $6.2 billion. The company differentiates itself through purpose-built infrastructure optimized for AI workloads, providing enterprises with flexible, scalable alternatives to traditional cloud providers.

As a growth-stage infrastructure company, CoreWeave is positioned to capture significant market share in the emerging AI compute infrastructure segment, though the company is currently operating at a net loss as it invests in capacity expansion and market penetration.

What this transaction means for investorsCoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator’s July 7 and July 8 sale of company stock came at a time when shares were well below the 52-week high of $153.20 reached in 2025. While involving almost 370,000 shares, the disposition does not appear to be a red flag for investors.

Intrator’s sale represented only a small portion of the millions of shares he maintained post-transaction. In addition, the sale was executed as part of a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 plan, making this a non-discretionary transaction. Such plans allow insiders to sell shares at predetermined times to avoid concerns of trading on non-public information.

CoreWeave is seeing strong sales growth thanks to the artificial intelligence boom. In the first quarter, it generated $2.1 billion in revenue compared to $982 million in 2025. The stock is down, however, because the company is not profitable and is burdened with over $25 billion in debt as it seeks to expand its footprint of data centers to house AI systems.

Robert Izquierdo has positions in CoreWeave. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

SpaceX SPCX shares fell more than 2% on Friday, extending a volatile stretch that has erased the stock's post-IPO gains as investors continue debating whether Elon Musk's AI and space ambitions justify one of the world's richest valuations.

The stock traded around $148, below its $150 listing price, after briefly soaring to a record closing high of $201.80 on June 16 following its blockbuster market debut.

The sharp swings come as Wall Street publishes its first wave of research following SpaceX's record-setting IPO, with analysts offering differing views on the company's long-term potential.

Veteran investor Jeremy Grantham was among the most outspoken critics, describing the IPO as a potential landmark market bubble in a recent interview with Morningstar.

Grantham argued that much of SpaceX's valuation rests on aggressive assumptions about artificial intelligence despite what he described as the company's relatively weak competitive position in AI software.

He also questioned projections around orbital AI infrastructure and broader space-related opportunities outlined in the IPO prospectus, arguing they require technological advances that remain highly speculative.

Grantham said the stock could continue rising in the near term because of strong investor demand and index-related buying, but maintained that the valuation would ultimately have to be supported by fundamentals.

Musk remains bullishMusk, however, has continued to raise expectations.

Responding to comments on X this week, the SpaceX chief executive said the company could eventually become "worth more than the rest of Earth" if it achieves its long-term goals.

The remarks add to a series of ambitious projections from Musk, who has previously argued Tesla could become more valuable than Apple and Saudi Aramco combined.

Several Wall Street firms have also outlined aggressive long-term scenarios for SpaceX, driven largely by expectations for Starlink, reusable launch systems, and future AI infrastructure businesses.

Raymond James currently has one of the Street's highest published price targets at $800 per share, while Citi's bull-case scenario values the company at roughly $12 trillion.

SpaceX also faces growing competition overseas.

China on Friday successfully landed the booster stage of its reusable Long March-10B rocket, marking the country's first successful recovery of an orbital-class reusable booster.

The milestone places China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. alongside SpaceX and Blue Origin among the small group of organizations to demonstrate reusable rocket landing capability.

While SpaceX remains the clear global leader in reusable launch technology, China's latest achievement highlights the increasing pace of competition in the commercial space industry as governments and private companies race to lower launch costs and expand access to orbit.

SpaceX's pullback follows an explosive start to life as a public company, with the stock surging more than 30% in its first few trading sessions before reversing sharply.

The combination of lofty valuation expectations, ambitious long-term projections, and limited public trading history has left the shares particularly sensitive to shifts in investor sentiment.

With Wall Street still establishing coverage and investors trying to assess the company's AI, satellite, and launch businesses under one public valuation, analysts expect trading to remain volatile in the months ahead.

Key Takeaways American Express launched new AI tools to support secure AI-powered payments and developer integrations.AXP uses its closed-loop network to improve approvals, verify intent and strengthen fraud protection.AXP reported 11% revenue growth, reaffirmed 2026 EPS guidance despite higher technology investments. Artificial intelligence is becoming a key part of American Express Company’s (AXP - Free Report) long-term strategy. During its latest earnings call, the company highlighted several AI initiatives aimed at preparing its payments business for the next phase of digital commerce. AmEx also plans to increase technology investments, signaling that AI will remain a major area of focus.

AmEx recently launched the Amex Agentic Commerce Experiences Developer Kit, enabling developers to integrate its cards into AI-powered transactions. It also introduced Amex Agent Purchase Protection, an industry-first feature that protects purchases made by registered AI agents. In addition, the company is building proprietary AI features on its own platforms while partnering with leading AI companies to make its premium membership benefits discoverable and actionable across their platforms.

The company is using its closed-loop payments platform to support these initiatives. Access to end-to-end transaction data helps verify purchase intent, improve payment approvals and strengthen fraud protection and security for both card members and merchants. These capabilities could become increasingly important as AI handles a larger share of digital transactions.

AmEx delivered strong first-quarter results, supporting its investment in future growth. Revenues increased 11% year over year to $18.9 billion, and earnings per share (EPS) rose 18% to $4.28. Despite raising technology investments, the company reaffirmed its full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $17.30-$17.90. As AI continues to reshape digital commerce, these investments could strengthen customer engagement, deepen merchant relationships and support long-term growth.

How Are Competitors Faring?American Express faces intense competition in the payments space from Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) and Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) , both of which are expanding their AI capabilities to strengthen payment security and support the next phase of digital commerce.

Mastercard recently expanded its Agent Pay platform and introduced Verifiable Intent to support secure AI-driven transactions. These initiatives reflect Mastercard's focus on building trust and security as agentic commerce evolves.

Visa is expanding its AI capabilities to strengthen digital payments and fraud prevention. It recently launched the Visa Threat Intelligence Platform (VTIP) to identify cyber threats before they become payment fraud, reflecting its continued focus on AI-driven payment security.

AXP’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of AXP have risen 8.6% over the past year against the industry’s decline of 26.6%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, AXP trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18.28X, up from the industry average of 9.87X. AXP carries a Value Score of C.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AXP’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $17.67 per share, implying a 14.9% jump from the year-ago period’s level.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Oracle (ORCL - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 21.7% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Oracle due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Oracle Corporation before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

Oracle Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Cloud Growth Fuels RevenuesOracle reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings of $2.11 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.65% and surged 24% in dollar terms and 23% in constant currency (cc) on a year-over-year basis.

Total quarterly revenues beat the consensus mark by 0.54% and increased 21% year over year to $19.2 billion, reflecting broad-based demand for Oracle's industry-leading cloud technology and applications suites.

Cloud revenues (IaaS + SaaS) increased 47% to $9.9 billion, driven by 93% growth in Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS), and 10% growth in Cloud Applications (SaaS). This represents a notable acceleration in cloud infrastructure growth compared to prior quarters, signaling unprecedented demand from AI-focused customers.

Oracle's Remaining Performance Obligations ended the fourth quarter at $638 billion, up 363% from the prior year and $85 billion sequentially from the end of the fiscal third quarter. Most of the RPO increase in both the fiscal third and fourth quarters was large-scale AI contracts where the customer prepaid Oracle for the purchase of the GPUs, or the customer bought and supplied the GPUs to Oracle. This substantial backlog provides remarkable visibility into future revenue growth.

ORCL's Q4 Top-Line DetailsCloud Infrastructure revenues (IaaS) surged 93% in USD and 92% in cc to $5.8 billion, marking another dramatic acceleration from the fiscal third quarter's 84% growth rate. Cloud Application revenues (SaaS) were $4.1 billion, up 10% in USD and 9% in cc.

Total cloud revenues (SaaS plus IaaS) surged 47% in USD and 46% in cc to $9.9 billion, demonstrating that cloud remains the primary driver of Oracle's growth trajectory. Cloud revenues now represent 52% of total quarterly revenues.

Software revenues were down 2% to $6.8 billion, reflecting customers' continuing migration from on-premise software to the Cloud. Services revenues were $1.5 billion, up 13%, and Hardware revenues were $0.9 billion, up 9%.

Operating Details of OracleOracle generated fourth-quarter GAAP operating income of $6.1 billion, up 20%, while non-GAAP operating income rose to a record $8.6 billion, up 22%, driven by strong revenue growth and operating efficiency actions taken during the quarter.

GAAP net income available to common shareholders reached $4.2 billion, up 23%, and non-GAAP net income available to common shareholders grew to $6.2 billion, up 26%. Fiscal fourth-quarter GAAP earnings per share increased to $1.45, up 21%, and non-GAAP earnings per share climbed to $2.111, up 24%.

ORCL's Balance Sheet & Cash FlowOracle's strong operating income translated to a record fiscal year operating cash flow of $32 billion, up 54%. However, free cash flow was negative $23.7 billion for fiscal 2026 as Oracle continued to execute on investments to support the growth of its Cloud Infrastructure business.

Total notes payable and borrowings stood at approximately $129.5 billion as of May 31, 2026 (current portion of $7.2 billion and non-current portion of $122.3 billion). In fiscal 2026, Oracle raised $43 billion in debt financing and $5 billion in equity financing. In fiscal 2027, Oracle expects to raise approximately $40 billion through a combination of debt and equity financing, including its previously announced $20 billion at-the-market equity issuance.

The board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 50 cents per share of outstanding common stock, consistent with prior quarters.

Forward GuidanceOracle provided the following forward-looking guidance for first-quarter fiscal 2027. Total Revenues are expected to grow from 27% to 29% in both constant currency and USD. Total Cloud revenues are expected to grow between 57% and 63% in constant currency and 58% and 64% in USD. Non-GAAP earnings per share are expected to grow in the range of 16-19% and be between $1.71 and $1.75 in constant currency. Non-GAAP earnings per share are projected to increase 17% to 20% and be between $1.72 and $1.76 in USD.

For fiscal 2027, the company confirmed prior revenue guidance of $90 billion and raised non-GAAP EPS guidance to $8.05, indicating growth of 18% after adjusting for the one-time events of selling its Ampere chip business and Bloom Energy warrants in fiscal 2026.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates revision.

The consensus estimate has shifted 5.31% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Oracle has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a B. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a score of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Oracle has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Key Takeaways PLTR generated $1.3 billion in U.S. revenues during the first quarter of 2026, marking a 104% Y/Y increase.U.S. revenue growth accelerated from 55% in Q1 2025 to 104% in Q1 2026, highlighting strengthening demand.The sustained acceleration reflects rising adoption of Palantir's software. Palantir (PLTR - Free Report) continues to produce impressive financial results, but one metric deserves more attention than any other: U.S. revenue growth.

The company generated $1.3 billion in U.S. revenues during the first quarter of 2026, more than doubling from the year-ago quarter with a 104% increase. Delivering triple-digit growth at Palantir's current scale demonstrates that demand for its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), Gotham and Foundry remains exceptionally strong.

Even more encouraging is the consistent acceleration in this metric. U.S. revenue growth improved from 55% in the first quarter of 2025 to 68% in the second quarter, 77% in the third quarter, 93% in the fourth quarter, and 104% in the first quarter of 2026. Rather than slowing as the business expands, Palantir continues to gain momentum, driven by growing adoption across both public-sector and commercial customers.

Although investors often focus on profitability, valuation, operating margins and cash flow, Palantir's U.S. revenue trajectory may be the clearest indicator of its competitive strength. Sustained triple-digit growth in its largest market suggests the company is still capturing market share and that customer demand remains far from saturated.

As long as Palantir continues delivering robust growth in its U.S. operations, the company is likely to remain one of the most compelling long-term growth stories in enterprise software.

What's Fueling Palantir's U.S. Momentum?Several structural trends are driving the company's remarkable domestic growth.

Artificial Intelligence adoption remains the biggest catalyst. Organizations are increasingly deploying AI across mission-critical workflows, creating strong demand for Palantir's AIP platform, which enables customers to operationalize large language models while integrating them with enterprise data and existing business processes.

The commercial business has become another major growth engine. More private-sector companies are adopting Palantir's software to improve decision-making, automate operations and enhance productivity, resulting in a rapidly expanding customer base.

At the same time, government demand remains robust. Palantir continues to deepen its relationships with U.S. defense, intelligence and civilian agencies, benefiting from rising investments in AI-enabled national security, defense modernization and data analytics.

The combination of expanding government contracts and accelerating commercial adoption has created a powerful growth flywheel that continues to lift overall U.S. revenues.

Peer ComparisonTwo of Palantir's most prominent AI software peers are Snowflake (SNOW - Free Report) and MongoDB (MDB - Free Report) , both of which are benefiting from enterprise AI adoption, albeit through different business models.

Snowflake continues to expand its AI-powered cloud data platform, helping enterprises consolidate, manage and analyze large volumes of data. As companies invest more heavily in generative AI, demand for AI-ready data infrastructure should continue supporting Snowflake's long-term growth.

MongoDB is strengthening its position in AI-driven application development through its flexible developer data platform. The company enables enterprises to build scalable, modern applications capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated AI workloads, positioning it to benefit from ongoing software modernization initiatives.

While all three companies are capitalizing on the AI revolution, Palantir currently stands apart because of the extraordinary acceleration in its U.S. business. The company's ability to more than double domestic revenues while simultaneously increasing its growth rate underscores the strength of customer demand and reinforces its leadership position in the rapidly evolving AI software landscape.

PLTR’s Price Performance & EstimatesThe stock has declined 27.5% year to date compared with the industry’s 6.5% fall.

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From a valuation standpoint, PLTR trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 33X, well above the industry’s 3.98X. It carries a Value Score of F.

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PLTR’s 2026 earnings has declined over the past 60 days.

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

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Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT | ABT Price Prediction) and Danaher (NYSE:DHR) both closed the books on Q1 2026 with very different stories. Abbott leaned on consumer-facing devices and diagnostics that sit inside pharmacies and homes. Danaher leaned on bioprocessing tools and lab equipment sold to drugmakers. One business feels recession resistant. The other depends on capital spending decisions inside biotech.

FreeStyle Libre Carries Abbott. Cepheid Drags Danaher. Abbott’s Medical Devices segment hit $5.539 billion, up 13.2%, with FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitors alone bringing in $2.08 billion. That is a device sold to millions of everyday diabetics, and CEO Robert Ford told investors the addressable market sits at “between 70 million and 80 million people” globally against roughly 10 to 12 million users today. Cologuard, absorbed through the $21 billion Exact Sciences deal closed March 23, grew mid-teens.

Danaher’s picture is messier. Diagnostics core sales fell 4.0% as Cepheid respiratory revenue dropped roughly 25% year over year on a soft flu season. Bioprocessing equipment declined modestly, though CEO Rainer Blair pointed to “orders growth of more than 30%, marking the first quarter of year-over-year equipment order growth in nearly 2 years.” Encouraging, but customer wallets stay tight.

Consumer Cash Flow Versus Capital Equipment Cycles Lens Abbott Danaher Core Bet Consumer medical devices, CGM, cancer screening Bioprocessing tools, lab instruments, diagnostics Growth Engine FreeStyle Libre, Cologuard, Electrophysiology Cytiva bioprocessing consumables Main Vulnerability Nutrition volume, FX, tariffs Biotech capex cycle, respiratory seasonality Abbott’s growth reads like a consumer staples business dressed as healthcare. Rhythm Management posted its third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, and Ford framed Cologuard’s edge against a “fixed amount of colonoscopy capacity”. Danaher’s fortunes depend on when biotech customers greenlight new bioreactor lines. Nutrition remains Abbott’s soft spot at -6.0%, which I would not ignore.

The Next Test Is Biotech Capex Danaher raised its full-year adjusted EPS band to $8.35 to $8.55 and guided Q2 adjusted operating margin near 26.5%. The Masimo acquisition adds patient monitoring, but integration risk is real. Abbott guided full-year comparable sales growth of 6.5% to 7.5% and Q2 adjusted EPS of $1.25 to $1.31. Polymarket traders currently assign a 32% probability that Abbott’s Q2 comparable sales growth lands in the 8% to 10% range.

Why I Lean Toward Abbott Right Now I want the business that gets paid whether or not biotech venture funding thaws. Abbott sells sensors, screening tests, and cardiac devices to patients and insurers, and it just paid its 409th consecutive quarterly dividend in a 54th consecutive year of increases. Shares are down 26.76% year to date, a notable drawdown against the CGM runway.

Danaher fits a different investor. For investors who believe the bioprocessing order rebound is real and durable, DHR trades at $190.48, offering leverage to that recovery. The consumer cash flow engine looks more durable today, with Danaher worth revisiting once brownfield projects convert into greenfield builds.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.