Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) said it will roll out a new software update this summer that lets its Grok AI assistant make phone calls, play music, adjust cabin climate and open the glovebox by voice command.

The update also allows drivers to view and share self-driving statistics through Tesla's mobile app, and gives Navigation the ability to suggest routine destinations and prioritize routes drivers have previously taken.

Other features include the ability to set a desired arrival battery level from the app, upload custom vehicle wraps without a USB drive, and lock rear display controls from the front screen. Tesla's in-car Caraoke feature will add scoring and saved high scores.

The company also plans to add Supercharger name search, queue controls for Apple Music, adjustable zoom for the self-driving visualization display, browser camera and microphone support, and new animations for the Model 3 and Model Y.

Tesla shares were up 3.3% on Tuesday afternoon.

I keep hitting the buy button on AMD (NASDAQ:AMD | AMD Price Prediction) because the projections analysts were sketching a year ago are showing up in the filings, in the customer names, and in the cash flow. Every quarter I tell myself I have enough. Every quarter I add more.

The Thesis I Cannot Shake AMD currently captures just 5% to 7% of global hyperscaler AI accelerator spend, and Wall Street projects that share will expand to 20% to 25% between 2027 and 2028. What convinced me the arithmetic will actually happen is the Helios rack-scale platform, integrating 72 Instinct MI455X GPUs, 6th-Gen EPYC Venice CPUs, and UALink open networking. That turns AMD from a chip vendor into a full-stack system supplier, which is what hyperscalers buy. Multi-gigawatt commitments from Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI convert a projected share gain into contracted pipeline.

The Receipts Q1 FY2026 gave me three reasons in one filing. Revenue hit $10.253 billion, up 37.85% year over year, with Data Center alone at $5.775 billion, up 57%. Non-GAAP EPS of $1.37 beat the $1.2939 consensus, extending a pattern of revenue beats in all four recent quarters.

Second, the cash is real. Free cash flow reached $2.566 billion, up 252.96% year over year, on top of a full-year FY25 free cash flow of $5.519 billion. Balance sheet: $5.585 billion in cash against a debt/equity ratio of 0.07. That is a fortress underwriting the buildout.

Third, the market Lisa Su is chasing keeps getting larger. On the call, she said “we now expect the server CPU TAM to grow at greater than 35% annually, reaching over $120 billion by 2030,” nearly double the pace outlined months earlier. Q2 guidance calls for roughly $11.2 billion, about 46% year-over-year growth.

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

Why Not the Obvious Alternative Readers ask why I do not just own NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA). I own some. I am not adding at these levels because AMD is the share-gain story, and the valuation gap matters. AMD trades at a P/E near 164, but the earnings growth underneath it is net income up 95.06%. As for Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), AMD is taking the business directly. Su noted “our fourth consecutive quarter of record server CPU revenue” with cloud and enterprise each up more than 50%. EPYC cloud instances grew to more than 1,600. Intel is the donor here.

The Risk I Will Not Wave Away The real risk is the valuation itself and China. U.S. export controls on MI308 cost AMD roughly $800 million in Q2 25 charges and $440 million net for FY25. Another round of policy tightening would sting. It has not changed my thesis because the Helios pipeline is North American and European hyperscaler demand, and Su said customer MI450 forecasts are running “above our initial plans that we had planned for 2027”.

Why the Buy Button Stays Live Su told analysts AMD has “a clear path to exceed our long-term financial targets, including delivering more than $20 in EPS over the strategic time frame.” Against a current price of $503.57, that math is the entire argument. Projections stopped being projections the day Meta signed for 6 gigawatts. I am buying the company that delivers them.

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

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

HomeStock IdeasLong IdeasIndustrial 

SummaryBoeing (BA) demonstrated stable net order inflow in June, booking 113 net orders valued at $7.3 billion, with strong single-aisle demand. BA's delivery cadence is improving, with 64 aircraft delivered in June and year-to-date deliveries up 12%, reflecting more sustainable, output-based production. Key operational milestones include ramping up 737 MAX and 787 production, inaugurating a fourth 737 MAX line, and progressing on MAX 7, MAX 10, and 777X certifications. Book-to-bill ratios above 1x signal robust demand, but focus remains on converting backlog to deliveries and achieving pre-crisis output levels. Looking for more investing ideas like this one? Get them exclusively at The Aerospace Forum. Learn More » Jon Tetzlaff/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Boeing (BA) has kicked off the Farnborough Airshow with 140 orders and commitments while keeping the 20-year demand forecast steady despite lower traffic growth expected this year. The US jet maker is

24.32K Followers

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

New AI capabilities deliver relevant insights in seconds, helping employees provide more personalized client service in real-time

Key takeaways

More than 18,000 employees use EricaAssist as a human-assisted AI agent to help serve clients. New Generative AI (Gen AI) capabilities deliver contextual guidance in under three seconds, helping resolve client needs faster and supporting decision making by customer service representatives. EricaAssist reduces average call times by nearly one minute per interaction, improving efficiency and client experience. , /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America (BofA) today announced enhancements to EricaAssist, its human assisted AI agent that supports employees during client conversations, delivering real time insights that help resolve client needs faster while keeping the employee at the center of the experience.

Used by more than 18,000 customer service representatives, EricaAssist works alongside employees during calls – summarizing and surfacing relevant guidance in real time – so employees can focus on listening to and understanding clients, explaining solutions, and building stronger relationships. The enhancements are making our human agents better and providing our customers with an improved and more efficient experience.

"EricaAssist reflects our high tech, high touch approach," said Ashley Ross, Head of Consumer Client Experience and Business Transformation at Bank of America. "By combining human judgment with real time AI guidance, we're helping employees navigate complex topics more easily and serve clients more effectively in the moments that matter most."

Bank of America customer service representatives use generative AI capabilities within EricaAssist to summarize why a client is calling, pull together relevant information, and recommend next steps based on the employee's role and the client's relationship with the bank – all without interrupting the flow of the conversation.

"This technology helps our teammates deliver relevant insights in seconds, while operating with strong governance, transparency, and accountability," said Tom Ellis, Chief Information Officer and Head of Consumer Technology at Bank of America.

Later this year, Bank of America plans to expand EricaAssist to support additional servicing scenarios and business lines.

Frequently asked questions

Question: Why enhance EricaAssist with GenAI capabilities?

Answer: Enhancing EricaAssist reflects the bank's focus on continuously improving how employees access and deliver personalized guidance and resolve client needs faster.

Question: How do EricaAssist enhancements reflect Bank of America's broader investments in technology?

Answer: Bank of America spends $14 billion annually on technology, of which more than $4 billion is allocated to new initiatives, including AI. These ongoing investments, combined with our high-tech, high-touch approach, continue to enhance our client experiences across all channels and to drive operational efficiencies across the company.

Question: Why blend AI with employee decision making?

Answer: Our responsible AI strategy ensures human oversight, transparency, and accountability for all outcomes. By leveraging AI at scale across our global operations, we are optimizing performance and improving client experiences. EricaAssist works alongside employees, supporting their decision-making and service. Employees ensure clients receive thoughtful guidance, with AI operating within established governance and oversight.

Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 60 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries and/or jurisdictions. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters may contact
Catherine Page, Bank of America
Phone: 1.704.519.7314
[email protected]

Don Vecchiarello, Bank of America
Phone: 1.980.387.4899
[email protected]

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

The market expects Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 28. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.36 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2.7%.

Revenues are expected to be $45.66 billion, down 2.7% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.22% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Ford Motor?For Ford Motor, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +11.95%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination indicates that Ford Motor will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Ford Motor would post earnings of $0.2 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.66, delivering a surprise of +230.00%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Ford Motor appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

An Industry Player's Expected ResultsHarley-Davidson (HOG - Free Report) , another stock in the Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $0.58 for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate points to a year-over-year change of -34.1%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $1.12 billion, up 6.5% from the year-ago quarter.

Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Harley-Davidson has remained unchanged. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -1.16%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate.

When combined with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), this Earnings ESP makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Harley-Davidson will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed EPS estimates just once.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Lip-Bu Tan serves as the CEO of Intel. CHENG Yu-chen / AFP via Getty Images US chipmaker Intel is planning layoffs within its data center group amid a larger effort to become a "more focused and efficient" company.

"As part of our broader strategy to become a more focused and efficient company, Intel's data center group (DCG) is aligning its organization to ensure it has the right roles and skills in place to position the business for long-term success," an Intel spokesperson told Business Insider on Tuesday.

The spokesperson added that Intel is committed to supporting affected employees through the transition. It was not immediately clear how many company employees would be impacted by the layoffs.

A person familiar with the matter told Business Insider that the changes would not affect the data center group's product commitments and roadmaps and should help to better streamline the business.

News of the planned layoffs was first reported by The Oregonian.

The new round of job cuts comes as Intel has steadily reduced its workforce over recent years. Last year, Intel laid off at least 15% of its factory workers, or more than 5,000 employees, across four US states.

In August 2024, the chip manufacturer announced more than 15,000 job cuts as part of a plan to deliver $10 billion in cost savings for 2025.

Intel's turnaround effort gains momentumThe latest planned layoffs come at a pivotal period for Intel, which has shown signs of renewed momentum under CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

Tan was appointed CEO in March 2025 and is attempting a turnaround. The chipmaker's market share decreased in the last decade amid competition with foreign suppliers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

The US chipmaker is in the midst of developing its foundry business, an effort to develop chips for other companies.

On Tuesday, Intel announced its first named customer for its foundry business during Tan's tenure, a partnership with California-based cybersecurity company Fortinet to develop its next-generation security chip. Intel shares were up more than 6% following the news.

Last year, the US government took a nearly 10% stake in Intel, making it the company's largest shareholder. Intel's stock soared after President Donald Trump discussed the agreement at the White House and have climbed roughly 179% since the start of the year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also said that the EV maker plans to use Intel's more advanced 14A chip process, which would mark a major win for the chipmaker.

Back in May, Intel's stock rose to an all-time high following reports that the company was in talks with Apple to make chips for its devices.

Do you work at Intel? Contact the reporter from a non-work email and device at [email protected] or on Signal at 718-288-1655.

Read next

Natalie Musumeci You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.

Natalie is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Business News team.She was previously on BI's Legal Affairs team where she covered major cases out of state and federal court, as well as bankruptcy. Her coverage often focused on stories at the intersection of law, business, politics and technology. Natalie has covered Donald Trump’s criminal and civil cases, the wave of lawsuits against the second Trump administration, the indictment and criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the legal battles facing Elon Musk and his companies. Natalie came to Business Insider in June 2021 as a breaking news reporter, focusing on the most interesting angles around the trending news of the day. Natalie largely drove BI’s coverage around the fatal “Rust” shooting involving Alec Baldwin and the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito.Prior to joining BI, Natalie worked for the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and The Brooklyn Paper. She has an extensive background covering crime and courts. During her more than 12-year journalism career, she did a stint covering the police beat out of the headquarters for the New York Police Department. Natalie, a Brooklyn native, graduated from Brooklyn College in 2012 with a journalism degree. Popular articles

Walmart and Amazon face legal trouble for using a points system to track and fire employees over absences: lawyersCelebrities who partied with Diddy may want to contact their lawyersAn unchecked AI could usher in a new dark ageAt Diddy's A-list 'white parties,' naked women were a staple — but that didn't seem to raise eyebrows at the timeThe illegal maneuvers the rich use to get richerOwner of ship that crashed into Baltimore bridge will likely try to invoke 1851 law used to cap damages after Titanic disaster Intel Layoffs Data Centers More

Key Takeaways Pfizer's Q2 non-oncology outlook includes gains for Eliquis and Vyndaqel amid mixed portfolio trends.PFE's Comirnaty and Paxlovid sales are expected to decline on lower demand and purchases.Pfizer's Abrysvo may gain internationally, while U.S. vaccination rates remain weaker. Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) will announce its second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 4, and investors will be watching the performance of its oncology business closely, as the segment generates nearly 27% of the company's total revenues. Its key cancer medicines include Ibrance, Xtandi, Lorbrena, Braftovi/Mektovi and Seagen-acquired antibody-drug conjugate, Padcev.

Apart from oncology, Pfizer has a broad portfolio spanning primary care, vaccines, inflammation and immunology, rare diseases, and other specialty therapies. These businesses are organized under the company's Primary Care and Specialty Care segments.

Here’s a closer look at the expected second-quarter performance of Pfizer’s therapies across these two non-oncology business segments.

In Primary Care, alliance revenues and direct sales from Bristol-Myers (BMY - Free Report) -partnered Eliquis are likely to have risen, driven by higher demand trends globally, partially offset by price and generic erosion in some ex-U.S. markets. As regards sales of key vaccine Prevnar, higher sales in ex-U.S. markets are likely to have been offset by the impact of lower demand in the United States.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for alliance revenues from Eliquis is $1.98 billion.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales of the Prevnar family of vaccines is $1.39 billion.

Pfizer records direct sales and alliance revenues from its partner, BioNTech (BNTX - Free Report) , for the COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty. Revenues from Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty are likely to have declined in the second quarter due to narrower COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in the United States that have reduced Comirnaty’s eligible patient population. Sales of the antiviral pill for COVID, Paxlovid, should also have declined due to lower infection rates, which hurt demand trends and lower international government purchases.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for direct sales and alliance revenues from Comirnaty is $278 million, while that for Paxlovid is $119.0 million.

Among the newer products, sales of the RSV vaccine, Abrysvo, are likely to have gained from launch uptake in some international markets, partially offset by weaker vaccination rates in the United States. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales of Abrysvo is $155 million.

In the Specialty Care unit, sales of Vyndaqel are expected to have risen as higher sales in international markets may offset lower revenues in the United States. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales of Vyndaqel/Vyndamax is $1.75 billion.

While sales of Xeljanz rose, those of Enbrel declined in the first quarter, a trend likely to have continued in the second quarter.

Pfizer’s Key CompetitorsIn inflammation & immunology, Pfizer’s key competitors include AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Amgen and Novartis. In areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other chronic conditions, Pfizer faces competition from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi. In vaccines, it competes primarily with Merck, GSK, Sanofi, and Moderna.

PFE’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesPfizer’s stock has risen 2.8% so far this year compared with an increase of 12.7% for the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Pfizer appears attractive relative to the industry and is trading below its five-year mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, Pfizer’s shares currently trade at 8.55 forward earnings, significantly lower than 18.88 for the industry as well as the stock’s five-year mean of 9.34.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has declined from $2.99 per share to $2.96 per share, while that for 2027 has declined from $2.86 per share to $2.85 per share over the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Pfizer has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

United Parcel Service (UPS - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 28. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis package delivery service is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.65 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +6.5%.

Revenues are expected to be $21.75 billion, up 2.5% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.17% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for UPS?For UPS, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.06%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination indicates that UPS will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that UPS would post earnings of $1.04 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.07, delivering a surprise of +2.88%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

UPS appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG +1.08%), maker of the da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical systems, recently posted a strong quarter. But despite consistently solid numbers, the stock itself has been in a tailspin this year. As of Monday's close, it was down 38% thus far in 2026, and it's not just trading at a new 52-week low, but it's at a multi-year low as well; the last time it was at these levels was back in early 2024.

What's behind the stock's struggles this year, and could this be a glorious opportunity for long-term investors to buy the stock at a discount?

Image source: Getty Images.

Intuitive Surgical's growth has been looking much better of late Last week, Intuitive Surgical posted its second-quarter numbers, which yet again featured double-digit growth. Revenue of $2.9 billion for the period ending June 30 rose by 19% year over year. Over the past year, its growth rate has been comfortably above 15%. With hospitals resuming normal procedures and demand being higher, it's looking more like a top growth stock again.

ISRG Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts

The number of da Vinci procedures rose by 15%, and the install base for the surgical system also rose by 12%, totaling 11,710 as of the end of the period. It's an excellent sign that the business is growing well and with a higher install base, winning over new customers as well, setting itself up for even more growth ahead.

However, despite the solid numbers, the stock has been struggling this year. The company's Chief Financial Officer, Jamie Samath, noted that the expiration of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premiums had a "modest adverse impact" on procedures during the quarter, which may help explain some of the market's apprehension. There's also been a decline in bariatric cases due to the rising popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

While the business has been doing well, these headwinds are preventing Intuitive from doing even better.

Today's Change

(

1.08

%) $

3.82

Current Price

$

356.99

Intuitive Surgical stock is currently trading at 33 times its estimated future earnings (based on analyst estimates), which is considerably lower than its past levels, as it wasn't uncommon for the multiple to be as high as around 70. Its elevated valuation may have also been a key reason for the stock's decline this year.

However, now with a lighter valuation, Intuitive's stock may be a great buy. The company has been posting strong numbers, and with plenty of growth opportunities still out there related to robotic-assisted surgery, this can be an excellent investment to buy and hold for the long haul.

David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2028 $520 calls on Intuitive Surgical and short January 2028 $530 calls on Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Key Takeaways MercadoLibre issued 2.7 million cards in Q1 2026, lifting its card portfolio 104% to $6.6 billion.The card boosts marketplace conversion, GMV per user and transaction frequency through cross-selling.Its 15-90-day NPL ratio fell 80 basis points as expansion advanced in Mexico and Argentina. MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI - Free Report) continues to deepen its ecosystem integration through its credit card business, which is emerging as a central driver of user engagement. During the first quarter of 2026, the company issued 2.7 million credit cards, expanding its credit card portfolio by 104% year over year to $6.6 billion. This growth brought credit card balances to 46% of the total credit portfolio, up from 42% in the prior-year period. Total payment volume for credit cards surged 90% year over year, while monthly active users increased 68%.

The credit card plays a strategic role in converting marketplace-only buyers into active fintech participants. Management emphasizes that this product strengthens the cross-sell flywheel by lifting marketplace conversion rates, boosting gross merchandise volume per user and increasing overall transaction frequency across the platform. Rich proprietary data from marketplace interactions allows the firm to enhance underwriting precision continuously. As a result, credit asset quality improved as the card’s 15-90-day non-performing loan ratio declined by 80 basis points year over year.

In Brazil, older cardholder cohorts are maturing steadily, helping offset the initial margin dilution associated with rapid card expansion. Based on predictable payback periods and solid credit performance, MercadoLibre is expanding credit card issuance in Mexico and scaling early-stage efforts in Argentina. By combining high consumer engagement with refined risk models, the credit card operation proves that fintech expansion directly reinforces core marketplace performance.

What the Latest Metrics Say About MercadoLibreMercadoLibre, which competes with Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) and Sea Limited (SE - Free Report) , has seen its shares tumble 15% over the past six months compared with the industry’s 2.5% decline. While Amazon shares have jumped 6.6%, Sea Limited has fallen 14% in the aforementioned period.
 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, MercadoLibre's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 35.89, higher than the industry’s ratio of 21.92. The stock is also trading above its 12-month median level of 34.46.

MercadoLibre is trading at a premium to Amazon (with a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 26.08) and Sea Limited (21.16).

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 39.7% and 4.1%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 26.6% rise in sales and 44.4% growth in earnings.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Selection of fuel efficient engines and EngineWise support build on decade-long relationship

, /PRNewswire/ -- Farnborough International Air show – Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business and Tigerair Taiwan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for GTF engines to power 15 Airbus A321neo aircraft, made up of four firm and 11 leased aircraft. Tigerair Taiwan currently operates nine Airbus A320neo family aircraft powered by the GTF and nine Airbus A320ceos powered by IAE V2500 engines.

Pratt & Whitney will provide maintenance services for the engines through a 12-year EngineWise® Comprehensive services agreement, ensuring predictable maintenance costs and optimal efficiency. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2028.

"This latest GTF order reaffirms Tigerair Taiwan's trust in Pratt & Whitney, which exclusively powers the airline's fleet," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines, Pratt & Whitney. "The GTF engine will continue to enable Tigerair Taiwan's regional fleet expansion while delivering best-in-class fuel efficiency."

"Pratt & Whitney has been a trusted partner since we began operations in 2014," said Joyce Huang, chairperson of Tigerair Taiwan. "Our new A321neo fleet, powered by the GTF engine, will advance our next phase of growth, as we continue to serve more passengers across more destinations with a lower cost per seat."

The GTF delivers 20% lower fuel consumption and a 75% smaller noise footprint compared to the prior generation of engines.  Over 2,800 GTF-powered aircraft are operated globally by more than 90 customers, and the order backlog of over 8,000 GTF engines reflects strong market demand. The engine's revolutionary geared architecture will serve as the foundation for next generation propulsion technologies.

About Tigerair Taiwan

Tigerair Taiwan launched its first route in 2014. As Taiwan's first and only low-cost carrier (LCC), it operates routes across Asia, providing travelers with affordable, reliable, and convenient options. Focusing on a warm, passionate, and genuine service while upholding safety as its core value, Tigerair Taiwan continues to expand its footprint and add more destinations in Asia. Learn more at www.tigerairtw.com.

About Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units for military, commercial and civil aviation customers. Since 1925, our engineers have pioneered the development of revolutionary aircraft propulsion technologies, and today we support more than 90,000 in-service engines through our global network of maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.

About RTX

With more than 180,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated defense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE RTX

, /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Venus Aerospace announced a joint technology development agreement to evaluate and mature Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) technology for future long-range precision fires applications, accelerating the transition of advanced propulsion from flight demonstration to operational capability.

Venus Aerospace successfully completed the first U.S. flight test of a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE). Lockheed Martin and Venus Aerospace announced a collaboration to evaluate precision fires applications for the advanced propulsion technology. Photo Credit: Venus Aerospace. The collaboration combines Venus Aerospace's flight-tested propulsion technology with Lockheed Martin's expertise in developing, integrating and rapidly fielding advanced defense systems. Together, the companies will assess how this emerging propulsion architecture could support next-generation precision fires capabilities that require greater range, speed and operational flexibility.

THE BIG PICTURE

As threats evolve and mission demands multiply, the U.S. Department of War is seeking technologies that deliver meaningful performance improvements while remaining affordable, manufacturable and scalable. By combining emerging propulsion technologies with proven launch systems, precision guidance and production expertise, Lockheed Martin continues to expand the pipeline of future capabilities available to the U.S. and its allies.

WHY IT MATTERS

Rotating detonation propulsion could enable future precision fires systems to achieve significantly greater range and speed while remaining compatible with the Army's need for affordable, scalable production. Unlike conventional rocket engines that rely on subsonic combustion, RDREs generate thrust through continuously traveling detonation waves. This approach has the potential to improve propulsion efficiency while reducing complexity, enabling systems to travel farther and respond faster to emerging threats. The agreement enables Lockheed Martin to evaluate RDRE technology within the context of operational military requirements to transition the advanced propulsion concept from a subsystem demonstration environment into practical missile applications. Lockheed Martin's expertise in system integration and advanced manufacturing allows advanced technologies to move more quickly from laboratory development into deployable defense solutions that can be produced at scale. By working with innovative U.S. technology companies, Lockheed Martin is strengthening the nation's defense industrial base and helping accelerate advanced manufacturing capabilities critical to future readiness. EXPERT PERSPECTIVE

"Lockheed Martin is focused on rapidly delivering advanced capabilities that strengthen deterrence and provide decisive advantages for the warfighter," said Tim Cahill, president, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Our collaboration with Venus Aerospace allows us to evaluate a promising propulsion technology and determine how it can be integrated into future precision fires solutions. Partnerships like this help accelerate innovation, reduce risk and rapidly advance from emerging technology to operational capability." "Defense customers are asking for more than incremental gains from legacy propulsion," said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. "Our RDRE technology offers a different propulsion architecture for systems that need more range, more speed and a realistic path to production. This agreement with Lockheed Martin moves our breakthrough closer to real precision fires applications." About Lockheed Martin   
Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Also from this source

Key Takeaways Aon raised Data Center Lifecycle Insurance Program capacity to $5B from $3.5B for digital projects.Aon combines engineering, risk intelligence and insurance planning through its Reliable by Design approach.Aon expanded coverage across construction, property, cyber, liability and operational risk solutions. Aon plc (AON - Free Report) has expanded the capacity of its proprietary Data Center Lifecycle Insurance Program (DCLP) to $5 billion, up from $3.5 billion, strengthening its ability to support increasingly complex digital infrastructure projects. The enhancement comes as investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and hyperscale data centers continue to rise, creating greater demand for comprehensive insurance and risk management solutions that span the entire lifecycle of these assets.

The upgraded program combines higher insurance capacity with Aon's Reliable by Design approach, which integrates engineering expertise, risk intelligence and insurance planning early in the project lifecycle. The expanded offering includes up to $5 billion in Construction All Risks, Delay in Start-Up, Property Damage and Business Interruption coverage. It also provides enhanced cyber, liability, project cargo and terrorism protection, alongside advisory services covering climate risk, operational resilience and risk engineering.

The expansion comes at a time when AI-driven infrastructure spending continues to accelerate worldwide. Hyperscale operators and enterprise clients are investing billions in new facilities that require reliable power, advanced cooling systems and resilient network connectivity. As projects become larger and more capital intensive, securing adequate insurance capacity has become a critical requirement for developers, lenders and investors seeking to manage construction and operational risks.

The initiative strengthens Aon's position in a fast-growing specialty insurance segment where technical expertise can be a significant competitive advantage. By combining insurance placement with consulting and engineering capabilities, the company is building a more integrated value proposition that could support higher client retention and cross-selling opportunities beyond traditional brokerage services.

The initiative also aligns with Aon's broader strategy of expanding its Risk Capital offerings in high-growth industries. As global AI adoption fuels sustained investment in digital infrastructure, demand for specialized lifecycle risk solutions is likely to rise, positioning Aon to benefit from long-term growth while reinforcing its leadership in complex commercial insurance markets.

AON’s Price PerformanceOver the past year, AON shares have risen 2.5% against the industry’s fall of 26.4%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AON’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksAON currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader finance space are Alerus Financial Corporation (ALRS - Free Report) , Acadian Asset Management Inc. (AAMI - Free Report) and BlackRock, Inc. (BLK - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Alerus Financial’s current-year earnings of $3.03 per share has witnessed two upward revisions in the past 30 days against none in the opposite direction. ALRS’ earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 35.8%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $307.1 million, suggesting a 4.2% year-over-year jump.

The consensus estimate for Acadian Asset Management’s current-year earnings is pegged at $5.11 per share, which signals 57.2% year-over-year growth. Its earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 8.6%. The consensus mark for AAMI’s current-year revenues of $785.9 million implies 42.7% year-over-year growth.

The consensus estimate for BlackRock’s current-year earnings is pegged at $55.24 per share, which has witnessed six upward revisions in the past seven days against none in the opposite direction. Its earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 7.3%. The consensus estimate for BLK’s current-year revenues is pegged at $28.6 billion, which implies an 18% year-over-year rise.

Earlier this year, the streaming and entertainment industry witnessed one of its most high-stakes megadeals ever, stunning industry observers. Not only is it historic in its size, but it is also predicted to disrupt Hollywood and the media business as we know it. 

After years of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) struggling under the weight of billions of dollars in debt, compounded by declining cable viewership and fierce competition from streaming platforms, the company has been considering major strategic changes, including selling its entertainment assets to one of its rivals.

Several major players saw the potential in acquiring the media giant, and in December, Netflix announced it would acquire WBD’s studios and streaming for $82.7 billion.

But in a surprise eleventh-hour move in late February, the David Ellison-run Paramount became the winner of this bidding war, offering $111 billion to acquire all of WBD’s assets, including its studios, HBO, streaming platforms, games, and TV networks such as CNN and HGTV. Paramount was recently acquired by Ellison with significant support from his father, Larry Ellison — the Oracle chairman, world’s sixth-richest person, and major Trump donor.

Paramount’s offer was approved by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in June. However, a federal judge just paused the deal after a lawsuit was filed on July 13 by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general.

Let’s break down exactly what is happening, what’s at stake, and what could come next. 

What has happened so far? ​This all started back in October when Warner Bros. Discovery revealed it was exploring a potential sale after receiving unsolicited interest from several major players in the industry.

​The bidding process quickly became competitive, and Paramount and Comcast emerged as serious contenders, with Paramount initially viewed as the frontrunner. 

However, WBD’s board eventually determined that an offer from the streaming giant Netflix was the most attractive. Netflix offered $82.7 billion for just Warner’s film, television, and streaming assets.

Thus began the bidding war. Paramount believed its bid of approximately $108 billion for all of Warner’s assets was superior to Netflix’s offer that focused on just the studios and streaming. To sweeten its deal, Netflix amended its agreement in January to an all-cash offer at $27.75 per share of Warner Bros. Discovery, further reassuring investors and paving the way for the deal to proceed.

​Paramount persisted in its attempts to acquire WBD. Still, the Warner board repeatedly rejected its offers, citing concerns about Paramount’s heavy debt load and the increased risk associated with its proposal, including concern over the suite of investors bankrolling Paramount’s bid, which includes Saudi, Qatari, and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds. The board noted that Paramount’s offer would have left the combined company burdened with $87 billion in debt, a risk they were unwilling to take at the time.

In January, Paramount filed a lawsuit seeking more information about the Netflix deal. A month later, the company sought to sweeten its deal by announcing it would offer a $0.25 per share “ticking fee” to WBD shareholders for each quarter the deal fails to close by December 31, 2026. It also said it would pay the $2.8 billion breakup fee if Warner backs out of its deal with Netflix.

Then, in a final attempt to secure a deal, Paramount increased its offer to $31 per share in February. This prompted the WBD board to prolong discussions with Paramount regarding a potential agreement, considering it as a superior offer. Netflix declined to increase its bid and withdrew from the negotiations.

“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval,” Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a statement on February 26. “However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.”

In addition to the billions Paramount already holds in debt, the company is also set to assume the approximately $33 billion in debt Warner Bros. Discovery holds under the agreement. The deal will be backed by a $54 billion debt commitment from Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Citi, and Apollo Global Management, as well as $45.7 billion in equity from Larry Ellison.

Regulatory hurdles and other concerns In addition to the assumption of substantial debt posing a significant financial burden, Paramount faces several other hurdles in its deal with WBD that could impact the success of the transaction. 

For one, Ellison has warned about significant job reductions that are expected in the near future. There have already been widespread concerns among critics about potential job losses and lower wages.

Ellison is also a controversial figure in the industry, and his ownership of CBS News has been seen as sympathetic and supportive of the administration of Donald Trump, of whom his father, Larry Ellison, is a major donor. Under Ellison’s ownership of Paramount, reporting critical of the administration has been shelved or received increased scrutiny from Ellison or his appointed head of CBS News, the conservative provocateur Bari Weiss.

This has led to some concern among employees at Warner-owned CNN. Trump has personally sought concessions from news divisions critical of him, including a $16 million settlement from CBS, before his FCC would approve the Ellison takeover of Paramount. Before Netflix bowed out of the deal, Trump pressured the company to fire the former Biden White House official Susan Rice from its board. He has publicly stated his intentions to bring CNN to heel under new owners.

Regulatory scrutiny is another hurdle. Such a large-scale merger has attracted attention from lawmakers.

For instance, California attorney general Rob Bonta said in a statement on February 26 that “these two Hollywood titans have not cleared regulatory scrutiny — the California Department of Justice has an open investigation, and we intend to be vigorous in our review.”

A day before Netflix backed out, it was revealed that a coalition of 11 state attorneys general urged the U.S. Department of Justice to review the merger under concerns it will stifle competition and increase subscription prices. This comes months after U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Richard Blumenthal voiced their concerns to the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, warning that such a massive merger could have serious consequences for consumers and the industry at large. The senators argue that the merger could give the new media giant excessive market power, enabling it to raise prices for consumers and stifle competition.

Despite the DOJ approving the deal in June, a coalition of 12 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit on July 13 to block the merger. The suit argues it would lessen competition and harm movie theaters, cable distributors, and viewers. The coalition is led by Bonta, with Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington also joining. 

In response, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued a 14-day pause.

When is the deal expected to close? Paramount initially aimed to finalize its acquisition of WBD as early as July. However, the transaction has now been temporarily paused until August 3, with a hearing set to assess whether the freeze will extend further.

Stay tuned…

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

Carrier Global (CARR - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 28. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.83 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -9.8%.

Revenues are expected to be $6.02 billion, down 1.5% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.4% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Carrier Global?For Carrier Global, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -3.24%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Carrier Global will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Carrier Global would post earnings of $0.5 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.57, delivering a surprise of +14.00%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Carrier Global doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Key Takeaways Applied Materials' AGS revenues rose to $1.665B as higher fab utilization boosted recurring services.AMAT expects AGS to sustain mid-teens annual growth as revenue per installed tool continues to expand.AMAT has connected more than 35,000 chambers to AIx software for AI-powered monitoring and analytics. Applied Materials’ (AMAT - Free Report) large installed base has turned into a recurring revenue engine. Applied Global Services (AGS), under which the servicing of installed bases is reported, has generated $1.665 billion in revenues, up from $1.42 billion a year earlier, reflecting higher fab utilization.

AGS’ gross margin improved to 34.7% and its operating margin rose to 29.2%. The strategic value of AGS is that it adds resilience to Applied Materials’ profit model. Unlike the more cyclical equipment business, services are tied to a growing installed base and to customer needs throughout the tool lifecycle.

Management said AGS is another important growth driver because Applied Materials increases the revenue it generates “per tool” on top of a growing installed base. AMAT expects the AGS segment to deliver a sustainable annual growth rate in the mid-teens, potentially higher this year. That makes AGS an important bridge between one-time equipment sales and long-duration customer relationships.

What makes AGS especially relevant in the AI era is the company’s AI-enabled service layer. Applied Materials said that more than 35,000 chambers are connected to its AIx software capabilities, which use AI-powered monitoring, diagnostics and analytics. This matters because Applied Materials’ broader AI and advanced-node strategy depends on execution, visibility and support after installation.

In that setting, AGS helps stabilize Applied Materials’ revenue base, deepen customer relationships and improve operating leverage as the company scales. The segment’s margin profile, recurring nature and AI-driven service enhancements make it a valuable part of Applied Materials’ long-term earnings power.

How Competitors Fare Against AMATSince AMAT serves its own installed base through the AGS business, there are no competitors in this segment. But in the broader product category, AMAT competes with Lam Research (LRCX - Free Report) and ASML Holding (ASML - Free Report) .

ASML is experiencing strong demand from DRAM and logic customers, which are ramping up leading-edge nodes using ASML’s NXE:3800E EUV systems. Additionally, ASML noted that multiple DRAM customers are adopting EUV lithography, which helps shorten cycle time and lower costs. However, AMAT offers a broad range of WFE products that do not compete directly with ASML and Lam Research, making the stock worth holding.

Lam Research secured multiple critical etch wins at a major DRAM manufacturer with its new Akara etch system, which supports 3D DRAM architectures. This was supported by LRCX’s customer investments in DDR5, LPDDR5 and high-bandwidth memory. Lam Research’s Aether dry-resist technology was recently selected as the production tool of record for a leading DRAM customer, securing a foothold in this high-growth segment.

AMAT’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Applied Materials have surged 104.5% year to date compared with the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s growth of 27.4%.

AMAT YTD Performance Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Applied Materials trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 12.81X, higher than the industry’s average of 10.48X.

AMAT Forward 12-Month (P/S) Valuation Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Applied Materials’ fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 29% and 34%, respectively. The estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

TLDR: ONDO price advanced more than 17% as Ondo connected CRCLon and SPYon with tokenized entitlements created through DTCC infrastructure. The DTCC model ties tokenized products to securities held at DTC, giving institutions familiar custody, ownership, and settlement controls. Robinhood Chain and Ondo Perps broaden distribution, while the derivatives platform reports over $1 billion in seven-day trading volume. ONDO must hold the $0.37 to $0.38 breakout zone and close above $0.40 before traders can focus on the $0.43 to $0.45 resistance area. ONDO price jumped more than 17% as investors reacted to Ondo Finance’s latest link with DTCC infrastructure. The token moved toward $0.39 after trading near $0.34 one day earlier. The rally also extended its weekly advance as demand returned to real-world asset projects.

Ondo said CRCLon and SPYon now connect with DTC Tokenized Entitlements created through DTCC’s Tokenization Service. Those instruments represent Circle shares and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF. DTCC said tokenized assets retain the same rights and protections as traditional securities. The structure gives Ondo products a clearer bridge into established clearing and settlement systems.

ONDO Price Gains Support From DTCC Tokenized Securities The DTCC development gives Ondo Finance more than another blockchain partnership. It links tokenized stocks with securities held inside DTC’s existing custody framework. The digital entitlements keep matching CUSIP identifiers and market symbols.

That design may appeal to institutions needing familiar ownership records, settlement processes, and operational controls. DTCC plans a broader Tokenization Service launch in October 2026 after limited production activity in July. More than 50 firms joined its industry working group before the initial rollout.

$ONDO jumped ~18% on its tokenized-stock launch, and unlike most catalyst pops, the on-chain side is following.
📈 $ONDO rose from ~$0.31 to ~$0.37 over Jul 14 to 16, roughly +18%, after launching DTCC-backed tokenized stock representations and a partnership with Japan’s SBI… pic.twitter.com/ryz2ljzZXw

— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) July 17, 2026

Ondo’s participation also places its products beside infrastructure used by major banks, asset managers, and exchanges. Still, the connection does not guarantee immediate institutional demand for the ONDO token. Investors must separate product adoption from direct token value capture.

Robinhood’s July launch adds another distribution channel for Ondo Finance. Robinhood Chain now supports stock tokens and DeFi products through an Arbitrum-based network. Ondo’s tokenized assets can gain wider visibility as more users explore onchain equities.

The project also completed a cross-border Treasury redemption pilot with Kinexys, Mastercard, and Ripple in May. Ondo processed the tokenized asset redemption, while bank infrastructure handled the fiat settlement. The transaction showed how public blockchains could connect with established payment rails.

Ondo Perps provides another sign of rising activity around tokenized markets. The platform reported more than $1 billion in seven-day volume. It also crossed $3 billion in cumulative trading volume, showing stronger demand for RWA-based derivatives.

Technical Levels Decide Whether the ONDO Rally Extends The daily chart shows the ONDO price moving above its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day exponential moving averages. Those averages sit near the $0.339 to $0.345 region. The token also crossed the 200-day EMA around $0.376.

That breakout shifts the short-term structure toward buyers. Stronger volume also supports the move and reduces concerns about a thin-liquidity spike. However, the ONDO price now faces resistance between $0.39 and $0.40.

ONDO/USD 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView A daily close above $0.40 could expose the May highs near $0.43 to $0.45. The next larger resistance levels sit around $0.48 and $0.70. Reclaiming those zones would require sustained demand and broader strength across altcoins.

Short-term momentum already looks stretched. The four-hour RSI has reached about 75, placing the market in overbought territory. That reading does not cancel the breakout, but it raises consolidation risk.

The $0.37 to $0.38 area now forms the first support zone. Holding that region would preserve the breakout structure. A loss of $0.37 could send ONDO price toward the moving-average cluster near $0.34.

Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when Paccar (PCAR - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 28. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis truck maker is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.34 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2.2%.

Revenues are expected to be $7.11 billion, up 2.1% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.56% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Paccar?For Paccar, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.45%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Paccar will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Paccar would post earnings of $1.13 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.15, delivering a surprise of +1.77%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Paccar doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Energy stocks have regained momentum in 2026. Oil prices remain well above their long-term averages, global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues to grow, and electricity consumption is accelerating as artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and electrification place new demands on the power grid.

Not every energy company will benefit equally. But if you're looking for stocks with clear catalysts over the next 12 months, these three stand out.

Image source: Getty Images.

ExxonMobil ExxonMobil (XOM +1.97%) has built one of the oil industry's lowest-cost, highest-return businesses. And its biggest advantage is Guyana, where the company has now discovered more than 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, making it one of the largest oil discoveries in decades. Production recently surpassed 700,000 barrels per day, and management expects Guyana to produce about 1.7 million barrels per day by 2030.

That country is also one of the world's lowest-cost oil sources, with break-even prices estimated at less than $35 per barrel. That allows Exxon to remain highly profitable even if crude prices sink.

Today's Change

(

1.97

%) $

2.92

Current Price

$

151.28

The company is also beginning to realize the benefits of its acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. The deal significantly expanded Exxon's position in the Permian Basin, giving it one of the largest unconventional oil portfolios in North America while creating about $4 billion in expected annual integration benefits and operating efficiencies.

Cheniere Energy It's only natural to associate energy with oil, but liquefied natural gas may offer one of the industry's strongest growth opportunities. That's where Cheniere Energy (LNG 1.03%) comes into play.

Cheniere is the largest producer and exporter of LNG in the U.S. As Europe continues replacing Russian natural gas and Asian demand steadily increases, long-term LNG contracts have become increasingly valuable.

The company currently operates seven liquefaction trains at Sabine Pass on the Texas-Louisiana border and another seven at Corpus Christi, Texas. The latter's stage 3 expansion is expected to add another 10 million metric tonnes of LNG production capacity once fully completed. That expansion should significantly increase earnings and cash flow over the next several years.

Today's Change

(

-1.03

%) $

-2.74

Current Price

$

262.21

Cheniere has also become a free-cash-flow powerhouse. In 2025, the company generated $5.29 billion in distributable cash flow, allowing management to aggressively repurchase shares while steadily increasing its dividend.

And unlike traditional exploration and production companies, much of Cheniere's earnings are supported by long-term contracts rather than daily swings in natural gas prices. With global LNG demand expected to continue growing, Cheniere is well positioned to benefit for the foreseeable future.

NextEra Energy NextEra Energy (NEE 0.32%) isn't just the largest renewable energy company in the U.S. It's increasingly becoming one of the biggest beneficiaries of the country's growing electricity demand.

After years of relatively flat power consumption, utilities are preparing for a surge driven by AI data centers, domestic manufacturing, and electrification. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects electricity demand to continue reaching record highs over the coming years. NextEra is well-positioned to capitalize on that trend.

The company currently owns Florida Power & Light, one of the nation's largest regulated electric utilities, serving more than 6 million customer accounts. That business generates stable, recurring earnings regardless of the economy.

At the same time, NextEra Energy Resources has become the world's largest generator of solar and wind power. The company currently has a development backlog in renewable energy and battery storage of about 33 gigawatts, giving it one of the industry's deepest growth pipelines.

Today's Change

(

-0.32

%) $

-0.28

Current Price

$

87.72

The artificial intelligence (AI) building boom could provide another catalyst. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, and tech companies need utilities capable of delivering reliable power while helping meet their clean energy goals. NextEra's combination of regulated utility operations, renewable-power generation, and battery storage puts it in a good position to capture that demand.

Financially, the company continues to execute, too. In 2025, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) increased roughly 8%, and management now expects compound annual adjusted EPS growth of at least 8% through 2032. The dividend has also grown by about a 11% compound annual rate over the past decade.

Outperforming the market Energy isn't just about oil prices. You have a variety of opportunities across traditional oil production, global LNG exports, renewable energy, energy storage, and the infrastructure to support a rapidly expanding electricity infrastructure.

ExxonMobil offers low-cost production growth led by Guyana. Cheniere provides exposure to one of the fastest-growing segments of the energy market through LNG exports. NextEra gives you a way to benefit from rising electricity demand and the continued expansion of renewables.

To be sure, no energy stock is immune to commodity price swings or changes in the broader economy. But these three companies have something many competitors don't: high-quality assets, strong balance sheets, and identifiable catalysts that extend beyond simply hoping oil or natural gas prices move higher. That combination gives them a strong chance of outperforming the broader market over the next 12 months.

Keysight: The AI and Defense Stock Seeing Big Price Target BoostsKeyCorp NYSE: KEY reported higher second-quarter 2026 earnings and raised parts of its full-year outlook, citing stronger commercial loan growth, expanding net interest income and continued momentum in fee-based businesses, while management also addressed investor questions about margin performance, deposit growth and the timing of a recovery in middle-market investment banking.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chris Gorman said KeyCorp earned $0.44 per share in the quarter, up 26% from a year earlier. Revenue rose 7% year-over-year, while pre-provision net revenue increased 9%. The bank’s net interest margin expanded sequentially to 2.89%, and Gorman said the company remains on track to meet or exceed a 3% margin by year-end.

Get KeyCorp alerts:

Banks Are Buying Back Stock Hand Over Fist, Including These 3 Names“Our second quarter results reflect strong business momentum and continued progress against our strategic and financial commitments,” Gorman said.

Commercial Lending Drives Growth KeyCorp’s commercial loan growth was a central focus of the call. Gorman said period-end commercial and industrial loans increased $2.1 billion, or 3%, sequentially, reflecting new client wins and deeper existing relationships. Chief Financial Officer Clark Khayat said average loans rose $2.3 billion sequentially, while period-end loans increased $1.2 billion, as C&I growth was partly offset by the planned runoff of lower-yielding consumer loans.

Intel's New Orbit: From Chip Lag to Leading EdgeKhayat said growth was broad-based across industries and regions, with the largest contributors including utilities, power and renewables, real estate and technology. He also noted that C&I line utilization declined 50 basis points sequentially to 31%, driven by higher commitments.

Management said the bank is intentionally pursuing higher-quality commercial relationships, even where spreads may be somewhat lower. Gorman said about 58% of KeyCorp’s C&I loans are investment grade, and he emphasized that lending is intended to lead to broader relationships in payments, hedging, advisory and other services.

“In order to get the kind of returns that we have to get, we’ve got to do a lot more things for them,” Gorman said.

Guidance Raised on Loan Momentum KeyCorp raised several full-year 2026 guidance metrics. Khayat said the bank now expects revenue to grow 7% to 8%, compared with previous guidance of approximately 7%. Full-year net interest income is now expected to increase 9% to 11%, compared with the prior range of 9% to 10%.

The company also raised its average loan growth forecast to 4% to 5%, from 2% to 4%, and now expects average commercial loans to increase 8% to 10% this year.

Khayat said the updated outlook reflects strong first-half loan growth, success adding and expanding client relationships, and healthy commercial loan pipelines. Gorman said the bank expects revenue to grow about twice as fast as expenses in 2026, producing substantial positive operating leverage.

KeyCorp expects to exit the year with a net interest margin of 3% to 3.05%. Khayat said more than $9 billion of low-yielding fixed assets are expected to reprice through year-end, with a pickup of about 1.25%, helping support margin expansion. He also said the bank expects average client deposits to grow by more than 2% through year-end, largely from core operating deposits.

Deposit Costs and Margin Questions Draw Analyst Focus Analysts repeatedly questioned management about the bank’s margin trajectory after second-quarter net interest margin rose less than expected. Khayat said the quarter reflected stronger-than-expected loan growth, tighter spreads on higher-quality loans and a temporary need for wholesale funding as deposits reached a seasonal low in May.

“We chose to fill that with wholesale funds rather than reprice the client deposit base because the expectation is we’re going to see some good deposit growth here in the second half,” Khayat said.

Average deposits were relatively flat sequentially and year-over-year, while total deposit costs declined two basis points to 1.63%. Average non-interest-bearing deposits increased 2.3% sequentially and represented 19% of total deposits, or 24% when adjusted for hybrid accounts. Khayat said end-of-quarter deposit balances of $153 billion were temporarily elevated by about $4 billion because of transaction timing among relationship clients.

In response to investor questions, Khayat said KeyCorp has good visibility into expected deposit growth, largely from commercial relationship clients. Gorman added that the bank has been focused for years on primacy in commercial relationships, saying KeyCorp has primacy in 82% of its commercial deposits.

Fee Businesses Show Mixed Trends KeyCorp’s fee-based businesses remained an area of emphasis. Gorman said investment banking, commercial payments and wealth collectively grew 8% in the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025.

Investment banking and debt placement fees totaled $169 million in the second quarter. For the first half, investment banking fees were $366 million, up 4% from the year-ago period. Gorman acknowledged that investment banking results were below the company’s expectations in the quarter but said pipelines remain strong. Khayat said overall investment banking pipelines were up 9% from the prior quarter, while M&A pipelines rose 7% to a record level.

KeyCorp expects third-quarter investment banking fees to be up more than 20% sequentially and continues to target mid-single-digit investment banking fee growth for the full year. Gorman said middle-market M&A activity has lagged larger transactions, noting that 40% of KeyCorp’s investment banking fees are driven by private equity.

“I think we are in the early innings of the renaissance of middle market M&A,” Gorman said in response to an analyst question.

In commercial payments, Gorman said total gross payment fees increased 12% year-over-year, helped by investments in bankers and embedded banking. In wealth management, assets under management reached a record $74 billion. Since launching its Mass Affluent strategy in 2023, KeyCorp has added 59,000 households, more than $4 billion of assets under management and nearly $8 billion of total client assets, Gorman said.

Credit, Capital and Strategic Investments Asset quality remained broadly stable, though non-performing assets increased. Khayat said net charge-offs were $115 million, or 42 basis points of average loans, and criticized loans were relatively stable at 4.9%. Non-performing assets rose $126 million sequentially to 74 basis points of loans, largely tied to three credits in real estate, consumer goods and agriculture.

Chief Risk Officer Mohit Ramani said the migration was not related to private credit and did not indicate a broader macro trend. He said KeyCorp continues to expect full-year net charge-offs of 40 to 45 basis points.

“Overall, we don’t feel like a lot of loss content relative to this move,” Ramani said.

KeyCorp reported a CET1 ratio of 11.2% and a marked CET1 ratio of 9.8% at quarter-end. Gorman said the company repurchased more than $340 million of common stock during the quarter and remains on pace to repurchase at least $1.3 billion for the year. Khayat suggested investors assume about $300 million of repurchases per quarter in the second half.

The company also announced an agreement during the quarter to acquire Clearwater U.K., which Gorman described as a strategic extension of KeyCorp’s middle-market advisory franchise. He said the transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2026, will expand the bank’s ability to serve M&A clients and prospects internationally.

Gorman said that despite macroeconomic uncertainty, KeyCorp enters the second half of the year with strong momentum and remains confident in its ability to generate a return on tangible common equity above 15% by the end of 2027, on the way to its longer-term 16% to 19% target.

About KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY)KeyCorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that operates through its primary banking subsidiary, KeyBank. It provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies and large corporations. KeyBank's offerings span traditional deposit and lending products as well as more specialized financial solutions designed for commercial and institutional clients.

The company's product and service mix includes retail banking products such as checking and savings accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and auto financing.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

Should You Invest $1,000 in KeyCorp Right Now?Before you consider KeyCorp, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and KeyCorp wasn't on the list.

While KeyCorp currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

MarketBeat just released its list of the 7 hottest IPOs expected to hit Wall Street in 2026. See which companies are preparing to go public and why investors are watching closely.

Get This Free Report

The upcoming report from Snap-On (SNA - Free Report) is expected to reveal quarterly earnings of $4.90 per share, indicating an increase of 3.8% compared to the year-ago period. Analysts forecast revenues of $1.22 billion, representing an increase of 3.6% year over year.

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reassessed their initial estimates during this timeframe.

Ahead of a company's earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as indicators of quarterly business performance, exploring analysts' projections for specific key metrics can offer valuable insights.

Bearing this in mind, let's now explore the average estimates of specific Snap-On metrics that are commonly monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts.

Analysts forecast 'Net Sales- Financial Services Revenue' to reach $102.57 million. The estimate points to a change of +0.9% from the year-ago quarter.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Net Sales- Repair Systems & Information Group' of $488.12 million. The estimate indicates a change of +4.2% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Net Sales- Snap-on Tools Group' reaching $504.15 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +2.7%.

The average prediction of analysts places 'Net Sales- Commercial & Industrial Group' at $366.85 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +5.5%.

The consensus estimate for 'Operating earnings / (losses)- Financial services' stands at $69.07 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $68.20 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Operating earnings / (losses)- Commercial & Industrial Group' should arrive at $56.51 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $46.90 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Operating earnings / (losses)- Snap-on Tools Group' will reach $119.05 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $116.70 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Operating earnings / (losses)- Repair Systems & Information Group' will reach $122.69 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $119.80 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Snap-On here>>>

Shares of Snap-On have experienced a change of +4.1% in the past month compared to the -0.6% move of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), SNA is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Aster Chain has officially flipped the switch on its mainnet, and the numbers suggest people were already waiting at the door. The privacy-focused Layer 1 blockchain reports 450 million $ASTER tokens staked and 112 real-world asset markets live, marking a significant milestone for a project that started life as a decentralized perpetual futures exchange on BNB Chain.

From DEX to sovereign chain Aster’s mainnet genesis went live on March 17-18, 2026, completing the project’s transformation from a multi-chain decentralized exchange into a full-blown Layer 1 blockchain.

The technical foundation runs on zero-knowledge proofs, a cryptographic method that lets one party prove something is true without revealing the underlying data. In English: you can verify transactions happened without exposing who sent what to whom.

The chain achieves 50-millisecond block times. For context, Ethereum’s block time hovers around 12 seconds, and even Solana targets roughly 400 milliseconds. Aster is claiming speeds that would make it one of the fastest settlement layers in crypto, which matters enormously for the derivatives trading that remains its core use case.

Advertisement

The project has secured backing from YZi Labs, the family office of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.

450 million tokens locked up The 450 million $ASTER tokens staked on the network secure the chain through proof-of-stake consensus. Public staking is now live, meaning anyone can participate in securing the network and earning rewards.

The transition from a DEX running on someone else’s blockchain to a sovereign chain with its own validator set gives Aster control over its own consensus rules, fee structures, and upgrade timelines without depending on the roadmap of another network.

Real-world assets enter the chat The 112 RWA markets represent Aster’s push beyond pure crypto trading into tokenized versions of traditional financial instruments. This includes stock perpetuals, which let traders gain exposure to equity price movements without actually holding shares, all settled on-chain.

The privacy angle is particularly relevant. Traditional finance institutions exploring on-chain trading have consistently flagged transaction privacy as a dealbreaker. ZK proofs enable verifiable transactions without public exposure of trade details.

Aster also upgraded its trading features during the first half of 2026, adding advanced order types that bring it closer to the functionality traders expect from centralized exchanges.

What this means for investors The competitive landscape includes dYdX, which migrated to its own Cosmos-based chain, and Hyperliquid, which built a custom Layer 1 for perpetuals. Aster is entering the same arena with a differentiated bet on ZK privacy.

The roadmap includes permissionless elements, governance upgrades, and developer tools called Aster Code.

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

Washington is finally doing something about crypto regulation, and Bitcoin is noticing. Crypto markets have started moving again after months of sideways action, with the catalyst being renewed signals from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is on a real legislative timeline.

Bessent has been vocal about urgency, pushing for Senate passage this summer before the August recess. Hearings are scheduled around the week of July 20, which means the window is narrow and the pressure is real.

What the Clarity Act actually does The bill’s formal name is the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, or the CLARITY Act, filed as H.R.3633. Here’s the core problem it solves: for years, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and essentially every other digital asset have existed in a regulatory no-man’s land between the SEC and the CFTC. The CLARITY Act draws a cleaner boundary, defining which assets fall under SEC oversight and which belong to the CFTC.

The House already passed the bill on July 17, 2025, by a vote of 294 to 134. That’s a comfortable bipartisan margin, not the kind of partisan squeaker that tends to die in the Senate.

Advertisement

Where the Senate stumbles Senate negotiations have snagged on two specific issues: stablecoin yield provisions and DeFi regulations. Stablecoin yield language determines whether interest-bearing stablecoins get treated like money market funds or something else entirely, which has enormous implications for products that crypto companies are already building.

A breakthrough on the stablecoin yield language was reportedly reached in March 2026, clearing one of the bigger obstacles. The DeFi provisions and Republican vote-securing remain the outstanding work.

Bessent published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on April 8, 2026, framing inaction as a competitive risk. His argument was direct: if the US doesn’t establish clear rules, capital and talent will flow to jurisdictions that have. Europe’s MiCA framework is already operational.

Why markets are reacting now Bessent signaling a real summer timeline changes the probability calculus. Institutional players who have been waiting for a cleaner legal environment now have a specific window to watch. If the Senate moves before the August recess, the regulatory environment for crypto in the US looks materially different in Q4 than it did six months ago.

For Bitcoin specifically, Bitcoin’s regulatory status as a commodity has been relatively settled for some time, meaning the CLARITY Act’s direct impact on Bitcoin is less about its own classification and more about the ecosystem around it. More institutional infrastructure, cleaner on-ramps, and a more stable regulatory environment for exchanges and custody providers all feed into Bitcoin demand indirectly.

The broader market, including assets whose commodity-versus-security status remains genuinely contested, stands to benefit more directly from the bill’s classification framework. A token that gets a clean CFTC designation under the new rules faces a fundamentally different compliance burden than one stuck in SEC limbo.

Watch the week of July 20 closely. If Senate hearings produce meaningful committee progress before the August recess, expect that to function as a positive catalyst. If negotiations stall and the bill gets pushed to September or later, some of the optimism currently priced into the market will need to unwind.

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

Summary

Senate negotiators settled the ethics dispute that had stalled the CLARITY Act for weeks. Bitcoin climbed toward $67,000 as spot ETFs extended a multi-day streak of net inflows. Republicans still need several Senate Democrats to cross over before a floor vote can happen. Prediction markets raised their odds on passage but still see the timeline as tight. Bitcoin climbed toward $67,000 on Tuesday after Senate negotiators reached a compromise on the ethics language that had frozen the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act for weeks. Senator Cynthia Lummis, Senator Bernie Moreno and White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt finalized an agreement that hands enforcement of new conflict-of-interest rules to the Department of Justice rather than to individual state attorneys general. Traders read the deal as the clearest signal yet that a Senate floor vote could arrive within days. Bitcoin’s price reaction, a move from the low $64,000s to a fresh local high near $66,872, reflected that shift in expectations before the political story even finished developing.

Crypto in America host Eleanor Terrett first reported the agreement Monday night, citing multiple industry sources briefed on the language. Witt confirmed his own continued involvement hours later, thanking the president and White House adviser David Sacks for the chance to see the effort through.

How a Justice Department Clause Broke a Weeks-Long Standoff The CLARITY Act itself was never really the sticking point. The bill hands primary oversight of spot crypto markets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, leaves securities-like tokens under the SEC, sets formal bankruptcy protections for exchange customer funds, and carves out safe harbors for DeFi developers. That package had broad support months ago. What stalled it was a single clause. Democrats led by Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Ruben Gallego wanted guardrails preventing the president, vice president and members of Congress from using their offices to profit off personal digital asset holdings, a provision aimed squarely at Trump, whose 2025 disclosures showed $1.4 billion in crypto-related income through World Liberty Financial and a string of personalized memecoins.

The fix that unlocked the deal was procedural rather than substantive. Instead of letting individual state attorneys general enforce the ethics rules, which risked fifty different interpretations and years of litigation, the DOJ takes sole enforcement authority. That gives the bill one federal standard instead of a patchwork, which is precisely what institutional players wanted before committing capital to products built around the new rules.

ETF Buyers Were Already Positioning Before the Political News Broke The legislative breakthrough triggered Tuesday’s price spike, but the money underneath it had been arriving for days. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $226.92 million in net inflows on Monday alone, extending a five-day streak that now totals $727.3 million. BlackRock’s IBIT, Fidelity’s FBTC and Grayscale’s GBTC led the buying. That run has pushed year-to-date net outflows back below $5 billion, clawing back a meaningful chunk of the $7.5 billion that left the ETF complex during the brutal mid-May to late-June downturn. Total ETF market capitalization has rebounded from a low of $75 billion to $79 billion.

Monday Net Inflow

$226.92M

5-Day Streak Total

$727.3M

YTD Net Outflows

Below $5B

ETF Market Cap

$79B

up from $75B low

Leading funds: BlackRock IBIT, Fidelity FBTC, Grayscale GBTC

A Triangle Nearing Its Breakout Point The weekly chart adds a layer Tuesday’s rally doesn’t show on its own. Bitcoin has spent months carving out a symmetrical triangle, a descending line off the $130,000 peak converging against an ascending line off the $60,000 lows, and price is now trading right at that apex. That’s typically where a breakout happens, not further consolidation, since the range between the two trendlines has narrowed to almost nothing.

The 50-week moving average, sitting near $89,700, tells the more sobering part of the story. Price remains well below it, and the weekly RSI at 32.89 stays under the neutral 50 mark, both consistent with a market still working through a correction rather than confirming a fresh uptrend. None of that erases Tuesday’s move. It does mean the CLARITY Act news and ETF inflows are landing on a chart that hasn’t broken out of its longer-term downtrend yet, so the triangle’s resolution in the coming weeks, not any single day’s headline, is what will show whether this rally has real follow-through.

$97,900
Prior resistance / SMA rollover zone

$89,700
50-week SMA

$66,855
Current price

32.89
Weekly RSI, below neutral 50

The Seven Democrats Standing Between the Bill and a Vote Republicans hold 53 Senate seats. Breaking a filibuster requires 60 votes, meaning at least seven Democrats need to cross the aisle, and as of Tuesday not one has publicly signed onto or even reviewed the finalized text. Advocacy groups including Indivisible are already campaigning against the bill, framing it as a deregulation vehicle built to benefit crypto holders in office rather than protect consumers. Senator Moreno has called the new ethics framework the strongest of any bill Congress has passed, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune could bring it to the floor within days if he chooses to. Whether he does remains the open question.

Polymarket puts implied odds on 2026 passage at 43%, up from 32% within hours of the ethics deal. Kalshi caps the probability of the bill becoming law this year at 36%, citing the narrow runway before the August 8 recess. Dan Gambardello remains cautious, pointing to the absence of any public Democratic commitment to the finalized text. What Would Actually Change if Thune Schedules a Vote This Week A scheduled floor vote, on its own, becomes the next catalyst regardless of how the count eventually lands. Markets have already shown they will move on the possibility of a vote, not just its outcome. If Thune sets a date and the released text shows real bipartisan concessions, the bull case points to a run through resistance toward $74,300, the midpoint of this year’s consolidation range, with room to extend toward $84,000. If Democrats reject the DOJ provision as toothless, or the Federal Reserve delivers a hawkish hold at its late-July meeting, the bear case opens a retest of $58,000 with a deeper slide toward $51,000 on the table.

Two forces sit underneath either outcome. A proposed 10-day ceasefire reviving the US-Iran interim deal has pulled oil prices lower, easing inflation pressure and adding to risk appetite, while Russia’s push to legalize crypto for cross-border trade settlement is adding pressure on Washington to finish its own framework before lawmakers leave for August recess. Working against the rally, the Coinbase Premium Index, which tracks US institutional demand against retail, remains negative at -0.062, and roughly $2.3 billion in stablecoin liquidity has left Binance and Bybit over the past month, leaving less capital sitting on exchanges ready to absorb a sudden swing in either direction. Thune’s calendar, not the vote count itself, is what traders will be refreshing first.

Analysts on Wall Street project that RPM International (RPM - Free Report) will announce quarterly earnings of $1.84 per share in its forthcoming report, representing an increase of 7% year over year. Revenues are projected to reach $2.19 billion, increasing 5% from the same quarter last year.

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has undergone a downward revision of 1.3% in the past 30 days, bringing it to its present level. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reassessed their initial estimates during this timeframe.

Prior to a company's earnings release, it is of utmost importance to factor in any revisions made to the earnings projections. These revisions serve as a critical gauge for predicting potential investor behaviors with respect to the stock. Empirical studies consistently reveal a strong link between trends in earnings estimate revisions and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to gauge how the business may have fared during the quarter, examining analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics often helps gain a deeper insight.

With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some RPM International metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Net Sales- Construction Products Group/ CPG' will reach $891.00 million. The estimate suggests a change of +10% year over year.

The consensus estimate for 'Net Sales- Consumer Segment' stands at $751.41 million. The estimate indicates a change of +8.7% from the prior-year quarter.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Net Sales- Performance Coatings Group/ PCG' of $549.23 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +37.6%.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Adjusted EBIT- Consumer Segment' should come in at $128.59 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $122.47 million in the same quarter last year.

Analysts predict that the 'Adjusted EBIT- Performance Coatings Group/ PCG' will reach $76.55 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $57.77 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Adjusted EBIT- Construction Products Group/ CPG' will reach $173.82 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $158.11 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for RPM International here>>>

Shares of RPM International have demonstrated returns of -5.5% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.6% change. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), RPM is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .