Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Key Takeaways Boston Beer's Q2 EPS fell 33% y/y to $3.65, while revenues declined 3.3% to $568 million.SAM's depletions dropped 6% as weakness across key brands offset growth in Sun Cruiser and Angry Orchard.SAM cut its 2026 capital spending forecast to $60-$80 million from $70-$90 million. The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (SAM - Free Report) reported lower-than-expected revenues and earnings in second-quarter 2026. The top and bottom lines also fell year over year. It posted second-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.65, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.77. The reported number decreased 33% from the year-ago figure.

Net revenues declined 3.3% to $568 million and missed the consensus estimate of $572 million by 0.7%. Higher advertising, promotional and selling expenses, along with lower volumes, weighed on results.

SAM Faces Weaker Volumes and Brand PressureDepletions dipped 6% in the quarter, while shipment volume declined 4.5% to about 2 million barrels. Lower shipments of Twisted Tea, Truly, Samuel Adams, Hard Mountain Dew and Dogfish Head more than offset growth in Sun Cruiser and Angry Orchard.

Year-to-date depletions through the 26-week period ended June 27, 2026, decreased roughly 5% from the comparable period in 2025.

Boston Beer said distributor inventories were appropriate at the quarter-end and averaged roughly four and a half weeks on hand, unchanged from the comparable 2025 period. Favorable product mix and pricing partly cushioned the impact of lower volumes.

Analysis of Boston Beer’s Q2 Margins & ExpensesSAM reported a gross margin of 50.4%, up 60 basis points (bps) from the second quarter of 2025, benefiting from price increases, a favorable product mix, procurement savings and enhanced brewery efficiencies. The gain was partly offset by inflationary, commodity and tariff costs. Gross margin also included $1.6 million of shortfall fees and non-cash expenses of third-party production pre-payments in total, which hurt the metric by nearly 28 bps on an absolute basis.

Advertising, promotional and selling expenses increased 16.4%, or $26.2 million, from the prior-year quarter. The increase included $17.5 million of higher brand, local marketing and point-of-sale investments.

Freight costs rose $8.6 million because of higher rates, partly offset by lower volumes. General and administrative expenses increased $3.1 million, mainly because of higher legal fees and salary and benefit costs.

SAM Maintains Liquidity and Returns Cash to HoldersBoston Beer ended the quarter with $265.5 million in cash and no debt. Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $117.6 million for the first 26 weeks of 2026, while capital expenditures were $22.9 million.

The company repurchased $54.1 million of Class A shares from Dec. 29, 2025, through July 17, 2026. About $174 million remained under its board-authorized $1.6 billion repurchase limit as of July 17.

SAM Updates 2026 GuidanceBoston Beer updated its full-year 2026 guidance while cautioning that results remain sensitive to volume trends, supply-chain execution, inflation, commodity costs and tariff policies. The company continues to expect depletions and shipments to decline in the low-single-digit to mid-single-digit range, with price increases of 1-2%. It raised the lower end of its gross margin outlook to 48.5% from 48%, while retaining the upper end at 50%. Tariff costs are still projected at $20-$30 million.

Management lowered its anticipated year-over-year increase in advertising, promotional and selling expenses to $0-$20 million from $20-$40 million expected earlier. It also revised the GAAP loss outlook to $6.23-$4.23 per share from a loss of $7.02-$5.02, reflecting a reduced litigation-related impact of $14.73 per share versus $15.52 previously. The adjusted tax rate forecast remains 29-30%, while adjusted earnings guidance was maintained at $8.50-$10.50 per share. Capital spending is now expected to be $60-$80 million, down from the prior projection of $70-$90 million.

The company continues to monitor commodity inflation, particularly energy costs, which affect freight and aluminum expenses. Supply-chain improvements implemented in 2025 have helped stabilize distributor inventory levels, though shipment timing is expected to influence second-half comparisons. Boston Beer anticipates shipments to decline in the low- to mid-single-digit range in the third quarter, followed by modest growth in the fourth quarter.

Gross margin improvement is expected to be most pronounced in the fourth quarter, aided by lower shortfall fees compared with the prior year. However, shortfall fees and non-cash expenses related to third-party production prepayments are still projected to reduce full-year gross margin by 40-60 basis points. Advertising investment is expected to decline year over year in the fourth quarter due to lower planned spending and a tough comparison with elevated production costs in the prior-year period.

This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s shares have declined 25.5% in the past three months, underperforming the industry’s 3.8% growth.

SAM Stock's Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks have been discussed below:

Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FMX - Free Report) operates as a franchise bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages worldwide. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FMX's current fiscal-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 17.3% and 131%, respectively. FMX delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of nearly 17%, on average.

Mama's Creations, Inc. (MAMA - Free Report) manufactures and markets fresh deli-prepared foods in the United States. At present, the company flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. Mama's Creations delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 129.2%, on average.

The consensus estimate for Mama's Creations’ current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 30% and 73.3%, respectively, from the year-ago figures.

The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (COCO - Free Report) develops, manufactures, markets and distributes coconut water products under the Vita Coco brand name. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COCO's current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 22.3% and 48.7%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. COCO delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.7%, on average.

Investors interested in Insurance - Multi line stocks are likely familiar with Radian (RDN) and Axa Sa (AXAHY). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now?

SEI Investments (SEIC - Free Report) could be a solid choice for investors given the company's remarkably improving earnings outlook. While the stock has been a strong performer lately, this trend might continue since analysts are still raising their earnings estimates for the company.

Analysts' growing optimism on the earnings prospects of this investment management firm is driving estimates higher, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. This insight is at the core of our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

Consensus earnings estimates for the next quarter and full year have moved considerably higher for SEI Investments, as there has been strong agreement among the covering analysts in raising estimates.

The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Current-Quarter Estimate RevisionsThe company is expected to earn $1.59 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of +22.3%.

Over the last 30 days, four estimates have moved higher for SEI compared to no negative revisions. As a result, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased 6.01%.

Current-Year Estimate RevisionsThe company is expected to earn $6.20 per share for the full year, which represents a change of +10.1% from the prior-year number.

There has been an encouraging trend in estimate revisions for the current year as well. Over the past month, four estimates have moved up for SEI versus no negative revisions. This has pushed the consensus estimate 5.4% higher.

Favorable Zacks RankThanks to promising estimate revisions, SEI currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision.

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

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom LineWhile strong estimate revisions for SEI have attracted decent investments and pushed the stock 10% higher over the past four weeks, further upside may still be left in the stock. So, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.

Key Takeaways Liquidia is seeing rapid YUTREPIA adoption, rising referrals, more prescribers and market-share gains.Energy Transfer's 140,000-mile pipeline network supports stable fee-based revenue across key U.S. basins.PBF Energy may benefit as strong refinery utilization offsets high-oil-price input costs. Oil prices are climbing again as the Iran war intensifies. This is creating uncertainty, and the market will likely be volatile. With fears dominating the market, it is an ideal time for investors to increase their allocation to low-beta companies. Stocks that seem to be good bets now are Liquidia Corporation (LQDA - Free Report) , Energy Transfer LP (ET - Free Report) and PBF Energy Inc. (PBF - Free Report) .

What Does Beta of a Stock Measure?

Beta measures the volatility or risk of a particular asset compared to the market. In other words, beta measures the extent of a security’s price movement relative to the market. In this article, we are considering the S&P 500 as the market.

If a stock has a beta of 1, then the price of the stock will move with the market. So, the stock is more volatile than the market if its beta is more than 1. In the same way, the stock is not as volatile as the market if its beta is less than 1.

For example, if the market offers a return of 20%, a stock with a beta of 3 will return 60%, which is overwhelming. Similarly, when the market slips 20%, the stock will sink 60%, which is devastating.

Screening Criteria Using Research Wizard:

We have taken a beta between 0 and 0.6 as our prime criterion for screening stocks that are less volatile than the market. However, this should not be the only factor to be considered while selecting a winning strategy. We need to take into account other parameters that can add value to the portfolio.

Percentage Change in Price in the Last 4 Weeks Greater Than Zero: This ensures that the stocks saw positive price movement over the last month.

Average 20-Day Volume Greater Than 50,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that the stocks are easily tradable.

Price Greater Than or Equal to $5: They must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.

Zacks Rank Equal to 1 (Strong Buy):Zacks Rank #1 stocks indicate that they will significantly outperform the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Here are three of the 24 stocks that qualified for the screening:

Liquidia

Liquidia is experiencing rapid growth in YUTREPIA adoption, with increasing patient referrals, expanding prescriber base and rising market share. The company has achieved profitability and is generating positive cash flow, supported by a strong cash position. It is also pursuing expansion into additional indications and larger market opportunities through ongoing and planned clinical developments.

Energy Transfer

Energy Transfer has a stable business model with its huge pipeline network of natural gas, oil and refined petroleum products across 140,000 miles. The partnership has midstream assets in all the key basins in the United States, generating stable fee-based revenues.

The partnership has offered a higher dividend yield than the composite stocks belonging to the industry over the past three consecutive years. For this year, the partnership is likely to see earnings growth of 18.2%.

PBF Energy

PBF Energy is among the leading refiners in the United States. Strong refinery utilization in the United States to meet resilient demand is expected to continue to offset the negative impacts of elevated input costs, driven by high oil prices. This is possibly aiding PBF’s bottom line.

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Associated Banc-Corp (ASB - Free Report) is headquartered in Green Bay, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of 17.47% since the start of the year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.24 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 3.17%. In comparison, the Banks - Midwest industry's yield is 2.51%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.33%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $0.96 is up 3.2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Associated Banc-Corp has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 5.59%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Associated Banc-Corp's current payout ratio is 33%, meaning it paid out 33% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for ASB for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $2.91 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 5.05%.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. Income investors must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, ASB is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 24, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE: BTU) between October 14, 2024 to May 4, 2026, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 24, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Peabody Energy common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Peabody Energy class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/peabody-energy-corporation/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 24, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants provided overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Peabody Energy's Centurion mine and the multitude of issues causing delays to the ramp-up and the return to full longwall production dates. On March 30, 2026, Peabody Energy issued a press release lowering guidance pertaining to Centurion mine's expected first quarter 2026 output ahead of Peabody Energy's full earnings release. In pertinent part, defendants announced that sales volume from the Centurion mine was expected to deliver approximately 250,000 tons in the first quarter due to mining commissioning challenges (compared to previous estimates of around 700,000 tons). When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Peabody Energy class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/peabody-energy-corporation/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/306469

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.

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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (LW) Q4 2026 Earnings Call July 24, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Debbie Hancock - Vice President of Investor Relations
Jan Eli B. Craps - Executive Chair
Mike Smith - President, CEO & Director
James Gray - Chief Financial Officer

Conference Call Participants

Andrew Lazar - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division
Peter Galbo - BofA Securities, Research Division
Thomas Palmer - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Max Andrew Gumport - BNP Paribas, Research Division
Scott Marks - Jefferies LLC, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Good day, and welcome to the Lamb Weston Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2026 Earnings Call. Today's call is being recorded. At this time, I'd like to turn the call over to Debbie Hancock. Please go ahead.

Debbie Hancock
Vice President of Investor Relations

Thank you. Good morning, and thank you for joining us for Lamb Weston's Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2026 Earnings Call. I'm Debbie Hancock, Lamb Weston's Vice President of Investor Relations. Earlier today, we issued our press release and posted slides that we will use for our discussion today. You will find both on our website at lambweston.com.

Please note that during our remarks, we will make forward-looking statements about the company's expected performance that are based on our current expectations. Actual results may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties. Please refer to the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in our SEC filings for more details on our forward-looking statements.

Some of today's remarks include non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a replacement for and should be read together with our GAAP results. You can find the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations in our earnings release in the appendix to our presentation. Joining me today are Jan Craps, Executive Chair; Mike Smith, President and CEO; and Jim Gray, Chief Financial Officer.

Key Takeaways AppFolio beat Q2 earnings and revenue estimates as Value Added Services and premium tiers grew.APPF raised 2026 revenue and non-GAAP operating margin guidance after a strong second quarter.AppFolio expanded premium-tier adoption, boosted cash flow and grew units under management to 9.6 million. AppFolio, Inc. (APPF - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 non-GAAP earnings of $1.71 per share, which increased 23.9% year over year. The bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.67 by 2.4%.

Revenues rose 19.3% to $281 million and beat the consensus mark of $277 million by 1.5%. Growth reflected strength in Value Added Services, premium-tier adoption and new customer wins. Units under management increased 8% to 9.6 million.

APPF's Q2 Revenue Mix StrengthensSubscription Services revenues increased 14% year over year to $59.8 million. Management attributed the gain to new customer additions, growth in units under management and continued upgrades to the Plus and Max premium tiers.

Value Added Services revenues advanced 21.8% to $219.5 million, led by FolioGuard risk mitigation services, FolioScreen offerings and online payments. Resident Onboarding Lift, Move-In Services through LiveEasy and Realm-X Performers also contributed a growing share. Other revenues declined 37.2% to $1.9 million.

AppFolio Expands Platform AdoptionAppFolio ended the quarter with 22,751 customers, up 6% from 21,403 a year earlier. Nearly one in three units was on a premium tier compared with approximately one in four previously, indicating deeper adoption of the company’s Plus and Max offerings.

The company expanded Realm-X Flows, its workflow orchestration layer, to five times the number of triggers and more than 1,000 conditional routing options. Among customers using Flows, runs grew at a triple-digit rate across lead nurturing, rental applications, move-ins, delinquency and renewals.

Leasing Performer was involved in roughly half of completed showings for customers that deployed it. Bluestone’s use of the product handled more than 10,000 leads, 55% of which arrived after hours, while delivering an average response time of less than nine seconds.

APPF Widens Operating MarginsNon-GAAP operating income grew 23.8% year over year to $76.2 million. The non-GAAP operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 27.1%, reflecting operating leverage as revenues grew faster than several expense categories.

GAAP operating income increased 30.8% to $53 million, while the corresponding margin improved 160 basis points to 18.8%. GAAP net income rose 15.5% to $41.5 million.

Non-GAAP cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, was 36% of revenues, up from 35%. Operating efficiencies were offset by the payments product mix and incremental data-center capacity supporting increased customer use of AI capabilities.
Research and development declined to 15% of revenues from 16%, aided by productivity gains from AI tools. Sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses remained at 14% and 7% of revenues, respectively. The workforce grew 3% to 1,732 employees.

AppFolio's Cash Flow and Balance SheetOperating cash flow totaled $87.6 million, up 66.4% from $52.6 million in the year-ago quarter. The measure represented 31.2% of revenues compared with 22.3% a year earlier, highlighting stronger cash conversion alongside profit growth.

APPF ended June with $217.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $4.3 million in current investment securities. The company had no borrowings under its $150 million revolving credit facility and remained in compliance with its covenants.

The company did not repurchase shares during the second quarter after spending $125 million on buybacks in the first quarter. Management said its capital-allocation priorities remain focused on business investment, with repurchases conducted opportunistically.

APPF Raises 2026 OutlookAppFolio raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $1.117-$1.127 billion. The midpoint implies 18% growth, supported by premium-tier adoption, new business units and increased use of offerings, including agentic AI Performers and resident services. The Zacks Consensus Estimates for AppFolio’s revenues are pegged at $1.12 billion, implying a year-over-year increase of 17.5%.

The outlook assumes a more moderate pace of unit expansion among existing customers, while new customer acquisition and retention remain healthy. Management expects Subscription Services and Value Added Services seasonality to be broadly consistent with 2025.

The company also lifted its non-GAAP operating margin outlook to 26.5-28%. Management expects cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, to remain relatively flat as a percentage of revenues compared with 2025. Diluted weighted-average shares are projected at approximately 36 million.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AppFolio’s earnings in 2026 is pegged at $6.75, implying a year-over-year increase of 28%.

Zacks Rank and Stocks to ConsiderCurrently, TXN carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better top-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector are Analog Devices (ADI - Free Report) , Applied Materials (AMAT - Free Report) and Cisco Systems (CSCO - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shares of Analog Devices have rallied 69.6% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADI’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $12.42 per share, down by a penny over the past seven days, indicating an increase of 59.4% year over year.

Shares of Applied Materials have skyrocketed 196.2% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMAT’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $12.14 per share, up by a penny over the past seven days, indicating a rise of 28.9% year over year.

Cisco Systems shares have surged 63.6% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CSCO’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $4.28 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating an increase of 12.3% year over year.

KLAC heads into fiscal Q4 earnings with AI-driven demand and advanced packaging growth, while higher DRAM costs pressure margins.

Key Takeaways Cadence reports Q2 results on July 27, with EPS and revenues expected to rise more than 20%.Recurring revenues, an $8 billion backlog and rising EDA spending support Cadence's outlook.Macroeconomic uncertainty, U.S.-China tensions and stiff competition remain concerns. Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS - Free Report) will release results for the second quarter of 2026 on July 27.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings is $2.05 per share, unchanged in the past 60 days. The consensus mark implies a 24.2% increase from the year-ago actual. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pinned at $1.58 billion, indicating a nearly 23.6% uptick from the year-ago actual.

Management expects revenues to be $1.555-$1.595 billion for the second quarter. The company reported sales of $1.275 billion in the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP EPS is anticipated to be between $2.02 and $2.08. The company reported an EPS of $1.65 in the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP operating margin is estimated to be between 44.5% and 45.5% in the second quarter.

Cadence has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 5.48%.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CDNS stock has gained 2.7% in the past six months against the Computer-Software industry’s decline of 22.7%. The S&P 500 composite and the Zacks Computer and Technology sector have risen 5.6% and 8.7%, respectively, in the same time frame.

Factors Shaping CDNS’ Q2 ResultsBroad-based momentum across electronic design automation (“EDA”), IP and System Design & Analysis (“SDA”), supported by robust bookings, improving pricing dynamics and sustained demand tied to AI-driven semiconductor complexity, remains a key catalyst.

AI has been driving a major transformation in semiconductor and system design and Cadence is deeply integrated into this shift. Design activity across several verticals, especially data centers, drones, robotics and automotive, has been robust, due to AI, hyperscale computing and 5G. The focus on Generative AI, Agentic AI and Physical AI has been leading to an exponential increase in computing demand and semiconductor innovation.

Rising customer R&D investments in AI-driven automation have been creating a favorable demand environment for Cadence. On the last earnings call, Management noted that EDA spending has now increased from approximately 7% to 11% of customer R&D budgets, and this is expected to rise further with AI-driven automation.

The launch of ChipStack AI Super Agent (February 2026), the industry’s first agentic AI workflow purpose-built for front-end silicon design and verification, bodes well. Cadence acquired Chipstack, which provides agentic AI solutions for chip verification, in November 2025. On the last earnings call, the company emphasized its agentic AI strategy, including the launch of AgentStack framework and new AI Super Agents (ViraStack and InnoStack) that are designed to automate more of the chip design workflow. Cadence expects agentic tools to drive higher EDA consumption and usage across its platform as customers run more simulations, verification and implementation cycles.

Cadence’s ratable software model and high mix of recurring revenues are other positives. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Cadence had a backlog of $8 billion.

The company has been collaborating with several tech giants, including Qualcomm and NVIDIA, on their next-generation AI designs across both training and inference. Expanding partnerships with its foundry partners, like Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Intel and Arm Holdings, bodes well.

Ongoing uncertainty prevailing over global macroeconomic conditions, especially U.S.-China tech tensions, along with stiff competition in the EDA space and inflation, remains a concern ahead of the first-quarter earnings. China contributed to about 13% of first-quarter 2026 revenues and management expects 2026 contribution to be about the same percentage.

Taking a Look at SegmentsCore electronic design automation (“EDA”) business (which constitutes Custom IC, Digital IC and Functional Verification businesses) is likely to have gained from demand for the new hardware systems, especially among AI, automotive and high-performance computing clients. Uptake of solutions such as Cerebrus AI Studio, Virtuoso Studio, Xcelium, Verisium SimAI and ChipStack is likely to have cushioned the segment’s performance.

The SDA division is likely to have gained from the increasing demand for BETA CAE solutions, along with 3D-IC, Sigrity and Clarity.  

The IP business has been gaining from an expanding silicon solutions portfolio and increasing demand for solutions in AI, HPC and automotive use cases. The company has been witnessing higher demand for its Star IP portfolio across interface, memory and foundation IP amid higher complexity of advanced node designs and chiplet-based architectures.

Earnings Whispers for CDNSOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Cadence this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. This is not the case here.

CDNS currently has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few stocks that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season.

Celestica (CLS - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.86% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Celestica is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on July 27. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CLS’ to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues stands at $2.29 per share and $4.35 billion, respectively. Shares of Celestica have gained 96.7% in the past year.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.75% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present. STX is scheduled to report quarterly figures on July 28. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Seagate Technology’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pinned at $5.10 per share and $3.49 billion, respectively. Shares of Seagate Technology are up 505.3% in the past year.

Teradyne (TER - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.59% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The company is scheduled to report quarterly figures on July 28. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Teradyne’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pinned at $2.04 per share and $1.22 billion, respectively. Shares of Teradyne are up 314.6% in the past year. 

24.7.2026 19:48, DJI, SPX, QQQ

Americké akciové trhy rostou díky naději na obnovení rozhovorů mezi USA a Íránem a zmírnění napětí na Blízkém východě.

Širší index S&P 500 posiluje o 0,41 % na 7438,47 bodu a index Dow Jones si připisuje 0,56 % na 52002,68 bodu. Technologie však mírně zaostávají, technologický Nasdaq Composite odepisuje 0,07 % na 25120,91 bodu. Pozitivní náladu na trhu podporuje také úspěšný start výsledkové sezóny, v níž většina firem překonává očekávání ziskovosti.

V rámci jednotlivých odvětví indexu S&P 500 vykazují nejsilnější růst reality o 2,6 %, následované základními materiály s nárůstem o 1,2 % a nezbytnou spotřebou, která si připisuje 0,8 %. Na druhé straně zaznamenávají jen mírné zisky zbytná spotřeba, informační technologie i utility, které shodně přidávají 0,1 %.

Mezi nejsilnější individuální akcie se řadí Digital Realty Trust (DLR) s prudkým růstem o 14 %. Výrazně posiluje také SLB (SLB) o 10 %, Smurfit Westrock (SW) o 7,9 %, Equinix (EQIX) o 6,3 % a International Paper (IP), která si připisuje 6,2 %. Na opačné straně trhu po výprodejích v technologickém a dodavatelském sektoru klesá Coherent Corp (COHR) o 7,8 %. Nedaří se ani firmám Sandisk Corp (SNDK) a CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW), které shodně odepisují 7,5 %, Lumentum Holdings (LITE) s poklesem o 6,9 % a Robinhood Markets (HOOD), jež oslabuje o 6,1 %.

Zprávy o možném uklidnění situace na Blízkém východě tlačí dolů ceny energií. Severoamerická lehká ropa WTI klesá o 4,2 % na 88,31 dolaru za barel. Spotové zlato naopak mírně posiluje o 0,4 % na 4064,95 dolaru za unci. Americký dolar vykazuje stabilní vývoj, když k euru zůstává téměř bez změny na 1,1379 dolaru, britská libra mírně roste o 0,1 % na 1,3333 dolaru a japonský jen drží úroveň 163,76 jenu za dolar. Pokles cen ropy zmírňuje obavy z inflace, což vede ke poklesu výnosů desetiletých amerických vládních dluhopisů o tři bazické body na 4,66 %. Bitcoin reaguje na celkový vývoj poklesem o 1,9 % na 63850,84 dolaru.

Index Dow Jones +0,56 % na 52002,68 b.
S&P 500 +0,41 % na 7438,47 b.
Nasdaq Composite -0,07 % na 25120,91 b.

Index S&P 500 +0,41 % na 7438,47 b. Nejsilnější sektory S&P Změna Nejslabší sektory S&P Změna Reality +2,6 % Zbytná spotřeba +0,1 % Základní materiály +1,2 % Informační technologie +0,1 % Nezbytná spotřeba +0,8 % Utility +0,1 % Nejsilnější akcie S&P Změna Nejslabší akcie S&P Změna Digital Realty Trust (DLR) +14 % Coherent Corp (COHR) -7,8 % SLB (SLB) +10 % Sandisk Corp (SNDK) -7,5 % Smurfit Westrock (SW) +7,9 % CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) -7,5 % Equinix (EQIX) +6,3 % Lumentum Holdings (LITE) -6,9 % International Paper (IP) +6,2 % Robinhood Markets (HOOD) -6,1 %
Daniel Marván, Fio banka, a.s.

3 Altcoins That Could Reach New All-Time Highs This Weekend

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IMPORTANT: Please note that all the information in the table above is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please DYOR.

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Key Highlights Tenet Healthcare shares skyrocketed 23% following a blockbuster Q2 report showing adjusted EPS of $6.12 versus the $4.26 consensus forecast The company boosted its annual EPS forecast to $20.30–$21.69 from the previous $16.38–$18.68 range HCA Healthcare climbed a modest 3.7% after confirming previously disclosed Q2 figures HCA reduced its annual EPS projection to $28.70–$30.50 from $29.10–$31.50 Investment firm Barclays increased its Tenet target price to $271 from $240 while keeping its Overweight stance Tenet Healthcare (THC) shares exploded 23% higher during Friday’s trading session, marking what could be the stock’s most significant one-day rally since February. The dramatic move followed the company’s release of second-quarter earnings that significantly exceeded Wall Street projections while substantially upgrading its annual forecast.

Tenet Healthcare Corporation, THC

The healthcare provider delivered second-quarter adjusted profits of $6.12 per share, substantially surpassing the analyst consensus of $4.26. Total operating revenue climbed 6.8% year-over-year to reach $5.63 billion, exceeding the anticipated $5.43 billion.

Management substantially increased its annual adjusted EPS forecast to between $20.30 and $21.69, representing a significant jump from the earlier projection of $16.38 to $18.68. The company’s full-year net operating revenue guidance was similarly elevated to $21.9 billion–$22.5 billion from the prior $21.5 billion–$22.3 billion range.

$THC Q2 2026 earnings: Massive Margin Expansion and Buybacks Eclipse Volume Softness

Tenet Healthcare delivered a dramatic Q2 beat, fueled by exceptional hospital margin expansion and pricing power in its ambulatory segment. While net operating revenues grew a respectable 6.8%… pic.twitter.com/pxCFX3irFc

— Finsee (@Finsee_main) July 24, 2026

The midpoint of these revised forecasts substantially exceeds analyst projections, which had been calling for earnings of $17.94 per share and revenue of $21.97 billion.

HCA Healthcare Presents Contrasting Results HCA Healthcare released its quarterly results on the same day, though investor response proved considerably more subdued. HCA shares advanced 3.7%, a fraction of Tenet’s explosive move.

The divergence largely stems from earlier disclosure. HCA had already announced its second-quarter performance on July 14, meaning Friday’s formal release contained minimal new information for market participants.

HCA reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $7.59 per share, marginally beating the $7.56 estimate. Revenue increased 9% to $20.23 billion, surpassing the $19.76 billion consensus projection.

Yet a substantial $400 million net gain from Medicaid supplemental payments significantly boosted these figures. When accounting for this benefit, the underlying performance appeared less robust.

HCA highlighted an increase in uninsured patient volumes, partially attributed to expanded loss of exchange-based insurance coverage throughout the quarter. Management estimated this trend reduced pre-tax income by approximately $400 million.

HCA Reduces Annual Projections HCA trimmed its full-year EPS forecast to $28.70–$30.50 from the earlier $29.10–$31.50 range. The company also narrowed its revenue guidance to $77 billion–$79.5 billion versus the previous $76.5 billion–$80 billion projection.

The S&P 500 declined modestly on Friday, making Tenet’s 23% surge even more remarkable against the wider market environment.

Barclays raised its price objective on Tenet to $271 from $240 while maintaining its Overweight recommendation. The firm noted that Tenet’s second-quarter results “stand out and reinforce the case for a premium valuation,” especially considering guidance reductions from competing hospital operators.

Tenet’s extensive ambulatory surgery center platform has emerged as a crucial competitive advantage. While both organizations operate hospitals and outpatient centers nationwide, Tenet maintains greater exposure to its surgery center operations, which have consistently delivered strong margin performance.

Barclays’ revised $271 price objective suggests additional upside potential even after Friday’s substantial post-earnings appreciation.

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Paychex (PAYX - Free Report) . Shares have added about 14.4% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Paychex due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Paychex's Q4 Earnings:Paychex, Inc. reported solid fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with adjusted earnings beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate and revenues coming in line. Adjusted earnings of $1.32 per share surpassed the consensus estimate of $1.31 by a slight margin and increased 10.9% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $1.61 billion rose 12.5% year over year and beat the consensus estimate by a slight margin.

The earnings upside was backed by segment growth, Paycor contributions and disciplined expense performance. Management Solutions led the quarter, while PEO and Insurance Solutions, and client fund interest added further support.

PAYX's Management Solutions Powers GrowthManagement Solutions’ revenues increased 14% year over year to $1.18 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter. The segment benefited from higher product penetration and growth in client worksite employees within Human Resources Solutions.

Paycor, acquired in April 2025, contributed about 8 percentage points to Management Solutions revenue growth. The acquisition also supported price realization and higher revenues per client, reflecting Paycor’s upmarket client base.

Management noted that the quarter included a full period of Paycor revenues and expenses compared with a partial period in the prior-year quarter. That comparison helped drive the sharper contribution from the acquired business in the latest quarter.

Paychex's PEO & Client Funds Add SupportProfessional Employer Organization and Insurance Solutions revenues were $369.7 million, up 9% from the year-ago quarter. Growth in the number of average PEO worksite employees supported the segment’s performance.

PEO insurance revenues also increased during the quarter. Interest on funds held for clients rose 15% to $52.2 million, driven by higher average investment balances resulting from the Paycor acquisition.

Total service revenues came in at $1.55 billion, up 12% from the year-ago period. The broad advance across core services showed that growth was not confined to one operating line.

PAYX's Margin Profile Expands in Q4Total expenses were relatively flat year over year at $1 billion. Increases in compensation-related expenses, amortization of intangible assets, technology investments, selling initiatives and marketing spending were offset by lower acquisition-related compensation and professional service costs.

Operating income rose 40% to $604.7 million. The operating margin expanded to 37.7% from 30.2% a year earlier, while the adjusted operating margin improved to 42.1% from 40.4%.

Adjusted operating income increased 17% to $675.8 million. The adjusted figure excludes acquisition-related costs, which were lower than in the prior-year quarter.

Paychex's Profitability Shows Earnings LeverageNet income increased 41% year over year to $420.6 million in the fiscal fourth quarter. Diluted earnings were $1.17 per share, up 43% from the prior-year period.

Adjusted net income rose 10% to $474.6 million. EBITDA increased 39% to $719.1 million, while adjusted EBITDA advanced 17% to $729.7 million, reflecting revenue gains and reduced acquisition-related drag.

Interest expenses increased to $64.7 million from $63.7 million. Other income, net, declined to $14.2 million from $21.9 million due to lower average balances on corporate investments and higher share repurchases in fiscal 2026.

PAYX's Balance Sheet Remains SolidPaychex ended fiscal 2026 with cash, restricted cash and total corporate investments of $1.2 billion. Short-term and long-term borrowings, net of debt issuance costs, totaled $4.6 billion as of May 31, 2026.

Cash flow from operations was $2.6 billion for the fiscal year. The company paid out cumulative dividends of $4.43 per share, totaling $1.6 billion, and repurchased 5.6 million shares for $611 million.

Fiscal 2026 total revenues increased 17% to $6.51 billion. Adjusted diluted earnings advanced 11% to $5.51 per share, whereas adjusted operating income grew 19% to $2.81 billion.

Paychex's FY27 View Points to GrowthFor fiscal 2027, Paychex expects total revenues to grow 5-6%. Management Solutions’ revenues are also projected to rise 5-6%, while PEO and Insurance Solutions revenues are expected to increase 6-7%.

Interest on funds held for clients is expected to be $195-$205 million. The company anticipates an adjusted operating margin of 44%, an effective income tax rate of 24% and adjusted diluted earnings growth of 7-9%.

Paychex also highlighted the launch of WISE, its AI-powered intelligence engine, across HCM platforms and internal operations. Management said that the platform is designed to unlock insights from unstructured data, increase productivity and enhance client outcomes.

Adjusted earnings of 99 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.2% and increased 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Total revenues of $1.2 billion also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.5% and increased 7.4% year over year.

Revenues in Detail     

Revenues from Management Solutions segment increased 8% year over year to $895.3 million. The segment benefited from growth in the number of client employees served for human capital management (HCM) and additional worksite employees for HR Solutions. Also, improved revenue per client on price realization and higher product penetration, strong demand for HR Solutions, retirement, time and attendance solutions and expansion of HCM ancillary services acted as tailwinds.

Professional employer organization (“PEO”) and Insurance Solutions’ revenues were $273.3 million, up 4% from the year-ago quarter’s level. The uptick was owing to growth in the number of average worksite employees. Interest on funds held for clients increased 54% year over year to $21.7 million.

Operating Performance

Operating income increased 7% year over year to $472.3 million. EBITDA of $518.6 million increased 4.7% year over year.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

Paychex exited second-quarter fiscal 2022 with cash and cash equivalents of $1.1 billion compared with $1.18 billion reported at the end of the prior quarter. Long-term debt was $797.9 million compared with $797.8 million in the prior quarter. Cash provided by operating activities was $321.6 million in the reported quarter. During the reported quarter, PAYX paid out $284.7 million as dividends.

Fiscal 2023 View Tweaked

Paychex upped its adjusted earnings per share view with respect to year-over-year growth for fiscal 2023. Adjusted EPS is now expected to register 12-14% growth compared with the prior expectation of 11-12% growth. PAYX continues to expect total revenues to register 8% (prior view: 7-8%) growth. Management Solutions’ revenues are expected to grow 7-8% (prior view: 5-7%). PEO and Insurance Solutions’ revenues are expected to grow 5-7% (prior view: 8-10%).

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

VGM ScoresAt this time, Paychex has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for value investors.

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

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

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Steven Madden (SHOO - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Shoes and Retail Apparel industry, could be a great candidate to consider.

This footwear and accessories retailer has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 5.75%.

For the most recent quarter, Steven Madden was expected to post earnings of $0.42 per share, but it reported $0.45 per share instead, representing a surprise of 7.14%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.46 per share, while it actually produced $0.48 per share, a surprise of 4.35%.

Price and EPS Surprise

With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for Steven Madden. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. 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.

Steven Madden has an Earnings ESP of +13.68% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on July 30, 2026.

Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Key Takeaways PulteGroup's wider community base lifted second-quarter net new orders 6.4% to 7,536 homes.Build-to-order homes rose to 45% of orders as PulteGroup cut spec homes in production 13%.PulteGroup's gross margin fell 200 basis points to 25.0% as incentives reached 10.4% of prices. PulteGroup (PHM - Free Report) is widening its community base to support orders across first-time, move-up and active-adult buyers. That broader reach is helping offset ofter affordability conditions.

The trade-off is clear. Closings, average selling prices and margins remain under pressure, making inventory discipline central to PHM’s near-term execution.

PulteGroup’s Community Growth Supports New OrdersSecond-quarter net new orders increased 6.4% year over year to 7,536 homes. The gain came as average community count rose 8% to 1,074.

Absorption slipped 1% to 2.3 homes per community per month. That suggests community expansion, rather than stronger demand at each location, remains the main volume driver.

PHM Shifts Back Toward Build-to-Order HomesPulteGroup is moving back toward its long-term mix of 60% build-to-order homes and 40% spec homes. Build-to-order properties represented 45% of second-quarter orders, up from 40% a year earlier.

The shift is helping reduce inventory risk. Spec homes in production declined 13% to 6,638, while finished spec inventory fell to about 1.3 homes per community.

PulteGroup Reaches Multiple Buyer SegmentsPulteGroup’s second-quarter orders were balanced across buyer groups: 39% first-time, 36% move-up and 25% active adult. That mix reduces reliance on one customer category.

Orders increased across all three groups. Active-adult orders rose 12%, while first-time and move-up orders advanced 5% and 4%, respectively.

PHM Uses Geographic Scale to Manage VolatilityOrders rose in every region except the West, led by 19% growth in Florida. Demand was also favorable in several Midwest markets, Greenville and the Coastal Carolinas.

This geographic breadth gives PulteGroup room to adjust incentives, inventory and capital by local market. Peers such as D.R. Horton (DHI - Free Report) and Lennar Corporation (LEN - Free Report) face similar affordability and pricing trade-offs, making local scale an important competitive lever across the homebuilding group.

PulteGroup Faces Persistent Margin PressureHome sale gross margin declined 200 basis points year over year to 25.0%. Incentives equaled 10.4% of gross selling prices, up from 8.7% a year earlier.

Lower closings and a softer average selling price weighed on revenues, while selling, general and administrative expenses rose as a percentage of home sale revenues. Higher lot costs also remain a risk, even if lower construction costs provide some offset.

PHM’s Ratings Reflect Balanced Near-Term SignalsThe bottom line is that PulteGroup is generating orders through broader market coverage and tighter inventory control, but affordability pressure is still limiting operating leverage. The setup is resilient, not risk-free.

PHM currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating a favorable short-term earnings-revision signal. The stock also has a Value Score of B, Momentum Score of B and VGM Score of B, which support a constructive near-term profile. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Growth Score of D keeps the outlook mixed. Projected declines in earnings and sales suggest investors should balance PHM’s order resilience against ongoing margin and demand pressure.

IMAX Corp (NYSE:IMAX) received a price target increase from Wedbush to $54 from $46, with the firm reiterating its Outperform rating as it expects continued growth from a stronger film pipeline, market share gains and global expansion.

The analysts wrote that IMAX remains on Wedbush’s Best Ideas List as the company benefits from an increase in the volume and quality of films produced for IMAX, a broader mix of local-language and global releases, expanded alternative content offerings and further international footprint growth.

“IMAX remains on Wedbush’s Best Ideas List given our view that it is benefitting from an uptick in volume and quality of filmed-for-IMAX titles in the second half of 2026 through 2028, which is driving market share gains,” the analysts wrote.

Wedbush highlighted IMAX’s second-quarter results as evidence of the strength of its business model, noting that the company exceeded expectations despite weaker Chinese box office performance and a modest domestic share decline during a quarter with a heavier focus on family films.

“IMAX’s results demonstrated the quality of its business model that handily beat expectations despite a shortfall in its Chinese box office and a modest domestic share loss in a quarter heavier on family fare,” the analysts wrote.

IMAX reported second-quarter revenue of $103 million, up 12% year over year and above Wedbush’s and consensus estimates of $94 million. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $45 million, ahead of Wedbush’s estimate of $39 million, driven by higher installations, improved margins and operating expense leverage.

The analysts wrote that additional installations during the quarter supported results and helped ease concerns around IMAX’s ability to reach its 2026 box office target of $1.4 billion, given the strength and diversity of its upcoming release slate.

Wedbush also highlighted IMAX’s profitability outlook, writing that the company’s target of achieving EBITDA margins above 45% in 2026 and surpassing 50% by 2028 now appear conservative.

“IMAX’s 45% plus EBITDA margin target for 2026 and guidance to surpass 50% EBITDA margins by 2028 now appear conservative,” the analysts wrote.

Looking ahead, Wedbush wrote that the next phase of IMAX’s growth story will focus on improving the timing and flow of major film releases. The analysts noted that while 2026 includes several major IMAX titles, including The Odyssey and Dune 3, a crowded release schedule has limited the ability of studios and IMAX to maximize overall box office performance.

“Focus will now shift to the next leg of IMAX’s growth story: better orchestrating the flow of the annual release slate,” the analysts wrote.

Wedbush wrote that the 2027 release schedule already appears less crowded, as IMAX has become an increasingly important partner for studios across genres, languages and geographies. The analysts added that improved release timing, market share gains and international expansion provide additional opportunities for growth.

The revised $54 price target is based on a 13 times enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiple applied to Wedbush’s updated 2028 EBITDA estimate, compared with a previous 12 times multiple. It also implies upside from current levels of about $45.

Wedbush also noted potential upside if IMAX were to attract acquisition interest, writing that the company’s combination of a globally recognized premium brand, an asset-light licensing model and a structurally expanding earnings profile could make it attractive to a potential buyer.

The Board of Directors of ArcBest (Nasdaq: ARCB) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of twelve cents ($0.12) per share to holders of record of its Common

Circle is facing criminal charges in Wisconsin because, in relation to some investment fraud, "Circle Internet Financial LLC has declined to repatriate the corresponding fiat reserves" and "Circle has not complied with a Circuit Court Judge’s seizure warrant."

Law enforcement secured a seizure warrant which Circle will not enforce. Circle claims they cannot enforce it. The government is charging Circle for declining to enforce it. Whatever is going on: everyone agrees Circle is not currently enforcing it.

This column has a long history of pulling entertaining and contradictory bits out of company public statements and (usually much later) legal settlements where those companies got caught doing something they were not supposed to do. Much of the time the company in question made explicit statements that it would not do the conduct it eventually admitted doing. And much of the time those public statements were contemporaneous with the bad conduct. But we only found out they were lying years later.

Here we have the rare opportunity to work through seemingly-false statements made by a company during a public dispute with law enforcement in real time. So that is what we are going to do. Some of this was covered by the ICIJ but we think their narrative is too generous towards Circle.

Some BackgroundTether routinely seizes funds for law enforcement. Tether has the power to transfer USDT out of your address and burn them without your knowledge or consent. So to seize funds Tether just burns tokens from anywhere and then issues fresh replacement USDT to whatever address law enforcement wants. In theory Tether could also take the funds back from law enforcement — the same process can be used for any address — though that has not yet happened. Tether has had these powers for many years. Nothing is this paragraph is new or controversial.

Circle is a little bit different. Circle does not currently have a seize function in their tokens. Both Tether and Circle can freeze funds – immobilizing them in an address – but Circle's current smart contracts do not support seizure. Circle routinely freezes tokens but it does not seize them. This is presumably what Circle was referring to when it told the Walworth County Circuit Court:

Beyond the ability to blocklist wallets, however, Circle has no control of USDC held in third-party wallets and has no ability to invalidate and reissue such USDC or to transfer them.The key words here are "has no control" and "has no ability." Circle uses the conjunction "and" meaning Circle believes both of those claims to be independently true. If Circle has any way to wrangle invalidation then Circle made a false statement to the court. Given invalidation we know reissuance is possible because once you invalidate the "bad" tokens the reissuance is just issuance. Which happens all the time. So the threshold question here is whether Circle can "invalidate" USDC in an address specifed by law enforcement.

Circle's PowersCircle cannot currently invalidate USDC and seize funds. But Circle can upgrade USDC to have whatever functionality it desires. So it cannot follow this roadmap to comply with a seizure order:

Seize the fundsBut absolutely it can comply with this roadmap:

Upgrade USDC to allow seizureSeize the fundsIn a strange turn, Circle told the government the required process to seize the funds was as follows. And bear in mind we are quoting Circle's own court filing here so this is presumably a generous phrasing from Circle's perspective:

Circle also communicated to Detective Kuchta that (1) the address was not held at Circle; (2) Circle did not have the private keys for the address; (3) Circle could not, therefore, transfer USDC from the wallet; and (4) to recover the USDC for the victim law enforcement would need to locate the private keys for the address. By telling the police to go find the private keys Circle is being, well, let's call it intransigent. Actually, no, let us be a bit more direct (with apologies to Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake). Circle looks to prefer these steps:

Get charged for no function to seizeMoan how it sucks to seizePut in a function to seizeThat’s the way they do it. Circle is being a...go watch the video in that last link.

It is hardly a secret Circle can upgrade the USDC contracts so it looks pretty likely this capability will eventually come up in court and the judge will sort Circle out. Circle's terms also provide the company with incredibly broad discretion to deny anyone access at any time and in any manner at all for pretty much any reason. This text is in the Acceptable Use Policy describing a list of things you are not allowed to do with USDC and which might lead Circle to cut you off:

For clarity, the following lists are not exhaustive and we may, at our sole discretion, modify them without notice.So Circle can decide anything it likes is out of bounds. And that document covers:

services provided by Circle Internet Financial, LLC, Circle Payments, LLC, Circle UK TradingLimited and/or Circle International Bermuda Limited (together, “Circle”), inclusive of, but not limited to, Circle Mint account,Application Programming Interface products, card processing, and the Circle Yield offering (together and separately, the “Services”), The "but not limited to" would seem to provide sufficient cover to enforce a court order by including whatever corners of Circle's operation are needed to effect the required upgrades. Remember: in this case a court is telling Circle to do something and Circle is not doing it. Maybe you think reading that clause in such a broad manner is squirrely. Sure, maybe. But that is a problem when a strained reading is used to evade a court or the clear intent of a contract or some other agreement. In the present case not reading these powers broadly led to criminal charges and is, in a real and on-going sense, blocking enforcement of a court order. Using this ambiguity to comply with the court is not going to anger the court. Certainly not any more than the current behaviour will.

Circle's Terms vs. ActionsIn Circle's documentation the company anticipates that court orders may come in to request asset freezes. There is an Access Denial Policy which sets out the freeze framework. And there is even a section entitled "Blocked Addresses & Forfeited Funds" in the USDC Terms. That later section includes this text:

Circle may also be required to freeze USDC and/or surrender associated USD held in Segregated Accounts in the event it receives a legal order from a valid government authority requiring it to do so.This anticipates the idea that a court order may mandate sending USD somewhere the court directs. The word "forfeited" appears in a section heading. And if we look at the government's description in Wisconsin we find something very much on point:

The Court’s Warrant ordered Circle to “facilitate the seizure” of Victim #1’s USDC and invalidate that USDC so that it had no value. The Warrant then ordered Circle to issue approximately $381,000 in new USDC to compensate Victim #1 and transfer that new USDC to a digital wallet owned by the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department. This procedure is known as “burn and reissue”."Facilitate the seizure" is a broad directive. The court is not telling Circle precisely how to satisfy the court's desires. The court is simply saying "find a way to do this." And Circle's on-the-record response is weird. Above we quoted Circle's broad claim of "no ability." The government's narrative gives a bit more colour there too:

In subsequent discussions, Circle’s representatives have explained that the company holds approximately $381,000 in US Currency in reserve to cover the value of Victim #1’s USDC, even though that USDC cannot be redeemed by anyone for US Currency because Circle froze it. Circle protested that if it issued $381,000 worth of new USDC, it would also have to hold an additional $381,000 in US Currency to cover the new USDC. Circle objected that it would be unfair for the company to have to set aside that much US Currency in reserve. Circle also stated that by the terms of its own contracts, it will not “burn and reissue” USDC.This is some twisted logic. Circle seems to believe it is required to maintain backing for all USDC, frozen or not, and that because it currently cannot burn and reissue USDC this would require holding double reserves for the recovered amount and that – the double reserving Circle just imposed on itself – is unfair.

We will immediately concede that double reserving here is unreasonable and dumb. But the double reserving is only "required" if we accept Circle's claim it cannot do the burn and reissue. This is a strained attempt for Circle to look like the victim. Possibly so that Circle can continue to collect interest on the US$381,000 in reserves it holds against the frozen tokens

Said another way: Circle's protest assumes Circle will not use its power to upgrade the USDC to allow seizures. We know this is Circle's thinking because, again quoting the Wisconsin government:

Circle also stated that by the terms of its own contracts, it will not “burn and reissue” USDC.This is weird. The word "reissue" does not appear on circle.com, as of this writing, per a number of searches. And the USDC Risk Factors also include a section entitled "Blocked Addresses & Forfeited Funds" so this is puzzling. If we read the reference to "its own contracts" in that last quote from Circle as pertaining to the USDC smart contracts it is again true in a literal-and-useless sense. By the terms of the currently deployed smart contracts there is no reissue power. But by the terms of those same contracts Circle can simply change the contracts.

Circle looks to be playing games so it can collect interest on frozen USDC forever. Holding frozen scam-related funds forever and keeping the interest is an interesting business model.

ContractsIf you have ever entered into any sort of commercial agreement you have probably seen clauses that allow someone to modify the terms under extreme circumstances and maybe also in a "commercially reasonable manner" if the need arises. Most contracts contemplate the idea that things can change and some amount of flexibility is required. For example, a company may change its office address. Or it may change where it banks. Or any number of other things. If you enter into a contract which includes bank details and the other party changes where it banks that does not mean you automatically can stop paying. If the company tells you where to send the money instead you cannot just decide to terminate the contract (unless it is a very strange contract indeed).

Similarly, you might enter into a contract based on some published reference price – think oil or gold or a commercial property index or some interest rate benchmark – and the name of that thing might change. Or where or how it is published might change. Someone is supposed to keep things up to date in a commercially reasonable manner. There is standard verbiage for this in many industries and if you end up in court the judge will make you do the sensible thing. Yes there are corner cases. But the Circle mess is really quite simple. Circle's term look to allow for enforcement here. And there is a simple sequence of steps Circle can follow to do the enforcement. None of this makes much sense.

Circle looks to be trying to interpret things in an incredibly narrow and self-serving way to manufacture an injury Circle would suffer if it complied. And then to moan that imagined injury is unfair. If we go back to Circle's own words to the court this is clearly exactly what they are doing:

The Complaint’s sole allegation regarding Circle’s intentional disobedience is that “Circle...refused to invalidate the stolen USDC or issue new USDC,” Compl. ¶ 9. But the Complaint clearly misrepresents the content of the relevant communication. Circle did not “refuse” to invalidate the stolen USDC; it stated that it “does not hold the private keys to the address.” Compare Compl. ¶ 9 with Ex. 6. That is an accurate statement that Circle lacked the tools required to “invalidate” the USDC held in the Blocklisted Wallet, not an intentional refusal to comply with the terms of the Second Warrant.Circle was directed to "facilitate the seizure" of the funds. And then Circle asserts it did not refuse to invalidate the USDC in question – its just that Circle has no button labelled "seize" to press. But Circle did refuse to upgrade the USDC contracts to add a seize button.

Circle also presented the total non-sequitur that it "does not hold the private keys to the address" of the fraud-linked funds. This is also arguable. It is true in the sense that Circle does not hold the fraudster's private keys. But the term "private keys" is not being used in a technically precise sense here because there are two sets of private keys that can move the funds. The term "private keys" as used here connotes control over funds. And so long as Circle has the private keys to upgrade USDC it has one set of private keys that can facilitate a seizure out of the addresses in question. Remember: USDC and USDT are not true bearer assets. The issuers retain a lot of control over "your" funds.

Maybe you think we are giving the authorities too much credit and we should interpret the claim in narrow technical terms? Under that reading, you may be thinking, it is not Circle's problem the government asked for the wrong thing. We have sympathy for this sentiment. But there is a bigger problem. If we interpret everything in these documents in narrow technical terms Circle is wrong that it has "no ability to invalidate and reissue such USDC or to transfer them." It has the ability to do this by upgrading the contract to give itself the ability. This falsity then gives rise to a litany of other false claims including:

Circle "would also have to hold an additional $381,000 in US Currency to cover the new USDC": false because once Circle has burn power there is no need to double reserve. And that is if we accept the need in the first place as Circle can simply declare the address outlaw and ignore it.Circle also stated that by the terms of its own contracts, it will not “burn and reissue” USDC: this is at most a policy Circle can revise in its sole discretion. And having a policy to defy court orders is pretty much exactly what Circle is charged with here.Circle has no control of USDC held in third-party wallets: false because in a technical sense Circle has more than "no" control via contract upgradability. It has, and we apologize for the technobabble here, "some" control.Circle...has no ability to invalidate: false via upgradability.Circle...has no ability to...reissue such USDC or to transfer them: false via upgradability.If we read the claims in the dispute broadly: Circle is not being candid. If we read the claims narrowly: Circle is not being honest. Unless Circle has somehow lost the ability to upgrade USDC – which would be a far larger problem if kept hidden for so long – we just cannot see a way they are telling the truth here. Maybe there is one but there is certainly no hint of such an explanation in the court filings to date.

Circle's Principled ResistanceWhat makes this even stranger: Circle's terms also contemplate circumstances in which the company will resist court orders. But that too does not fit what is happening here. Again from the Access Denial document:

Circle reserves all rights to object to an access denial order that presents a threat to Circle Stablecoin or that Circle determines is objectionable.USDC holders do not have any rights or derive any value from this. But it presumably empowers the company to do what it is doing in Wisconsin now without worrying about shareholders suing anyone for resisting court orders. The US legal system is adversarial and Circle is 100% entitled to resist government requests and to challenge orders. Within the US system. Telling law enforcement to go pound sand after the judge rules is not something Circle is entitled to.

It is certainly possibly Circle views anything that reduce's Circle's interest income as objectionable. There is a logical, if wacky, corporate theory here: "We prefer to hold frozen assets indefinitely to maximize shareholder value. We view this as part of our fiduciary responsibility to shareholders. Victims are not shareholders sorry." Probably no company wants to come out and say that. But it is true that public companies have a responsibility to shareholders and not victims. They also have a responsibility to judges and to shareholders to not egregiously defy judges. So it is all kind of mixed together there.

Now notice the seizure warrant requests Circle is fighting here date back to August 2025. Multiple seizure warrants have been issued. And Circle has been communicating false claims to Wisconsin officials for many months now. Criminal charges were filed in April 2026. Circle moved beyond objecting to an access denial order to simply refusing to follow one after multiple rounds of back and forth. This happened over many months.

We accept it is possible to read these most recent actions as part of resisting the order. And maybe law enforcement jumped the gun with criminal charges. But it is kind of hard to credit Circle here and think ongoing negotiations without criminal charges would go anywhere. Circle has stated clearly that it cannot comply for technical reasons. Circle claims it is impossible to do what the court wants. But those claims are plainly false (or Circle is covering up something worse). For negotiations to go anywhere Circle would need to concede it was wrong or the police would need to stop asking for seizure. That looks like a stalled negotiation to us.

If Wisconsin officials were demanding Circle seize USDT then we would certainly feel for Circle. Circle is not omnipotent. There are plenty of web3 things Circle cannot do. And, obviously, it is possible for law enforcement to order someone to do something that is technically impossible for them to do. This is true of anyone and any law enforcement unit anywhere in the world. Try this one: a court could issue an order for a witness to not die before a trial. That would not have the effect of conveying immortality on the witness. Law enforcement can be wrong. But here, today, Circle is wrong.

The court wants Circle to do something that Circle can do. So we are going to make two predictions. First, Circle will eventually comply. And second, Circle will blame confusion between the legal and engineering teams for the false statements. The court should not accept that explanation. We kind of hope Circle tries the shareholder value line too. If someone says "victims are not shareholders and our fiduciary responsibility is to shareholders" that will just be too amazing for words. As odd as that outcome seems remember a listed US company is currently engaged in a dispute with law enforcement in Wisconsin in which the listed US company is just straight-up lying. This is all incredibly odd.

We have long predicted the lawyers would need to throw the engineers under the bus at some point. Honk honk.

Licensed to Shill: Retail Barely Touches Stablecoins – Treasury & Remittance Are the Real Adoption (Jeannie Lim, Xweave)

At Xweave, Jeannie Lim says her team moved $1 million for an e-commerce client in under three minutes, cutting settlement costs 30% against a Tier 2 bank’s SWIFT rate.

BlockheadBlockhead

Samsung just made stablecoins a default feature of its mobile wallet. At Galaxy Unpacked 2026 on July 22, the company announced that Samsung Wallet will integrate native stablecoin support, with USDC among the expected options. The move effectively puts digital dollars alongside tap-to-pay, boarding passes, and loyalty cards in the pockets of hundreds of millions of Galaxy device owners.

What Samsung actually announced The stablecoin integration was revealed as part of a broader push to make Samsung Wallet a unified hub for payments, rewards, and digital assets. Samsung framed it as a “secured payments and rewards experience.”

The company hasn’t confirmed a specific launch date for the stablecoin feature. It also hasn’t officially locked in which stablecoins will be supported beyond the strong signals pointing toward USDC, Circle’s regulated dollar-pegged token.

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The announcement didn’t happen in isolation. Samsung simultaneously unveiled the Galaxy Card, a credit card issued by Barclays and running on the Visa network, targeting US users with tiered cash-back rewards.

In 2025, the company partnered with Coinbase to give millions of US Galaxy users access to cryptocurrency services directly through their devices. That collaboration laid the groundwork for what’s coming next, essentially graduating Samsung Wallet from a non-custodial blockchain wallet with basic crypto access into something closer to a full-featured digital asset platform.

What this means for investors For Circle, the company behind USDC, this partnership could strengthen its position ahead of any potential IPO or public market activity.

There are risks worth noting. Regulatory frameworks for stablecoins remain a work in progress in many jurisdictions. Samsung will need to navigate varying compliance requirements across its global markets, which could limit the feature’s availability to certain regions initially. The US market, where the Galaxy Card is launching alongside the Barclays partnership, is the likely first target.

The 2025 Coinbase partnership gave Samsung a foundation in crypto services, but stablecoin integration represents a fundamentally different proposition. Offering users the ability to buy Bitcoin through a partner app is one thing. Embedding dollar-equivalent digital currency into the core wallet experience is another.

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

Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.

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Circle Pushes a MiCA Fix That Could Bring Tether Back to Europe

Coinbase has rolled out direct USDC-BRL trading and conversion for users in Brazil, giving the country’s crypto-curious population a cleaner on-ramp between the Brazilian real and the world’s second-largest stablecoin.

The feature is live on Coinbase’s dedicated Brazilian platform at coinbase.com/en-br, where users can access real-time conversion tools, trade USDC against BRL, and, in some cases, earn yield on their holdings. Promotional rewards of up to 7% annually on USDC are part of the offering.

Why Brazil, why now USDC, issued by Circle, is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar. As of late July 2026, one USDC converts to approximately R$5.08-5.10. For Brazilian users, holding USDC is functionally like holding digital dollars, without needing a US bank account or dealing with traditional forex friction.

Coinbase launched its dedicated Brazilian platform on January 23, 2026, laying the groundwork for this kind of localized feature set. Earlier reports from 2025 had flagged limitations in BRL transaction support on the exchange, so the USDC-BRL integration represents a clear upgrade from where things stood just 18 months ago.

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Direct fiat-to-stablecoin conversion eliminates a step that previously required users to either buy Bitcoin or Ethereum first and then swap into USDC, or use a third-party service to bridge the gap.

The stablecoin playbook in emerging markets For Coinbase specifically, Brazil represents one of only a handful of regions where the exchange has explicitly built out USDC trading and conversion infrastructure.

Brazil’s regulatory landscape passed its landmark crypto regulatory framework in 2023, and the central bank has been actively developing its own digital currency, the Drex.

The 7% annual yield promotion on USDC is worth pausing on. A dollar-denominated yield product adds a layer of currency diversification on top of the return itself, providing both yield and a hedge against real depreciation simultaneously.

What this means for investors and the competitive landscape Coinbase isn’t operating in a vacuum here. Binance, Mercado Bitcoin, and other exchanges have been aggressively courting Brazilian users for years. Binance in particular has built deep roots in the country, with BRL payment integrations and localized support that predates Coinbase’s dedicated Brazilian platform launched January 23, 2026.

Brazil’s crypto framework is still relatively young, and the central bank’s Drex project could eventually introduce a government-backed digital alternative that competes directly with private stablecoins like USDC.

The 7% promotional rate on USDC is tied to what Circle can earn on the reserves backing the stablecoin. If global interest rates decline, so do the yields that make these products compelling.

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

Key Takeaways VLY reported Q2 adjusted EPS of 30 cents, missing the 31-cent estimate.Valley National posts 13.3% y/y revenue growth as NII and non-interest income climb.VLY sees loan and deposit growth, but rising expenses and higher non-performing assets remain concerning. Valley National Bancorp's (VLY - Free Report)

second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of 30 cents missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. However, the bottom line compared favorably with earnings of 23 cents in the year-ago quarter.

Results were hampered by higher non-interest expenses. Higher net interest income (NII), increased non-interest income, lower provisions for credit losses, and growth in loan and deposit balances acted as tailwinds.

Results excluded certain non-core charges. Including those, net income available to common shareholders was $163.6 million, which jumped 29.6% from the year-ago quarter.

Valley National’s Revenues Improve, Expenses RiseTotal revenues (on an FTE basis) were $562.1 million, up 13.3% year over year. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $552.02 million.

NII (FTE basis) was $488.4 million, up 12.6% year over year. The net interest margin (FTE basis) was 3.2%, which expanded 19 basis points (bps).

Non-interest income jumped 17.7% to $73.7 million. The rise was driven by an increase in almost all fee income components, except fees from loan servicing, net gains on sale of loans, and bank-owned life insurance.

Non-interest expenses of $311.1 million increased 9.5% year over year. The rise was due to an increase in almost all cost components, except for FDIC insurance assessment costs and amortization of other intangible assets. Additionally, no loss on extinguishment of debt was reported this quarter.

The efficiency ratio was 52.11%, down from 55.20% in the prior-year quarter. A decline in the efficiency ratio indicates an improvement in profitability.

VLY’s Loans & Deposits RiseAs of June 30, 2026, total loans were $52.5 billion, up 6.2% year over year. This increase was driven by growth across all loan categories. Total deposits were $54.1 billion, up 6.7% year over year.

Valley National’s Credit Quality: A Mixed BagAs of June 30, 2026, total non-performing assets were $467.8 million, up 6.4% year over year, primarily due to higher non-accrual loans, partially offset by other real estate owned (OREO), and other repossessed assets.

However, allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.16%, down 4 bps year over year. In the second quarter of 2026, VLY reported total provision for credit losses of $29.2 million, a 22.8% year-over-year decline.

VLY’s Profitability Improves, Capital Ratios MixedAt the end of the second quarter, adjusted annualized return on average assets was 1.05%, up from 0.87% in the year-earlier quarter. Adjusted annualized return on average shareholders’ equity was 8.75%, up from 7.15%.

As of June 30, 2026, the tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio was 8.71%, up from 8.63% in the corresponding period of 2025. Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio was 11.37%, down from 11.57%. Also, the common equity tier 1 capital ratio of 10.71% was down from 10.85% as of June 30, 2025.

Valley National’s Share Repurchase UpdateIn the reported quarter, VLY repurchased 1.5 million shares at an average price of $13.4 under its ongoing stock buyback program.

Our Take on VLYRobust loan growth, stabilizing funding costs, and efforts to enhance fee income are expected to keep supporting Valley National’s top-line growth. However, elevated expenses and significant exposure to commercial real estate loans remain near-term headwinds. 
 

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

Performance of VLY’s PeersHancock Whitney Corp.’s (HWC - Free Report) second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $1.55 matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The bottom line rose 17.4% from the year-ago quarter.

HWC’s results were primarily aided by higher NII and non-interest income along with a decline in provisions. Also, a sequential increase in loans and deposit balances was positive. However, higher expenses were the undermining factor.

BankUnited, Inc.’s(BKU - Free Report) second-quarter 2026 earnings of 97 cents per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02. However, the bottom line rose 6.6% from the prior-year quarter.

Results were primarily hurt by a rise in non-interest expenses. Also, sequential declines in loans and deposits were negatives. However, higher NII and fee income, along with lower provisions, provided some support to BKU’s performance.