Delta Air Lines zvýšila čtvrtletní dividendu o 15 % na 21,50 centu na akcii z 18,75 centu. Od obnovení výplat v roce 2023 ji už více než zdvojnásobila.
Key Takeaways DAL raised its quarterly dividend to 21.50 cents per share from 18.75 cents.Delta Air Lines has more than doubled its quarterly dividend since reinstating payouts in 2023.Dividend-paying stocks are less susceptible to market swings and act as a hedge against economic uncertainty. Last week, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL - Free Report) stated that its board of directors had announced an increase in its quarterly dividend payout, reflectingthe company’s commitment to boosting shareholder value, apart from underlining confidence in its business.
Dividend-paying stocks provide a solid income stream and have fewer chances of experiencing wild price swings. Dividend stocks are safe bets for creating wealth, as the payouts generally act as a hedge against economic uncertainty, like the current scenario.
Given this backdrop, the question that naturally arises is: Should investors buy, hold, or sell DAL stock now? A more in-depth analysis is needed to make that determination. Before diving into DAL’s investment prospects, let’s take a glance at its financial numbers.
DAL’s Recent Dividend Increase of 15%In a shareholder-friendly move, Delta Air Lines’ board of directors approved a dividend hike of 15%, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend to 21.50 cents per share (86 cents annualized) from 18.75 cents (75 cents annualized). The raised dividend will be paid on July 30, 2026, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 9, 2026. The move underscores DAL's strong financial position and robust cash-flow generation, highlighting its commitment to delivering value to shareholders.
Delta Air Lines has consistently increased its dividend since reinstating shareholder payouts in 2023, raising its quarterly dividend by 50% to 15 cents per share in 2024, followed by a 25% increase to 18.75 cents per share in 2025 and a further 15% hike to 21.50 cents per share in 2026. Overall, the quarterly dividend has more than doubled from its 2023 level, reflecting Delta Air Lines' strengthening financial position, robust cash-flow generation and commitment to enhancing shareholder returns. Such shareholder-friendly initiatives should boost investor confidence and positively impact the bottom line.
Apart from being shareholder-friendly, Delta Air Lines is benefiting from resilient travel demand, particularly in premium and international markets, which continues to support its revenue growth and cash generation. Delta Air Lines continues to invest in AI and data-driven tools to improve retailing and the customer experience. Delta Sync now supports logged-in experiences across onboard channels. Backed by a strong financial position, the airline remains well-positioned to continue rewarding shareholders through dividend growth and other capital-return initiatives.
DAL Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of DAL have gained 32.7% so far this year, outperforming the Zacks Airline industry’s 10.2% growth, as well as that of other industry players, American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL - Free Report) and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL - Free Report) ), within the same time frame.
DAL Stock's YTD Price Comparison Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Headwinds Weighing on DAL StockThe ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to a rise in oil prices, and airlines remain exposed because most U.S. carriers have abandoned broad fuel-hedging strategies. Delta Air Lines' June-quarter outlook assumes a fuel price of approximately $4.30 per gallon at the forward curve as of April 2, 2026. Management said that this adds more than $2 billion of additional fuel expense compared to the start of the year, partially offset by an expected refinery benefit of about $300 million.
Higher labor and recovery costs continue to bother airlines. Delta Air Lines' non-fuel cost base continues to move higher, led by wages and crew-related items. Salaries and related costs increased 8% in 2025 to $17.5 billion, reflecting wage increases, including for pilots. In the March quarter, non-fuel CASM (CASM-Ex) increased 6% year over year to 15.13 cents, with management citing higher recovery costs and the continuation of higher crew-related costs. These cost pressures are likely to hurt margin expansion, even when demand looks healthy.
Airline stocks’ market volatility continues to remain a concern. Management highlighted heightened volatility in fuel markets and is adjusting capacity with a downward bias until the fuel environment improves. With earnings sensitive to these external variables, DAL may not fit investors who are uncomfortable with sharp day-to-day swings in airline shares.
What Do Earnings Estimates Say for DAL?The negative sentiment surrounding DAL stock is evident from the fact that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second quarter of 2026 and the third quarter of 2026 earnings has been revised downward in the past 90 days. The consensus mark for 2026 and 2027 earnings has also been projected southward in the past 90 days.
The unfavorable estimate revisions indicate brokers’ lack of confidence in the stock.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Unattractive Valuation Picture for DAL StockDelta Air Lines looks expensive from a valuation standpoint. Considering the forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio (P/S-F12M), DAL is trading at a premium compared to the industry.
The stock has a forward 12-month P/S-F12M of 0.92X compared with 0.63X for the industry over the past five years. The company’s forward 12-month P/S-F12M ratio is also above the median level of 0.53X over the past five years. These factors indicate that the stock’s valuation is unattractive.
DAL's P/S Ratio (Forward 12 Months) Vs. Industry Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Not an Opportune Time to Buy DAL StockDelta Air Lines benefits from resilient demand for travel and a revenue mix that leans increasingly toward premium, loyalty and other higher-margin streams. Resilient travel demand, premium mix, loyalty partnerships, and technology-led personalization support revenue durability, cash generation, and strategic flexibility over cycles. Backed by a strong financial position, the airline remains well-positioned to continue rewarding shareholders through dividend growth and other capital-return initiatives.
Despite these positives, we advise investors not to buy DAL stock now due to the headwinds it continues to face, such as fuel price volatility, rising labor and recovery costs and macro uncertainty, which can pressure margins and amplify near-term earnings swings for shareholders. Share price volatility and unattractive valuation are concerning.
We, therefore, advise investors to wait for a better entry point. For those who already own the stock, it will be prudent to stay invested. The company’s current Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) justifies our analysis. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
McDonald’s letos plánuje otevřít v Číně zhruba 1 000 restaurací, i když slabší spotřebitelské podmínky dál tlačí na krátkodobý růst tržeb. Ve 2. čtvrtletí firma čeká zpomalení srovnatelných tržeb kvůli volatilitě na Blízkém východě a v Asii.
Key Takeaways MCD plans to open about 1,000 restaurants in China this year despite softer consumer conditions.MCD's China market share held steady in Q1 as the company continued advancing its development agenda.MCD expects Q2 IDL comparable sales growth to slow amid Middle East and Asia market volatility. McDonald’s Corporation (MCD - Free Report) continues to position China as a long-term growth lever within its International Developmental Licensed (IDL) segment, even as near-term macroeconomic pressure remains a constraint. In the first quarter of 2026, IDL comparable sales increased 3.4%, driven by continued strength in Japan. While China remains challenged by softer consumer conditions, McDonald’s maintained market share and continued to advance its development agenda, with management reaffirming plans to open approximately 1,000 restaurants in the market this year.
The development commitment underscores management’s confidence in China’s long-term unit-growth potential. However, with macroeconomic pressure in China expected to persist, the benefit of new restaurant openings is more likely to support long-term system growth than provide an immediate offset to near-term IDL volatility.
The broader IDL outlook also remains uneven. McDonald’s expects second-quarter IDL comparable sales growth to decelerate from first-quarter levels, primarily due to volatility in the Middle East and some markets in Asia. Broader cost inflation and supply-chain uncertainty add another layer of pressure to the global operating backdrop.
Even so, McDonald’s retains several levers to defend segment performance. Its value focus, marketing scale and disciplined local execution should help support demand across international markets. China’s share stability points to sustained brand relevance despite weaker consumer conditions, while Japan’s continued strength provides a stabilizing factor for the segment.
Overall, China expansion is unlikely to fully offset near-term macro pressure across IDL markets. However, disciplined execution of the restaurant-opening plan, combined with continued share stability, could make China an important contributor to McDonald’s broader international growth strategy over time.
McDonald’s Competitive PositionYum! Brands, Inc. (YUM - Free Report) provides a relevant benchmark because it is also using franchise-led development and international scale to support growth in a volatile backdrop. In the first quarter of 2026, KFC opened 648 new stores, supported by a strong start in China and development across 45 countries. YUM also noted that the Middle East conflict has caused some uncertainty and short-term delays in select markets, but it does not expect a change to KFC’s development plans for the year.
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX - Free Report) offers another China comparison, as it is shifting toward a licensed structure while pursuing transaction-led recovery. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Starbucks China delivered positive comps, supported by transaction growth of more than 2%. The company also plans to expand its China footprint from more than 1,000 county-level cities today to more than 1,500 over the next three years.
Against this backdrop, McDonald’s positioning depends on whether China unit growth can translate into sustained share stability and stronger long-term IDL performance. Yum! Brands is leaning on franchisee strength and development momentum, while Starbucks is using local partnership and transaction-led growth to support China expansion. McDonald’s differentiation lies in its ability to pair disciplined China development with value, marketing scale and brand relevance.
SBUX’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of McDonald’s have declined 9.2% in the past year compared with the industry’s fall of 7.4%.
MCD’s One-Year Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MCD trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 6.43, above the industry’s average of 3.30.
MCD’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCD’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies a year-over-year increase of 6%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.
EPS Trend of MCD Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MCD’s Zacks RankMCD stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
PayPal v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšil celkový objem plateb o 11 % na 464 miliard USD. Venmo rostlo o 14 % a zaznamenalo už šesté čtvrtletí dvouciferného růstu.
Key Takeaways PayPal's Q1 2026 TPV rose 11% year over year to $464 billion, reflecting broad-based payment strength.Venmo TPV grew 14%, its sixth straight quarter of double-digit growth, led by deeper consumer engagement.PYPL saw faster PSP growth, stronger merchant retention and gains in debit, tap-to-pay and branded TPV. PayPal Holdings (PYPL - Free Report) reported stronger payment volume growth in the first quarter of 2026, with total payment volume (TPV) rising 11% year over year to $464 billion, or 8% on a currency-neutral basis. This double-digit increase reflects broad-based strength across the company’s payment ecosystem despite an increasingly competitive landscape.
A major contributor was the continued strength of Venmo. Venmo TPV grew 14% year over year, marking its sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Management highlighted Venmo’s momentum as a sign of deeper consumer engagement, supported by expanding debit card usage, Pay with Venmo and broader financial services opportunities.
Payment service provider (PSP) activity also supported growth. PayPal’s PSP volume accelerated to 11% from 7% in the second half of 2025, with Enterprise Payments growing in the mid-teens. The company benefited from stronger merchant retention, disciplined growth in profitable new business, and rising demand for payment processing and value-added services.
Branded experiences provided an additional layer of support. TPV from branded experiences increased 5%, driven by online checkout, PayPal and Venmo debit cards and tap-to-pay transactions. Although branded checkout growth remained modest at 2% on a currency-neutral basis, it improved from the prior quarter and showed early signs of stabilization.
Overall, PayPal’s payment volume growth appears to be driven by a combination of Venmo engagement, accelerating PSP performance, increased debit and tap-to-pay adoption and improving branded checkout trends. If PayPal can keep strengthening consumer value and merchant performance, double-digit TPV growth could remain an important part of its broader turnaround story.
How Block and Adyen Compare on Volume MetricsBlock Inc. (XYZ - Free Report) offers a comparable merchant payment metric through Square Gross Payment Volume (GPV). In Q1 2026, Square’s GPV grew 13% year over year to $61.2 billion, supported by stronger seller activity and higher payment volumes. Total GPV reached $63.1 billion. Management’s focus on disciplined execution helped Square maintain momentum despite competitive pressure.
Adyen (ADYEY - Free Report) uses processed volume as a key metric. In Q1 2026, processed volume increased 21% year over year to €382 billion, reflecting broad-based growth across global merchants. Net revenues grew 16%, or 20% at constant currency, helped by wallet share gains with existing customers and strong contribution from newer merchant cohorts.
PYPL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of PayPal have declined 2.7% in the past three months, underperforming both the broader industry and the S&P 500 Index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, PayPal shares are trading cheaply, as suggested by the Value Score of A. In terms of forward 12-month P/E, PYPL stock is trading at 7.66X, at a significant discount to the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry’s 16.97X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PayPal’s estimate revisions reflect a negative trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2026 EPS is pegged at $5.30, down by a cent over the past two months.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PayPal currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Moderna vzrostla o 14 % na 69,29 USD a výrazně překonala Merck i Pfizer. Růst podporuje optimismus kolem pipeline a dřívější souhlas poradního panelu FDA s vakcínou proti chřipce mFlusiva.
Shares of Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA | MRNA Price Prediction) are up 14% to $68 and change in afternoon trading Friday, extending a remarkable run for the mRNA pioneer. Intraday, MRNA stock hit a new 52-week high of $69.29.
The rally easily outpaces peer vaccine makers. Merck (NYSE:MRK) stock is up 2% to $128, while Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) stock trades up 2% to $24 and change. On a single-session basis, Moderna stock is clearly leading the vaccine complex.
There’s no fresh same-day headline that cleanly explains the size of the move. Instead, traders appear to be extending momentum from a de-risking event last week, combined with bullish pipeline messaging and a likely short-covering component in a heavily traded name.
FDA Panel De-Risking and Pipeline Optimism Fuel the Run The biggest catalyst in the rear-view mirror was an FDA advisory committee unanimously endorsing Moderna’s flu vaccine, mFlusiva (mRNA-1010), for adults 50 and older. That vote is a key step ahead of the August 5, 2026 PDUFA date, which would mark Moderna’s fifth approved product if cleared.
Moderna also held a Science Day this week highlighting its push beyond vaccines into oncology and autoimmune disease, including T-cell engagers, an in-vivo CAR-T program, and a personalized cancer vaccine, with messaging around a 2028 break-even goal. Jefferies raised its MRNA price target to $53 from $45, while keeping a Hold rating.
The fundamental backdrop has been improving. Moderna’s Q1 2026 revenue came in at $389 million, up 264% year over year and beating consensus by 65%, with the company reaffirming guidance for up to 10% revenue growth in 2026 in its most recent 10-Q filing.
Moderna Leads, but Merck Won the Week Zoom out and the picture gets more nuanced. Over the past month, Moderna stock is up 45%, while Merck stock has added 7% and Pfizer stock has fallen 6%. Year to date, the gap is even wider, with Moderna up 130% against Merck’s 21% gain and Pfizer’s modest 3% decline.
Pfizer remains the laggard. Comirnaty revenue fell 59% to $232 million in Q1 2026, underscoring how reliant the company still is on its non-COVID portfolio. Pfizer’s forward P/E ratio of 8x and 7% dividend yield keep it a value-and-income story rather than a momentum trade.
The Street Is Still Cautious on Moderna For all the enthusiasm, the sell-side has not fully signed off. The MRNA stock consensus analyst target price sits at $43.45, well below today’s quote, with 16 Hold ratings against a smaller cluster of Buys and Sells. Leerink sits near $24 and Morgan Stanley near $33, meaning Moderna stock is running ahead of where most of the Street is positioned.
Moderna’s insiders have been net sellers as well, with 75 recent insider transactions tilting toward selling. That doesn’t invalidate the bull case, but it argues for keeping position sizes modest given MRNA stock’s volatility profile and forward P/E ratio of 23x on still-uncertain forward earnings.
What to Watch Next The next clear data point is the August 5, 2026 FDA decision on mRNA-1010. Investors can also watch upcoming Phase 3 readouts for norovirus, intismeran in melanoma, and propionic acidemia, any of which could shift the medium-term narrative for Moderna.
For today, the answer to the title’s question is clear. On a single-day basis, and across the past month and year to date, Moderna stock is decisively outperforming Merck stock and Pfizer stock. Whether the stock can hold above the $65 level into next week may say more about momentum traders than about the underlying biotech story.
Shopify hlásí, že návštěvnost z AI u obchodů merchantů ve 1. čtvrtletí 2026 meziročně vzrostla 8x a objednávky z AI vyhledávání téměř 13x. Firma má navíc strukturováno přes 1 miliardu produktů pro objevování řízené AI.
Key Takeaways SHOP reported AI-driven traffic to merchant stores rose 8x year over year in Q1 2026.Shopify saw orders from AI-powered searches increase nearly 13x, with higher new-buyer conversion.SHOP has structured more than 1 billion products to support AI-led discovery across shopping platforms. Shopify Inc. (SHOP - Free Report) is positioning agentic commerce as a potential new demand channel for merchants as artificial intelligence begins to reshape how shoppers discover, compare and purchase products online. The company is embedding its platform into emerging AI shopping ecosystems, giving merchants another route to reach buyers beyond conventional search and direct website traffic.
The early signals are notable. In the first quarter of 2026, AI-driven traffic to Shopify stores increased 8x year over year, while orders generated from AI-powered searches rose nearly 13x. New buyer orders from AI searches also occurred at nearly twice the rate of traditional organic search, suggesting that AI-led discovery may help merchants reach incremental customers. Shopify has also structured more than 1 billion products with clean attributes, real-time pricing and accurate inventory, allowing AI agents to surface relevant products more effectively across channels such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google AI services.
The opportunity extends beyond traffic growth. More AI-driven shopping activity could support higher merchant GMV over time, which would benefit Shopify’s broader commerce ecosystem if those transactions flow through its platform. Shopify Payments processed $67 billion of GMV in the first quarter, up 41% year over year, while penetration reached 67% of total GMV. Shop Pay processed $35 billion of GMV, growing 59% year over year.
Shopify is also working to become part of the infrastructure layer behind AI commerce. The company co-developed the Universal Commerce Protocol with Google to support agentic commerce across platforms. Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce and Stripe have joined the related council, reinforcing the importance of common standards as AI agents become more involved in product discovery, checkout, payments and post-purchase activity. For Shopify, that participation strengthens its position as a connector between merchants and emerging AI-led shopping surfaces.
Shopify’s ability to turn agentic commerce into a durable growth channel will likely depend on whether AI-led shopping continues gaining adoption and converts into meaningful merchant activity. The first-quarter metrics show strong early momentum, but the financial impact will depend on how much of that traffic converts into orders, GMV and deeper merchant engagement. If AI increasingly becomes a starting point for online shopping, Shopify’s catalog, payments infrastructure and unified commerce platform could give the company a larger role in the next phase of digital commerce.
Shopify’s Competitor LandscapeAmazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) provides a relevant benchmark for SHOP because it is also positioning AI as a major force in how consumers discover and purchase products. Amazon’s advantage lies in its marketplace scale, fulfillment network and large buyer base, supported by AI tools across shopping, advertising and AWS. However, Amazon’s model remains more controlled and marketplace-centered, while Shopify’s agentic commerce push is focused on helping independent merchants surface products across emerging AI shopping channels.
Wix.com Ltd. (WIX - Free Report) provides a closer product-level comparison because it also serves merchants and small businesses building digital storefronts. Wix is using AI to simplify website creation, design and business workflows through tools such as Harmony and Base44. Its AI strategy is more focused on creation and site-building, while Shopify’s opportunity is tied more directly to commerce execution, including product discovery, checkout, payments and merchant services.
Against this backdrop, Shopify’s agentic commerce opportunity is distinct from Amazon’s marketplace-led scale and Wix’s website-creation focus. SHOP’s potential advantage is that its AI commerce push is being built on a platform already expanding across multiple merchant use cases, including online commerce, payments, Shop Pay, catalog infrastructure, POS and international selling. That broader commerce stack gives Shopify a wider transaction base through which AI-led discovery can translate into merchant activity over time.
SHOP’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Shopify have declined 0.2% in the past three months against the industry’s 25.3% growth.
SHOP’s Stock Three-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SHOP stock is currently trading at a premium. It is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 8.89, above the industry average of 7.6.
SHOP’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SHOP’s 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of 55.6%. Estimates for 2026 earnings per share have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.
EPS Trend of SHOP Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SHOP stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
FedEx klesl o 1,8 % poté, co FedEx Freight ve svém prvním výsledku jako samostatná firma oznámil provozní zisk 158 milionů USD, meziročně o 66,9 % méně. Na výsledky dolehla také 205milionová položka související s vyčleněním.
FedEx Corp (NYSE:FDX) slipped 1.8% to $323.57 after FedEx Freight (FDXF) reported mixed quarterly results. In its first earnings release as an independent company, FedEx Freight posted a drop in operating income to $158 million, down 66.9% from a year prior. Results were weighed down by $205 million in costs related to its separation from FedEx Corporation, highlighting the financial impact of the recent spinoff.
On the charts, FDX have recovered to back above the supportive $320 level after a brief pullback on June 24. The stock has shed just 6% since its June 15 all-time high of $345.36 and still boasts an 85% 12-month lead.
Plus, FDX puts have been popular in recent days. This is per the shipping name's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 1.73 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which sits in the 85th percentile of its annual range. Echoing this is FDX's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.02, which indicates a heavy preference for puts among short-term traders.
Chevron hledá další dohody pro napájení datových center v USA po kontraktu s Microsoftem v Texasu. Projekt Kilby má mít výkon 2,67 GW a první elektřina má přijít v roce 2028.
A Chevron gas station sign is seen in Austin, Texas, U.S., October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
SummaryCompaniesChevron expects a final investment decision on Project Kilby by the end of the yearChevron targets West Texas, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Rockies and Utah for future projectsNEW YORK, June 26 (Reuters) - Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab is exploring additional data center deals across the U.S., including the Midwest, Rockies, and Gulf Coast, following its two-decade-long contract to power a Microsoft data center in West Texas, a company executive told Reuters.
Oil and gas companies such as Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab and Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), opens new tab are angling to profit from the record-high electricity demand generated by Big Tech's AI-driven data center expansion, offering their natural gas and experience developing large and complex energy projects.
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Chevron said on Monday it signed an agreement to develop a natural gas-fired power facility, called Project Kilby, which would have 2.67 gigawatts of capacity and provide dedicated electricity to Microsoft's data center campus in Pecos, Texas. The project is the first of its kind for Chevron and will be big enough to power a city the size of San Francisco.
CHEVRON EYES TEXAS, MIDWEST, GULF COASTThe oil major sees potential for additional projects in West Texas, which is part of the Permian Basin, the top U.S. oilfield that holds abundant natural gas resources, said Jeff Gustavson, Chevron's president of new energies, in an interview on Wednesday.
Other regions of interest include the Midwest and Gulf Coast — an important energy production and shipping area — as well as near Colorado's Rocky Mountains, he said. The company is also considering data center deals in Utah, where Chevron has a hydrogen facility.
"We'll look at other parts of the country. We'll look at it with Microsoft. We'll look at it with other potential customers," Gustavson said. "If we can put the right pieces together to meet our return thresholds, you can see more announcements over time."
Kilby provides Chevron with a separate revenue stream not exposed to the commodity price risk of its core business. Gustavson said Chevron and its partners are finalizing project design details and declined to disclose the estimated cost.
Analysts said this week it is too early to tell whether providing power to data centers will become a meaningful revenue stream for Chevron.
Chevron expects to make a final investment decision by the end of the year. The first power from Kilby is expected in 2028, with the project taking several years to hit full capacity.
The project, which will require seven GE Vernova turbines and multiple smaller turbines from Caterpillar, can eventually expand beyond its initial 2.67 gigawatt capacity.
Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York and Sheila Dang in Houston; Editing by Rod Nickel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Caterpillar v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 snížil upravenou provozní marži na 18 % kvůli 26% růstu nákladů na prodej pod tlakem cel. Na rok 2026 čeká celní náklady 2,2–2,4 mld. USD.
Key Takeaways CAT Q1 2026 adjusted operating margin falls to 18% as cost of sales jumps 26% on tariff pressures.CAT expects $2.2-$2.4B tariff costs in 2026, keeping margins near the low end of its target range.CAT 2026 revenue estimate of ~$76.5B implies margins near the low end of 18-22%, slightly above 2025. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT - Free Report) reported a 30-basis-point year-over-year decline in its adjusted operating margin to 18% in the first quarter of 2026. This was mainly due to 26% year-over-year increase in the cost of sales, reflecting unfavorable manufacturing costs, including the impact of higher tariffs.
Tariffs introduced since early 2025 amounted to approximately $600 million in the first quarter of 2026. This was, however, below the company’s earlier estimate of $800 million. The lower figure was mainly due to a one-time adjustment in the calculation of 2025 tariff expenses.
Caterpillar had witnessed margin pressures in 2025 as well. Adjusted operating margin contracted 350 basis points year over year to 17.2% in 2025. The trend deteriorated progressively throughout the year, with margins declining from 18.3% in the first quarter to 17.6% in the second, 17.5% in the third, and 15.6% in the fourth quarter.
A key factor behind the margin compression was a significant increase in costs owing to tariffs. Cost of sales rose 11% year over year to $44.7 billion in 2025. While costs were down 7% in the first quarter, they climbed in each subsequent quarter, with the steepest jump of 29% occurring in the fourth quarter.
Total tariff impacts for 2025 reached about $1.8 billion and are expected to persist in 2026 as well. Management expects full-year 2026 tariff costs to be $2.2-$2.4 billion.
Even though Caterpillar expects low double-digit sales and revenue growth year over year in 2026, adjusted operating margin is expected near the bottom of its targeted range, factoring in the continued tariff pressures. The company, however, indicates margins would be higher than previous expectations.
Caterpillar maintains its adjusted operating margin outlook of 15–19% at revenue levels of around $60 billion. If revenues reach $72 billion, the operating margin range is 18–22%, while revenues of $100 billion could support margins in the range of 21–25%. This is shown in the chart below.
Image Source: Caterpillar Inc.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 revenues is currently at around $76.5 billion. This suggests the adjusted operating margin will come in near the low end of 18-22%, a slight improvement from 17.2% reported in 2025.
Among peers, Terex Corporation (TEX - Free Report) reported a 30-basis-point year-over-year contraction in operating margin to 8.7% in the first quarter of 2026. Cost of goods sold surged 55.6% year over year. In 2025, Terex reported a 100-basis-point decline in operating margin to 10.4% in 2025. This was primarily due to lower volumes across both segments and unfavorable manufacturing variances stemming from proactive production cuts and tariff impacts. This was partially offset by cost-efficiency initiatives and contributions from its ESG acquisition.
Komatsu Ltd. (KMTUY - Free Report) reported a 230-basis point contraction in operating margin to 13.7% in fiscal 2025 (ended March 31, 2025) due to the impact of additional U.S tariffs. Komatsu expects to suffer annual negative impacts of 37.8 billion yen ($0.24 billion) from increased costs linked to U.S. tariffs in fiscal 2026. Komatsu’s projection for the operating margin for fiscal 2026 is 12.3%, a contraction of 140 basis points.
CAT’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesCAT shares have gained 176.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s 138.2% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Caterpillar is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings (P/E) ratio of 38.37X compared with the industry average of 33.92X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CAT’s 2026 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 29.3%. The earnings estimate for 2027 indicates 24.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for Caterpillar for both 2026 and 2027 have moved up over the past 60 days, as shown in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Caterpillar stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Macy’s v 1. čtvrtletí zvýšila čisté tržby o 1,8 % na 4,7 miliardy USD a digitální prodeje tvořily 34 % tržeb. Firma hlásí příznivou odezvu na AI asistenta Ask Macy’s.
Key Takeaways Macy's grew Q1 2026 net sales by 1.8% to $4.7 billion alongside stronger digital performance.M said early customer response to its Ask Macy's AI shopping assistant has been favorable.Macy's continues investing in digital, its Reimagine 200 stores and luxury banners to support growth. Macy’s Inc. (M - Free Report) is strengthening its digital business as part of its Bold New Chapter strategy, using artificial intelligence, platform enhancements and faster fulfillment to improve customer engagement. The digital channel is becoming increasingly important to the retailer, with digital sales accounting for 34% of first-quarter 2026 net sales, up from 33% a year ago, underscoring consumers’ growing preference for online shopping.
The company’s digital investments are translating into stronger business performance. During the first quarter, digital contributed to positive comparable sales, helping Macy’s deliver 3% comparable sales growth, its strongest first-quarter result in four years, while go-forward comparable sales increased 3.1%. Macy’s reported 1.8% net sales growth to $4.7 billion, reflecting broad-based momentum across its omnichannel operations.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a key differentiator. Macy’s introduced Ask Macy’s, an AI-powered conversational shopping assistant designed using insights from thousands of store associates. The tool helps customers discover products across stores and digital channels, while the company continues improving its digital platform and expanding its curated online marketplace to enhance assortment, personalization and product discovery. Management said early customer response to Ask Macy’s has been favorable.
Technology is also improving operational efficiency. Macy’s reported a 4.2% increase in units processed per hour across its direct-to-consumer and store replenishment network, while order-to-ship times improved 5.7% year over year. The company believes ongoing AI initiatives will further streamline operations, enabling it to better serve customers and support employees while strengthening its omnichannel capabilities.
Macy’s continues investing in digital across its go-forward business, alongside Reimagine 200 stores and its luxury banners. These efforts, coupled with stronger customer engagement and AI-driven personalization, reinforce management’s confidence in sustained omnichannel growth and support its decision to raise full-year fiscal 2026 guidance.
Macy’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Macy’s have risen 44.4% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 21.6% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Macy’s is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 0.31X, down from the industry average of 0.50X. M has a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Macy’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of 6.9%, while the same for fiscal 2027 indicates an uptick of 5.2%. Estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward by 5 cents and 4 cents, respectively, over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Macy’s currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Key PicksWe have highlighted three top-ranked stocks in the retail space, namely, Genesco Inc. (GCO - Free Report) , Tapestry, Inc. (TPR - Free Report) and Ross Stores Inc. (ROST - Free Report) .
Genesco is a specialty retail and branded company that sells footwear and accessories in retail stores. The company flaunts 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 Genesco’s current fiscal-year earnings implies growth of 55.2% from the year-ago actual. GCO delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 3.8%.
Tapestry offers lifestyle products, which include handbags, women’s and men’s accessories, footwear, jewelry, seasonal apparel collections, sun wear, travel bags, fragrance and watches. It currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tapestry’s current fiscal-year earnings and sales suggests growth of 36.3% and 13.8%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. TPR delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 15.6%.
Ross Stores operates as an off-price retailer of apparel and home accessories. The company sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ross Stores’ current fiscal-year earnings and sales indicates growth of 17.1% and 9.1%, respectively, from the year-ago actuals. ROST delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 10.2%.
Salesforce v 1. čtvrtletí zvýšil tržby o 13,3 % na 11,13 miliardy USD a zvedl celoroční výhled tržeb na 45,9–46,2 miliardy USD. Agentforce ARR navíc překonal 1 miliardu USD.
A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Salesforce (CRM - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 14.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Salesforce due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
CRM Q1 Earnings Top Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y on ARR MilestoneSalesforce delivered a solid first-quarter fiscal 2027 non-GAAP earnings of $3.88 per share, up 50.4% year over year. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 24.4%.
Revenues rose 13.3% year over year to $11.13 billion and exceeded the consensus mark by 0.68%. Results reflected continued customer demand for Salesforce’s agentic offerings, with Agentforce ARR surpassing the $1 billion milestone.
Salesforce’s Q1 Performance in DetailSubscription and support revenues (95.1% of total revenues) increased 13.9% year over year to $10.59 billion, accounting for the bulk of total revenues. Professional services and other revenues (4.9% of total revenues) totaled $540 million, indicating relatively stable services activity during the quarter.
Within the updated revenue disclosure framework, Agentforce Apps revenue was $6.91 billion, while Data 360, Headless Platform and Other contributed $3.68 billion. Regionally, the Americas (65% of total revenues) generated revenues of $7.23 billion and grew 11.8% year over year. Europe (24.7% of total revenues) delivered revenues of $2.75 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth of 17.8%, while Asia Pacific (10.25 of total revenues) contributed revenues of $1.15 billion, up 12% year over year.
Profitability also improved. Non-GAAP operating income totaled $3.87 billion, up 22% from the year-ago quarter’s $3.17 billion. Moreover, the non-GAAP operating margin expanded 250 basis points to 34.8%, supported by operating leverage and disciplined spending. Management emphasized productivity gains from the internal adoption of AI tooling, even as it continued to invest in go-to-market capacity.
Salesforce’s Balance Sheet & Other DetailsSalesforce exited the first quarter with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $11.83 billion, up from $9.57 billion at the end of the previous quarter. CRM generated an operating cash flow of $6.70 billion and a free cash flow of $6.56 billion in the first quarter.
As of April 30, the current remaining performance obligation (CRPO) was $33.6 billion, up 13.5% year over year. The company returned $27.5 billion to shareholders during the quarter, including $27.1 billion in share repurchases and $365 million in dividends. CRM also launched a $25 billion accelerated share repurchase program, with an upfront delivery of 103 million shares, which management said boosted both GAAP and non-GAAP per-share results in the quarter.
Salesforce Lifts FY27 Revenue OutlookLooking ahead, Salesforce raised the midpoint of its fiscal 2027 revenue outlook to $45.9-$46.2 billion. The company reiterated non-GAAP operating margin guidance of 34.3%, reflecting higher restructuring.
For the second quarter, Salesforce expects revenues of $11.27-$11.35 billion and non-GAAP earnings of $3.25-$3.27 per share.
Management expects momentum in Agentforce, Data 360 and Slack to continue, while noting that Marketing and Commerce weakness, along with softer Tableau bookings and renewals, remains a key item to watch.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates review.
VGM ScoresCurrently, Salesforce has a nice Growth Score of B, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a score of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Interestingly, Salesforce has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Boom v oblasti AI datacenter zvyšuje poptávku po energetické infrastruktuře a sítích. ETF jako PAVE a RBLD nabízejí diverzifikovanou expozici na tento trend.
Key Takeaways AI data center expansion is boosting demand for power infrastructure, utilities and grid equipment providers.AI infrastructure spending is projected to rise as data center demand grows.ETFs like PAVE and RBLS offer diversified exposure to firms supporting the AI infrastructure build-out. While hyperscalers building next-generation cloud platforms and semiconductor giants producing HBM chips are stealing the spotlight in most instances, the physical structure of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry relies on a less glamorous but equally critical pillar — power infrastructure. This includes utilities like NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) and grid-to-chip infrastructure providers like Eaton Corp. (ETN - Free Report) that generate and manage the electricity which feeds power-hungry AI data centers, thereby enabling the smooth operation of high-capacity large-language model (LLM) workloads.
Amid the ongoing AI data center boom, these firms are thus profiting immensely by providing the essential "picks and shovels" for the AI era.
For investors who are increasingly wary of overconcentrated exposure or high valuations in mega-cap technology and hyperscale cloud platforms, shifting focus toward exchange-traded funds (ETFs) holding these physical enablers provides an excellent way to diversify portfolios while staying tethered to the AI secular tailwind.
Below, we discuss how these power infrastructure and utility companies are benefiting from the unprecedented AI data center expansion, using specific examples to provide the insights investors may need before making investment decisions.
The Physical Backbones of the AI Build-OutThe rapid transformation of data centers into dense, high-performance computing "AI factories" is driving massive order backlogs and thereby strong revenue growth visibility for electrical equipment manufacturers, utility players, as well as grid management and data center cooling solutions providers like those mentioned below:
Quanta Services (PWR - Free Report) : It is the largest electrical contractor in the United States by revenues, specializing in the construction of high-voltage transmission lines, electrical substations, and comprehensive power grid infrastructure. It ended the first quarter of 2026 with a record backlog of approximately $48.5 billion, with management highlighting data centers as a major growth engine.
Eaton: It provides essential switchgear, circuit breakers, transformers, and power distribution equipment for data centers and the grid. ETN’s 12-month rolling average order for its Electrical Americas segment went up 42% in the first quarter, driven by data center momentum.
Bloom Energy (BE - Free Report) : It offers solid oxide fuel cells for on-site power generation, reducing dependence of data centers on the grid and minimizing exposure to power interruptions. The company has signed multiple agreements with hyperscalers, the latest of which is with Oracle to deploy 2.8 gigawatts (GW) of Bloom’s fuel cell systems to support the rapid buildout of Oracle’s AI and cloud computing infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the massive 1.8 GW Wyoming data center facility is expected to include 900 megawatts (MW) of Bloom’s fuel cells, representing about $3 billion in revenues for BE in the coming years, according to an analysis by Morgan Stanley’s David Arcaro. (as cited in CNBC).
Caterpillar (CAT - Free Report) : It supplies on-site power generation and cooling equipment for data-intensive facilities. The company registered a solid 22% year-over-year improvement in its Power & Energy segment’s sales during the first quarter, thanks to rapid deployment of large reciprocating engines and turbines, primarily in data center applications.
NextEra Energy: It is the world's largest publicly traded utility by market cap, which currently expects to build between 15 and 30 GW of new generation capacity for U.S. data centers by 2035. In March 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce selected NEE to build 9.5 GW of new gas-fired generation to serve large load from data centers in Texas and Pennsylvania.
AI Infrastructure Spending Outlook & ETFs to BuySince AI-related facilities require enormous amounts of power, global investments in transmission networks, substations, grid modernization, and power generation projects are rising rapidly. To this end, Gartner projects building AI foundations to alone drive a 49% increase in spending on AI-optimized servers in 2026, while AI infrastructure is expected to add $401 billion in spending this year as technology providers build out AI foundations.
Amid this backdrop, investors looking to capture this physical spending wave through diversified baskets rather than picking individual stocks may consider adding the following ETFs, focused directly on fueling the physical AI build-out, to their portfolios:
Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE - Free Report)
This fund, with net assets worth $14.76 billion, offers exposure to 100 companies that stand to benefit from a potential increase in infrastructure activity in the United States, including those involved in the production of raw materials, heavy equipment, engineering, and construction. PWR holds the top spot in this fund, with 3.97% weightage, while ETN holds the fourth spot with 3.25% weightage.
PAVE has soared 25.5% year to date and carries a Zacks ETF Rank #2 (Buy). The fund charges 47 basis points (bps) as fees and traded at a good volume of 2.29 million shares in the last trading session.
This fund, with net assets worth $11.96 billion, offers exposure to 120 companies that are primarily engaged and involved in electric grid, electric meters and devices, networks, energy storage and management, and enabling software used by the smart grid infrastructure sector. ETN holds the top spot in this fund, with 8.24% weightage, while PWR holds the fourth spot with 8.04% weightage.
GRID has surged 24.3% year to date and carries a Zacks ETF Rank #2. The fund charges 56 as fees and traded at a volume of 0.52 million shares in the last trading session.
iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA - Free Report)
This fund, with net assets worth $4.69 billion, comprises 161 U.S. companies with infrastructure exposure by balancing across both infrastructure enablers and infrastructure asset owners. CAT holds the top spot in this fund, with 4.27% weightage, while NEE holds the second spot with 3.97% weightage. PWR holds the fourth position in this fund with 3.68% weightage.
IFRA has rallied 21.8% year to date and carries a Zacks ETF Rank #2. The fund charges 30 as fees and traded at a volume of 0.30 million shares in the last trading session.
First Trust Alerian U.S. NextGen Infrastructure ETF (RBLD - Free Report)
This fund, with net assets worth $40.8 million, comprises 101 U.S. infrastructure companies. BE holds the top spot in this fund, with 1.94% weightage, while CAT holds the ninth spot with 1.20% weightage.
RBLD has rallied 21.4% year to date and carries a Zacks ETF Rank #2. The fund charges 30 as fees and traded at a volume of 0.003 million shares in the last trading session.
Oracle zvýšila kapitálové výdaje ve fiskálním roce 2026 o 162 % na 55,7 mld. USD a volný cash flow klesl na -23,7 mld. USD. Cloudové tržby přitom ve 4. čtvrtletí vzrostly o 47 %.
Key Takeaways Oracles fiscal 2026 capex jumped 162% to $55.7B, while free cash flow fell to negative $23.7B.Oracle's cloud revenues rose 47% in fiscal Q4, with IaaS up 93% and RPO reaching $638B.ORCL forecasts $90B fiscal 2027 revenues, 18% non-GAAP EPS growth and 58-64% Q1 cloud growth. Oracle's (ORCL - Free Report) aggressive AI infrastructure build-out is once again testing investor patience, even as the underlying cloud business keeps printing record numbers. The tension came into sharp focus following the company's fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results, released on June 10, which showed capital expenditures climbing 162% year over year to $55.7 billion for the fiscal year, far outpacing the growth in cloud revenues meant to justify that spending.
The scale of the buildout is straining Oracle's balance sheet. Free cash flow for fiscal 2026 came in at negative $23.7 billion, even as operating cash flow hit a record $32 billion, reflecting how much of the company's cash generation is being plowed straight back into datacenter capacity. Oracle has already raised $43 billion in debt and $5 billion in equity during fiscal 2026, and management has signaled plans to raise roughly $40 billion more in fiscal 2027, including a previously announced $20 billion at-the-market equity issuance.
Set against this spending is a cloud business that is genuinely accelerating. Total cloud revenues rose 47% in the fourth quarter to $9.9 billion, with Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS) revenues nearly doubling, up 93%. Remaining Performance Obligations, Oracle's forward bookings metric, surged 363% year over year to $638 billion, partly cushioned by $75 billion in prepaid or customer-supplied AI hardware that reduces Oracle's own funding burden.
Oracle has also used recent weeks to point to where the infrastructure spend is showing up in product terms. Earlier this month, Oracle disclosed that its Multicloud AI Database grew 404% in the fiscal fourth quarter, calling it the company's fastest-growing business ever. Oracle recently introduced the OPERA Cloud Assistant, embedding AI-driven automation into hotel operations workflows, part of a broader push to fold AI capabilities directly into existing application suites.
Looking ahead, Oracle guided fiscal 2027 total revenues to $90 billion and non-GAAP EPS growth of 18%, with first-quarter cloud revenue growth projected between 58% and 64%. The company also said it does not expect to issue additional debt in 2026. Whether bookings convert into cash flow fast enough to offset the financing load will likely remain the central question shaping sentiment around the stock in the quarters ahead.
How Microsoft and Google Compare on AI SpendingOracle is not alone in facing scrutiny over AI-related capital intensity. Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) has guided capital expenditures toward roughly $190 billion for 2026, even as Azure growth runs near 40%, prompting investors to question the pace of Microsoft's spending relative to cloud conversion. Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) raised its own 2026 capital expenditure outlook to $180-$190 billion, though Google Cloud revenues grew 63% in its most recent quarter, among the fastest rates across major cloud providers. Both Microsoft and Google, like Oracle, continue defending heavy AI infrastructure outlays as necessary to meet demand that currently exceeds available capacity.
Looking ahead, Oracle guided fiscal 2027 total revenues to $90 billion and non-GAAP EPS growth of 18%, with first-quarter cloud revenue growth projected between 58% and 64%. The company also said it does not expect to issue additional debt in calendar 2026. Whether bookings convert into cash flow fast enough to offset the financing load will likely remain the central question shaping sentiment around the stock in the quarters ahead.
ORCL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Oracle have lost 21.9% in the past six-month period, underperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s appreciation of 12.9%.
ORCL’s 6-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, ORCL stock is currently trading at a premium with a trailing 12-month Price/Earnings ratio of 23.93x, which is higher than the Zacks Computer - Software industry average of 21.89x. Oracle carries a Value Score of C.
ORCL’s Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ORCL’s fiscal 2027 earnings is pegged at $8.03, which suggests 5.24% growth over the figure reported in fiscal 2026.
ORCL stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Snowflake ve 1. čtvrtletí zvýšily tržby o 33 % na 1,39 miliardy USD a zvedly celoroční výhled produktových tržeb na 5,84 miliardy USD. Akcie ale za měsíc po zveřejnění výsledků klesly asi o 5,1 %.
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Snowflake Inc. (SNOW - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 5.1% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Snowflake due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Snowflake Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Snowflake Q1 Earnings Top Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/YSnowflake reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 non-GAAP earnings of 39 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 21.88%. The company reported earnings of 24 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
Revenues were $1.39 billion, up 33% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.23%.
SNOW Top-line DetailsSNOW’s fiscal first quarter was driven by consumption across its core platform, with product revenue representing the majority of results. Product revenues totaled $1.33 billion, which accounted for 96% of total revenues. Professional Services and other revenues were $56.6 million, which contributed 4% of total revenues, representing a 25.1% year-over-year increase.
Geographically, results remained concentrated in the Americas, which represented 78% of revenue, with EMEA and APJ contributing 16% and 6%, respectively. The steady regional mix suggests Snowflake is scaling internationally without materially changing its revenue concentration.
Snowflake’s AI-Led Momentum and PartnershipsSnowflake framed the quarter as an inflection point in its AI roadmap, citing accelerating adoption of first-party AI products alongside core platform demand. Management pointed to strong sequential product revenue dollar growth and emphasized the role of offerings such as Cortex Code and Snowflake Intelligence in broadening usage across the installed base.
The company also underscored ecosystem moves aimed at extending distribution and deepening enterprise relevance. It expanded collaboration with AWS through a new $6 billion multi-year agreement, highlighted ongoing work with OpenAI, and noted that capabilities from its SAP partnership reached general availability. Snowflake also signed a definitive agreement to acquire Natoma in May 2026 to strengthen secure connections for AI agents across tools and workflows.
SNOW's Customer Scale Supports Durable ExpansionSNOW ended the quarter with 13,912 total customers and added 616 net new customers, including 13 new Forbes Global 2000 customers. Large-customer depth continued to improve, with 779 customers above the $1 million trailing product revenue threshold, representing 29% year-over-year growth in that cohort.
Retention remained a key support for the consumption model. Net revenue retention rate was 126%, reflecting continued expansion from existing customers, even as usage patterns can vary quarter to quarter. Contracted demand also stayed healthy, with remaining performance obligations of $9.21 billion, up 38% from the year-ago period.
Snowflake’s Operating DetailsThe non-GAAP gross margin contracted 40 basis points (bps) year over year to 71.8%. Product gross margin was 75.1% in the reported quarter.
Research & development expenses, as a percentage of revenues, decreased 250 bps on a year-over-year basis to 20.4%. General & administrative expenses, as a percentage of revenues, were 5.5%, down 60 bps year over year. Sales and marketing expenses, as a percentage of revenues, contracted 40 bps on a year-over-year basis to 33.9%.
Operating margin expanded 300 bps on a year-over-year basis to 11.9%.
SNOW’s Balance Sheet & Cash Flow DetailsThe balance sheet remained liquid. As of April 30, 2026, Snowflake reported $2.08 billion in cash and cash equivalents and $870.3 million in short-term investments.
SNOW produced $243.2 million of net cash from operating activities in the quarter. Free cash flow was $232.8 million, and adjusted free cash flow was $265.5 million.
Snowflake Raises Full-Year Product Revenue OutlookSnowflake expects second-quarter fiscal 2027 product revenues in the range of $1.415-$1.420 billion, implying 30% year-over-year growth, with a non-GAAP operating margin expected to be 12.5%.
For fiscal 2027, the company raised its product revenue outlook to $5.84 billion, representing 31% growth. Snowflake also lifted its full-year non-GAAP operating margin target to 13.5% and reiterated a 75% non-GAAP product gross margin assumption alongside a 23% non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow margin.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in fresh estimates.
The consensus estimate has shifted 5.83% due to these changes.
VGM ScoresCurrently, Snowflake has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a B. However, the stock has a grade of F on the value side, putting it in the lowest quintile for this investment strategy.
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 looks promising. Notably, Snowflake has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Palantir uzavřel sedmileté strategické partnerství se Zeta Global a získal přístup k potenciálním zákazníkům s více než 100 miliony USD ročních tržeb. Zároveň jeho Foundry tvoří základ nové architektury pro modernizaci americké armády.
It’s been a rough first half of the year for Palantir Technologies NASDAQ: PLTR shareholders. The stock is down nearly 40% in 2026, with shares recently sliding again to test the $107 level.
Palantir Technologies Today
PLTR
Palantir Technologies
$113.27 +6.00 (+5.59%)
As of 12:54 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$106.37▼
$207.52P/E Ratio127.16
Price Target$192.76
Short interest, while still low on a percentage basis, is rising. Technology stocks, and software stocks in particular, are being met with suspicion due to the rapid, but perhaps misunderstood, adoption of agentic AI.
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That pressure feeds the tried-and-true critique that PLTR is simply overvalued. Even after the sell-off, the stock still trades at a steep forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple, well above the S&P 500 average and most software-stock benchmarks.
However, Palantir has consistently shown that its stock may be worth the premium. Two announcements in the past week reinforce that view and suggest the sell-off is creating a buying opportunity rather than confirming the bear thesis.
Zeta Global Partnership Expands the Commercial PipelinePalantir and Zeta Global NYSE: ZETA have entered into a seven-year strategic partnership in which Zeta's Data Cloud will be rearchitected on Palantir's Foundry infrastructure, with Athena by Zeta remaining as the application layer. Foundry provides the ontology, governance, and operational backbone; Athena (Zeta's AI intelligence layer) sits on top to drive real-time, agentic marketing decisions for enterprise clients.
What does that mean for Palantir’s finances? The partnership gives Palantir access to a new batch of potential customers representing more than $100 million in annual revenue. It also includes the development of a joint forward-deployed engineering team. CEO David Steinberg framed that $100M+ as an annual run-rate target "in the coming years," not a contract value.
ZETA shares climbed 5% on Tuesday, June 23, following the announcement. Wedbush and DA Davidson have flagged it as further enterprise AI validation for Palantir.
Another Government Win Builds on a Core StrengthNext Generation Command and Control (NGC2) is the Army's top modernization priority and its contribution to Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). That's the Pentagon's effort to fuse data across land, air, sea, space, and cyber. The Army has now established the foundational data architecture for NGC2, built on Palantir's Foundry as the cloud data layer and Anduril's Lattice as the tactical data layer. Raft handles data registries, transformation tools, and federation.
The financial implications are substantial, even though no contract value was disclosed. The award falls under Anduril's 10-year enterprise licensing agreement with the Army, which carries a $20 billion ceiling. Palantir's role is foundational rather than peripheral. Every future NGC2 application, AI model, and battlefield system built on this architecture will run on Foundry.
Overall MarketRank™92nd Percentile
Analyst RatingModerate Buy
Upside/Downside79.7% Upside
Short Interest LevelHealthy
Dividend StrengthN/A
News Sentiment0.74 Insider TradingSelling Shares
Proj. Earnings Growth42.37%
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That matters because Palantir's government segment remains the company's largest revenue base. NGC2 is just beginning to scale beyond the 4th Infantry Division and 25th Infantry Division pilots. As the Army rolls the architecture out to additional formations, Foundry captures recurring revenue at the platform level. The win also complements existing government franchises, such as TITAN and the Maven Smart System.
The takeaway for investors is that new contracts lead to higher revenue and earnings. That’s the signal. The rest is noise.
There's nothing wrong with taking profits on a stock that was ahead of itself at over $200 per share. There’s also nothing wrong with having been early on PLTR. It’s a one-of-one company, and those don’t come around often.
Chart Shows Weak Hands Exiting, Not CapitulationPLTR has broken through a support level of around $128. The $115 level has now given way as well, and shares are sitting roughly $30 below the 50-day simple moving average at $137. Palantir bears smell blood, which could lead to more selling.
But a fair read of the chart shows that the recent sell-off is taking place on, at best, average volume. That’s not a sign of capitulation, but rather a sign of the weak hands exiting the trade. The relative strength index (RSI) has also dipped below 30, a sign that selling may run out of steam sooner than expected.
The MACD is deeply negative but extended; a setup that often precedes a counter-trend bounce. The next logical catalyst for a sustained rally will be the company’s upcoming earnings report, expected on Aug 3, 2026. Palantir is likely to report strong results...and history suggests the stock is likely not to reflect that strength.
The question for investors is, what role does PLTR play in a portfolio? As a short-term investment or trade, it’s a poor choice. There are many headwinds against software stocks in general and Palantir in particular. But the two deals announced this week reinforce why Palantir still merits a place in a long-term portfolio. The sell-off is uncomfortable, but for now seems like normal portfolio rebalancing driven by valuation normalization rather than a thesis breaker.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies Right Now?Before you consider Palantir Technologies, you'll want to hear this.
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Broadcom a OpenAI představily Jalapeño, první vlastní AI inference čip pro velké jazykové modely. Nasazení v datových centrech má začít koncem roku 2026.
Key Takeaways Broadcom and OpenAI unveiled Jalapeno, a custom AI inference chip for large language models. Jalapeno is set for gigawatt-scale data centers starting in late 2026 to improve AI efficiency. AVGO expects AI semiconductor revenues to top $100B in 2027, backed by hyperscale demand. Broadcom (AVGO - Free Report) and OpenAI unveiled Jalapeño, the latter’s first custom AI inference processor, designed specifically for large language models (LLMs). Developed in just nine months, the chip is optimized for AI inference by balancing compute, memory and networking, with early tests indicating industry-leading performance per watt. Broadcom contributed silicon implementation, Tomahawk networking and system integration to enable large-scale production.
Jalapeño is the first in a multi-generation compute platform that will be deployed in gigawatt-scale data centers beginning in late 2026, supporting OpenAI’s broader strategy to build a full-stack AI infrastructure. The companies said the accelerator is designed to support current and future LLMs across the industry while lowering AI compute costs and improving efficiency. Broadcom expects the collaboration to extend over multiple generations and help power large AI clusters for OpenAI, Microsoft and other partners
The announcement reinforces Broadcom’s long-term AI growth outlook by validating its custom AI accelerator and networking strategy. On its second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, management disclosed that silicon for OpenAI had already been delivered and remained on track for production in late 2026, with a contractual commitment to deploy 1.3 gigawatts of compute in 2027 as part of a broader 10-gigawatt agreement through 2029.
Broadcom also reiterated expectations for AI semiconductor revenues to exceed $100 billion in 2027, supported by sustained demand from OpenAI and other hyperscale customers. The Jalapeño launch provides tangible evidence that Broadcom’s custom silicon roadmap is progressing as planned and strengthens revenue visibility across multiple years.
AVGO Faces Tough Competition in the Semiconductor MarketBroadcom is facing stiff competition from NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD - Free Report) in the semiconductor space.
NVIDIA is at the center of AI computing, with its products widely used across data centers, gaming and autonomous vehicles. The company’s newer Hopper 200 and Blackwell GPU platforms are being adopted quickly as customers work to grow their AI infrastructure. Data Center revenues reached $75.2 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, up 92% from a year ago and up 21% sequentially, driven by the ramp-up of Blackwell 300 products and demand for InfiniBand, Spectrum-X Ethernet and NVLink solutions.
AMD’s prospects are benefiting from strong demand for EPYC processors that power cloud and enterprise workloads. AMD believes EPYC’s expanding portfolio — including the upcoming sixth-generation Venice family and AI-optimized Verano processors — positions AMD to capture substantial market share gains as hyperscalers deploy broader AI compute architectures. Management indicated that server CPU revenues are expected to grow more than 70% year over year in the second quarter, with strong growth continuing into 2027 as new EPYC products ramp.
AVGO’s Share Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesBroadcom shares have appreciated 9.5% year to date, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 14.2%.
AVGO Stock Lags Sector
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The AVGO stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month price/sales of 12.44X compared with the broader sector’s 6.41X. Broadcom has a Value Score of D.
AVGO Stock Has a Stretched Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVGO’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $11.73 per share, up 2.8% over the past 60 days, suggesting 72% growth from the figure reported in fiscal 2025.
Broadcom currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
General Dynamics posiluje C5ISR prostřednictvím integrace systémů a technologií pro americké námořnictvo. GDIT zajišťuje modernizaci včetně inženýringu, nákupu, logistiky a instalace.
Key Takeaways General Dynamics is expanding its C5ISR presence through advanced defense tech and systems integration.GDIT supports U.S. Navy C5ISR upgrades with integration, engineering, logistics and installation.GD shares are up 18.6% in the past year and trade below the industry on forward 12-month Price/Sales. General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) continues to strengthen its position in the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) market through its advanced defense technology and systems integration capabilities. The company's General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) business develops mission-critical solutions that help military customers enhance situational awareness, improve decision-making and support multi-domain operations across increasingly complex battlefield environments.
A key example is GDIT's role in modernizing and integrating advanced C5ISR systems for the U.S. Navy. The company provides end-to-end support services, including systems integration, engineering, procurement, logistics and installation, to enhance secure communications, information sharing and mission effectiveness across naval operations.
GDIT's C5ISR capabilities support a wide range of platforms, including guided missile destroyers, aircraft carriers, Coast Guard vessels, manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as shore-based facilities. These integrated solutions help improve operational readiness, strengthen command and control capabilities and enable seamless upgrades to existing defense platforms without disrupting ongoing missions.
With defense agencies worldwide increasingly investing in integrated, network-centric warfare capabilities, demand for advanced C5ISR solutions is expected to remain strong. General Dynamics' continued investments in systems integration, cybersecurity and mission-critical technologies position it well to benefit from long-term defense modernization trends and the growing need for resilient, connected military networks
Other Stocks to Keep on the WatchlistOther aerospace and defense companies expanding their C5ISR capabilities are discussed below:
BAE Systems (BAESY - Free Report) : The company provides C5ISR solutions, including systems engineering, integration, sustainment services and enterprise IT. Its technologies support military operations across land, air, sea and cyber domains, improving mission effectiveness.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS - Free Report) : The company delivers advanced C5ISR solutions, specializing in the integration of mission-critical electronic systems. Its technologies enhance secure communications, intelligence gathering and battlefield connectivity for defense customers.
The Zacks Rundown for GDShares of GD have risen 18.6% in the past year compared with the industry’s 1.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company shares are trading at a discount on a relative basis, with its forward 12-month Price/Sales being 1.66X compared with its industry’s average of 2.59X.
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GD’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved north over the past 60 days.
Plug Power dokončil instalaci a uvedení do provozu 5MW elektrolyzéru v Dánsku, čímž závod přešel do aktivní výroby vodíku. Při plné kapacitě má ročně vyrábět asi 550 tun zeleného vodíku.
Plug Power stock is holding steady today. What’s the outlook for PLUG shares? What Is Plug Power’s Latest Catalyst in Denmark?Plug Power said it completed installation, commissioning, site acceptance testing and handover of a 5 MW GenEco PEM electrolyzer system at the Måde Power-to-X facility in Esbjerg, Denmark, moving the site into active hydrogen production. At full capacity, the company expects about 550 metric tons of green hydrogen annually (roughly 1,500 truckloads), with output certified as Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin under the ISCC scheme.
Plug is leaning on the "repeatable execution" angle after CEO José Luis Crespo described a shift from one-off deployments to repeatable execution as the company targets more disciplined growth. The company also emphasized a fully containerized design aimed at reducing on-site complexity and accelerating production readiness.
Critical Price Levels for PLUG Stock to WatchThe chart is still in a corrective posture: the stock is trading 17.2% below its 20-day SMA ($3.06) and 22.2% below its 50-day SMA ($3.26), which tends to make rallies feel like they’re running into supply. It’s also 7.2% below the 100-day SMA ($2.73) but only 2.5% below the 200-day SMA ($2.60), putting the longer-term trend line right in the "hold or fail" zone.
For momentum, MACD is the cleaner read right now: it’s below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which points to upside pressure fading versus the prior upswing unless buyers can reassert control. Structurally, the 20-day SMA sitting below the 50-day SMA is bearish near-term, even though the 50-day SMA remains above the 200-day SMA (the golden cross from September 2025) and keeps the bigger picture from fully breaking down.
The stock is working inside a wide recovery range between the $4.58 52-week high (October 2025) and the $1.09 52-week low (June 2025), with a recent swing high in June and a swing low in April framing the latest pullback.
Key Resistance: $2.50 — a nearby pivot/round-number area where rebounds can stall, given how close price is to the 200-day moving average zone. What Is Plug Power’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem?Plug Power is building an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, from production, storage, and delivery to energy generation. The company plans to build and operate green hydrogen highways across North America and Europe.
That’s why the Denmark handover matters: it’s an example of Plug moving projects from build-out into active hydrogen production, which is the step that can turn announcements into repeatable execution. The 5 MW Måde system is also positioned as one of Denmark’s early operational Power-to-X projects, giving Plug a live reference site as it pursues additional deployments.
Management also highlighted a fully containerized design to reduce on-site complexity, aiming to make deployments faster and more repeatable as it targets disciplined growth.
PLUG Stock Price Movement on FridayPLUG Stock Price Activity: Plug Power shares were down 1.17% at $2.54 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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FuelCell Energy získala od Jefferies zvýšení doporučení z Hold na Buy a cílovou cenu z 16 USD na 24 USD. Akcie FCEL zároveň rostly po dohodě s Fit Energy až o 25,50 % na 24,66 USD.
FuelCell Energy stock is charging ahead with explosive momentum. Why are FCEL shares rallying? Thursday’s Deal With Fit Energy Set The StageIn the prior session, FuelCell Energy revealed a new commercial arrangement with Fit Energy that covers as much as 380 megawatts of clean on-site power for data center customers. The plan uses the company’s large-scale fuel cell systems to supply baseload power directly at the facilities.
The agreement includes an upfront deposit tied to an initial 30 megawatts that are expected to begin delivery later this year. Fit Energy can also earn warrants based on future deployment milestones up to the full 380 megawatts, which ties long term value creation to successful project progress.
Friday’s Move Comes From A Fresh Analyst UpgradeOn top of yesterday’s arrangement, Jefferies analyst Dushyant Ailani upgraded FuelCell Energy from Hold to Buy and raised the price target from $16 to $24. The upgrade arrives immediately after the Fit Energy announcement, reinforcing the idea that the agreement could play a meaningful role in the company’s growth outlook.
Critical Levels To Watch For FCEL StockMomentum indicators support the move. MACD is above its signal line and the histogram is positive, which signals that buying pressure is improving compared with the previous downswing. When MACD stays above its signal line, it often means buyers are absorbing pullbacks quickly and maintaining control of the trend.
Key Resistance: $27.50 — This level sits near the 52-week high zone and can act as a ceiling where rallies may slow. FCEL Shares Are FlyingFCEL Price Action: FuelCell shares were up 25.50% at $24.66 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro.
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Applied Materials snížila provozní cash flow na 845 mil. USD z 1,686 mld. USD a volné cash flow na 210 mil. USD z 1,04 mld. USD ve 2. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 kvůli investicím do kapacit a dodavatelského řetězce. Firma přitom očekává, že růst poptávky po AI zvedne její byznys s polovodičovým vybavením v roce 2026 o více než 30 %.
Key Takeaways AMAT's lower cash flow reflected investments to expand manufacturing and strengthen supply chains.Applied Materials expects AI-led demand to drive semiconductor equipment growth above 30% in 2026.AMAT returned $765 million via buybacks and dividends while funding capacity expansion. Applied Materials' (AMAT - Free Report) operating cash flow declined to $845 million from $1.686 billion in the prior quarter, and free cash flow declined to $210 million from $1.04 billion in the prior quarter in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. AMAT’s expanding manufacturing capacity and strengthening supply chain readiness can be a probable reason.
AMAT is investing in building plans, inventory positions and logistics capacity to ensure it can meet accelerating customer demand. Customers are providing longer-term demand forecasts, allowing Applied Materials to prepare manufacturing resources well in advance and support expected industry growth through 2027 and beyond.
Applied Materials is seeing AI adoption broaden and diversify, which is pushing wafer fab equipment spending toward leading-edge foundry-logic, DRAM and advanced packaging. Management expects these three areas to drive more than 80% of year-over-year total WFE growth in calendar 2026, with a similar profile in 2027.
The company also expects its semiconductor equipment business to grow more than 30% in 2026 as customers expand cleanroom capacity and accelerate equipment pull-ins. This demand mix aligns with Applied Materials’ stated leadership positions and supports a more durable multi-year spending cycle than prior compute-driven upturns, suggesting future cash flow strength.
Beyond all these, Applied Materials’ ability to generate sufficient cash to return capital to shareholders is a green flag. During the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Applied Materials distributed $765 million through $400 million of share repurchases and $365 million in dividends while simultaneously funding investments in production capacity and supply chain capabilities.
How Competitors Fare Against AMATApplied Materials has an unmatched breadth across semiconductor manufacturing. Applied Materials offers solutions across deposition, materials engineering, etch, metrology, inspection, packaging and process integration, allowing customers to optimize manufacturing flows using a single vendor across multiple stages of production. This broad portfolio positions the company to capture a larger share of customer spending as semiconductor manufacturing becomes increasingly materials-intensive, while also keeping its competitors like KLA Corporation (KLAC - Free Report) and Lam Research (LRCX - Free Report) .
KLA Corporation remains a dominant player in process control, wafer inspection and yield management solutions, while Lam Research competes with Applied Materials across deposition and etch technologies, including advanced atomic layer deposition systems used in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing. 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.
AMAT’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Applied Materials have surged 159.9% year to date compared with the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s growth of 56.1%.
AMAT YTD Performance Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Applied Materials trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 13.67X, higher than the industry’s average of 10.13X.
AMAT Forward 12-Month (P/S) Valuation Chart
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Applied Materials’ fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 28% and 32%, respectively. The estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward over the past 30 days.
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Applied Materials currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
BTIG uvedla, že Robinhood se mění v širší finanční platformu a může dlouhodobě růst díky mladé klientele a rozšiřování produktů. Analytici stanovili cílovou cenu na 125 USD.
BTIG analysts Andrew Harte and Brendan Greaney said Robinhood has evolved beyond its roots as a commission-free trading app into a broader financial platform spanning brokerage, crypto, prediction markets and wealth management.
Robinhood Growth Strategy And Customer ExpansionThe firm expects the company to deliver more than 20% annual platform asset growth over the next decade, driven by a young customer base entering peak earning years, deeper engagement, new customer additions and international expansion.
BTIG acknowledged Robinhood trades at a premium valuation of about 46 times next-12-month GAAP earnings, compared with roughly 15 times for traditional brokerage peers. However, the analysts argued the premium is justified by the company’s stronger growth profile and expanding product portfolio.
The brokerage said Robinhood’s average customer is about 36 years old with an average account balance of roughly $13,000, compared with older customers and significantly larger account balances at legacy brokers. BTIG believes that positions the company to benefit from an estimated $124 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer over time.
Product Expansion Supports Long-Term OutlookThe analysts also highlighted Robinhood’s growing suite of products, including retirement accounts, banking, prediction markets and international offerings, saying these services should increase customer retention and wallet share. Management’s renewed investment in customer acquisition is also expected to support faster funded-account growth.
Key Catalysts And Price ForecastBTIG sees several potential catalysts ahead, including second-quarter earnings, international expansion, prediction markets, the July launch of Trump Accounts, a stronger IPO pipeline and the removal of pattern day trading restrictions.
The firm’s $125 price forecast is based on 40 times its fiscal 2028 earnings estimate, while it outlined a bullish scenario of $150 per share if crypto activity rebounds and customer growth accelerates. Its downside scenario values the stock at $60 if trading activity weakens and competitive pressures slow customer growth.
Robinhood Stock Performance And Technical AnalysisRobinhood stock climbed about 5% on Friday, outperforming the broader market. The Nasdaq fell 0.65%, while the S&P 500 edged up 0.03%.
The stock continues to trade above its 20-day, 50-day and 100-day simple moving averages of $93.65, $85.20 and $80.27, respectively. That signals the intermediate trend remains positive.
However, shares remain about 4.8% below the 200-day moving average of $102.57, leaving a key long-term resistance level intact.
Momentum indicators have weakened. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator remains below its signal line, suggesting upside momentum has slowed even as the stock continues to rise.
The 20-day moving average remains above the 50-day average, supporting the near-term trend. However, the 50-day average is still below the 200-day average following February’s death cross, indicating longer-term caution.
Technical traders are watching resistance near $113.50 and support around $79.
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price forecast of $106.25. Recent analyst moves include:
BTIG: Initiated with Buy (Forecast $125.00) (June 26) Argus Research: Buy (Raises forecast to $110.00) (June 17) Needham: Buy (Raises forecast to $97.00) (June 11) HOOD Price Action: Robinhood Markets shares were up 4.64% at $97.80 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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UiPath spustil Maestro Case pro řízení složitých workflow s lidmi, systémy i AI. Tím se více přibližuje konkurenci ServiceNow a Pegasystems v oblasti workflow a case managementu.
Key Takeaways PATH introduced Maestro Case to manage long-running, exception-heavy workflows across people, systems and AI.UiPath is targeting fragmented processes like approvals, investigations and service issues.PATH's launch positions it more directly against ServiceNow and Pegasystems in workflow and case management. UiPath (PATH - Free Report) is expanding its automation portfolio with Maestro Case, a new capability designed to help enterprises manage more complex workflows that don’t move in a straight line. The launch reflects a broader shift in enterprise software, where businesses increasingly need tools that can handle not just repetitive tasks, but also long-running, exception-heavy processes involving people, systems and AI.
The opportunity here is meaningful because many organizations still manage customer requests, investigations, approvals, and service issues through fragmented tools such as emails, spreadsheets and point solutions. That creates delays, weak visibility, and inconsistent outcomes. Maestro Case is intended to address that problem by allowing businesses to treat each case as an evolving workflow, carrying its data, participants and execution context from one stage to another while combining automation with human oversight when needed.
The launch also places UiPath more directly alongside peers such as ServiceNow (NOW - Free Report) and Pegasystems (PEGA - Free Report) , both of which have built strong positions in workflow and case-oriented enterprise software. ServiceNow has long focused on digital workflows across IT and business functions, while Pegasystems has built its reputation around process automation and case management for large enterprises. By pushing deeper into this category, UiPath is signaling that it wants to compete more aggressively with ServiceNow in workflow orchestration and with Pegasystems in complex case handling. At the same time, PATH’s AI-led positioning could help it differentiate its offering from ServiceNow and Pegasystems if customers increasingly prioritize agent-driven automation layered on top of traditional workflow tools.
Overall, Maestro Case looks like a strategic extension of UiPath’s platform rather than a routine product add-on, reinforcing its effort to become a broader enterprise orchestration player.
PATH’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
The stock has declined 39% year to date compared with the industry’s 18% loss.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, PATH trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 11.91, which is well below the industry average of 24.48. It carries a Value Score of C.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PATH’s fiscal 2027 earnings has been on the rise over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PATH currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ICE oznámila rekordní tržby segmentu Fixed Income and Data Services ve výši 322 mil. USD, meziročně o 7 % vyšší. Akcie jsou za rok níže o 31,1 % a obchodují se s nižším forward P/E než odvětví.
Key Takeaways ICE generated record Fixed Income and Data Services revenue of $322M, up 7% year over year.Intercontinental Exchange is investing in private credit, digital assets and tokenized securities initiatives.ICE is embedding AI across mortgage and data platforms while managing higher operating expenses. Shares of Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE - Free Report) have lost 31.1% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 20.3%. ???The company’s share price closed at $124.49 on Thursday and reached a 52-week low of $124.33.
ICE shares have declined from their August 2025 peak due to valuation compression, slower growth from the Black Knight acquisition, and elevated debt. Sentiment was further pressured by competitive threats following the approval of perpetual futures products on platforms like Kalshi.
Shares of some of its peers, like CBOE Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE - Free Report) , have increased 8.4%, whereas CME Group Inc. (CME - Free Report) and Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ - Free Report) have declined 17.5% and 12.1%, respectively, in the past year. The S&P 500 Index has gained 23.3% during this time.
1-Year Price Performance: ICE, CME, CBOE, NDAQ, Industry & S&P 500
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ICE’s Average Target Price Suggests UpsideBased on short-term price targets offered by 16 analysts, the Zacks average price target is $195.13 per share. The average suggests a potential 56.7% upside from the last closing price.
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ICE’s ValuationIntercontinental Exchange’s shares are trading at a discount compared with the industry. ICE’s shares are trading at a forward price-to-earnings of 14.6X, lower than the industry average of 17.5X. Meanwhile, CME, Cboe Global and Nasdaq are trading at 17.95X, 17.88X and 18.39X, respectively.
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ICE’s Growth Projection EncouragesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intercontinental Exchange’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year increase of 20.4%. The estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $10.99 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 10.6%.
The consensus estimates for 2027 EPS and revenues indicate an increase of 5.5% and 4.2%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.
The expected five-year earnings growth is pegged at 12.8%, better than the industry average of 12.2%.
Optimistic Analyst Sentiment on ICESix of the seven analysts have raised the estimates for 2026, whereas five of the eight analysts have increased estimates for 2027 over the past 60 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 has moved 3.8% and 1% north, respectively, over the same period.
Factors Favoring ICE StockICE’s top line is poised to improve, driven by global data services and index business, the ICE Global Network offering, as well as solid desktop, feeds, and derivatives analytics. The company has been achieving expense synergies from strategic acquisitions, which have strengthened its portfolio and expanded its presence. As the operator of the largest mortgage network in the United States, ICE remains well-positioned to capitalize on the ongoing digitization of the residential mortgage industry. The company is also benefiting from strength in its Exchange business, driven by elevated market volatility, robust risk-management demand and growing market participation.
ICE's Fixed Income and Data Services business remains a key growth driver. In the first quarter of 2026, revenues reached a record $322 million, up 7% year over year, fueled by strong net new business trends in its pricing and reference data offerings. Growing demand for proprietary data, analytics, pricing and index products continues to support recurring revenues and earnings stability. For 2026, management anticipates recurring revenue growth in the mid single-digit range, with results expected to trend toward the higher end.
ICE is investing in several emerging growth areas that could support long-term expansion. The launch of ICE Private Credit Intelligence, development of a tokenized securities platform at the NYSE and partnerships with Polymarket and OKX are expected to strengthen its position in private credit, digital assets and next-generation market infrastructure. These initiatives expand the company's addressable market and provide additional long-term growth avenues.
ICE is increasingly embedding artificial intelligence across its mortgage, data, pricing, and workflow automation platforms. Management believes AI-driven capabilities will increase platform adoption, strengthen customer relationships and create incremental monetization opportunities over time.
Risks for ICETotal operating expenses have increased over the last several years, reflecting higher compensation and benefits, technology and communication costs, and acquisition-related integration activity. ICE guided for the second quarter of 2026, adjusted operating expenses in the range of of $1.030 billion to $1.040 billion.
ICE faces competitive and regulatory challenges that could pressure pricing, increase compliance costs, and shift trading volumes, making future growth and profitability more unpredictable.
ConclusionICE is poised for growth, banking on the strength of its compelling portfolio and expansive risk-management services, which ensure revenue flow, as well as strategic buyouts, a solid balance sheet, and effective capital deployment. However, rising operating expenses and volatile industry trends raise concerns.
Nevertheless, favorable growth estimates, optimistic analyst sentiment, and cheaper valuations are noteworthy. It is, therefore, wise to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Veeva launched EHS within Quality Cloud to help sites manage operational and environmental risks.VEEV shares fell 2% after the news, with the stock down 29.2% year to date.Veeva EHS automates incident reporting, investigations and compliance workflows on one platform. Veeva Systems (VEEV - Free Report) recently announced the launch of Veeva EHS, a new environmental, health and safety application within its Veeva Quality Cloud. The solution is designed to help manufacturing and testing sites proactively identify, manage and mitigate operational and environmental risks while strengthening global compliance readiness.
Management stated that Veeva EHS delivers an advanced and automated approach to environmental, health and safety processes. It enables EHS teams to free up time and ensures quick and accurate execution. The company believes organizations replacing legacy EHS systems with a unified platform will gain real-time transparency into leading indicators of risk for more informed decisions and a proactive approach to prevention.
Veeva EHS is expected to be available to early adopters in August 2026.
Likely Trend of VEEV Stock Following the NewsFollowing the announcement, VEEV shares lost 2% at yesterday’s closing. Year to date, the stock has declined 29.2%, underperforming the industry’s 15.2% fall and the S&P 500’s 7.3% rise.
The launch of Veeva EHS is expected to strengthen Veeva’s position in the EHS software market by expanding its Quality Cloud portfolio. The unified platform can drive higher customer adoption, improve cross-selling opportunities and increase recurring revenues. Its automation, real-time risk visibility and integrated compliance capabilities also enhance Veeva's competitive advantage over legacy EHS solution providers, supporting long-term business growth.
VEEV currently has a market capitalization of $26.21 billion.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
More on Veeva EHSVeeva EHS enables organizations to report safety incidents in real time, manage investigations from start to finish and automate compliance workflows within a single platform. The solution integrates with Veeva QMS and Veeva Training, allowing safety events to automatically create quality deviations and assign relevant training. This eliminates duplicate data entry, streamlines workflows and helps organizations maintain compliance.
According to Bobbie Grant, Global Senior EHS Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a modern EHS platform with unified data and a seamless user experience across the entire EHS workflow can significantly improve site efficiency. Grant added that Veeva provides an advanced solution that can maintain data integrity and provide the foundation for AI-driven capabilities to reduce risk over time.
Industry Prospects Favoring the MarketGoing by the data provided by Research and Markets, the environmental health and safety (EHS) software market is valued at $8.9 billion in 2026 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 8.1% through 2030.
Factors like the stringent regulatory requirements that healthcare and life science organizations must navigate, digital transformation initiatives in healthcare and life sciences, a growing focus on workplace safety and risk reduction, and the integration of AI and machine learning are boosting the market’s growth.
Other NewsVeeva recently acquired Copli, a pioneer in agentic medical, legal and regulatory (MLR) solutions for the life sciences industry. Copli is available as Veeva Falcon MLR, an agentic MLR solution that significantly accelerates content review with the potential to eliminate 70% or more of manual MLR labor within five years.
VEEV’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksCurrently, VEEV has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are BrightSpring Health (BTSG - Free Report) , Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) .
BrightSpring Health, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 39 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 34.5%. Revenues of $3.61 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.35%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
BrightSpring Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 46.5%. BTSG’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, the average surprise being 14.6%.
Globus Medical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.12, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 22.1%. Revenues of $759.9 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.0%.
GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 10.2%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%.
Intuitive Surgical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.50, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20.2%. Revenues of $2.77 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.2%.
Intuitive Surgical has a long-term estimated growth rate of 14.3%. ISRG’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Agilent Technologies (A - Free Report) . Shares have added about 0.1% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Agilent due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.
Agilent Technologies Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Up Y/YAgilent Technologies reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of $1.49 per share, up 13.7% year over year. The figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.21%.
Quarterly revenues came in at $1.84 billion, which represented 10% reported growth year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.12%. Strength in instruments and solid execution also supported a favorable mix, with 66% of fiscal second-quarter revenue coming from recurring streams such as consumables, services and informatics.
A Posts Strong Q2 Growth Across Operating SegmentsA’s top-line expansion was broad-based across its three reporting groups. The Life Sciences and Diagnostics Markets Group generated $732 million of revenues, up 12% year over year on a reported basis and 9% on a core basis.
Agilent CrossLab delivered $759 million, reflecting 6% reported growth and 2% core growth, while Applied Markets recorded $344 million, increasing 14% reported and 11% core. Segment profitability remained solid, with operating margins of 22.0% in LDG, 32.0% in CrossLab and 23.3% in Applied Markets.
Agilent’s Q2 Operating ResultsFor the second quarter of fiscal 2026, the LDG segment’s gross margin expanded 130 basis points (bps) year over year to 54.1%. ACG’s gross margin was flat year over year to 55.5%, while AMG’s gross margin expanded 230 bps year over year to 55.8%.
Research and development (R&D) expenses on a non-GAAP basis were $116 million, up 6.4% from the prior-year quarter. Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses on a non-GAAP basis rose to $409 million, marking a 9.4% increase from the prior-year quarter.
As a percentage of revenues, R&D expenses fell 20 bps year over year to 6.3%, while SG&A expenses fell 10 bps year over year to 22.3%.
Non-GAAP operating margin expanded 130 basis points year over year to 26.4% and improved 180 basis points sequentially.
A Sees Divergent Trends Across End MarketsDemand trends varied by end market, but the overall mix remained constructive. Pharma, which represented 36% of quarterly revenues, delivered 6% core growth and marked a fifth straight quarter of mid-single to low-double-digit growth, including low-double-digit growth in biotech.
Diagnostics and Clinical (16% of revenue) rose 11% on core growth, supported by expansion in Cancer Diagnostics offerings and traction for the Omnis family. Chemicals and Advanced Materials (23% of revenue) increased 8%, driven by semiconductor demand and chemicals capex investments in the Americas, while Environmental and Forensics (10% of revenue) grew 13% on competitive wins and a TSA airport security contract. Offsetting pockets of strength, Academia and Government (7% of revenue) declined 5% amid a muted research funding environment, and Food (8% of revenue) fell 3% on funding delays in China and India.
Agilent Details Geography and Business Mixeographically, results reflected strength in the Americas and Europe and a tougher year-over-year comparison in Asia-Pacific. Core revenue growth was 11% in the Americas and 8% in Europe, while APAC declined 1% on a core basis. In terms of mix, the Americas accounted for 42% of Agilent’s fiscal second-quarter revenue, Europe contributed 28% and APAC represented 30%.
Agilent also highlighted the durability of its model through the product-type mix. Consumables, services and informatics represented 66% of total revenues in the quarter, while instruments accounted for the remaining 34%. The company emphasized robust instrument growth in the quarter alongside an increasing recurring-revenue mix.
A’s Balance Sheet DetailsThe balance sheet remained steady. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $1.807 billion as of April 30, 2026, compared with $1.75 billion as of Jan. 31, 2025, while long-term debt stood at $3.051 billion.
Agilent generated $277 million in operating cash flow during the quarter and returned cash to shareholders through multiple channels. The company spent $65 million to repurchase 0.55 million shares and paid $72 million in dividends, along with $76 million of capex investment.
A Raises Full-Year Outlook and Issues Q3 TargetsA lifted its fiscal 2026 outlook, driven by increased confidence in business performance and execution. Full-year revenues are now expected to be in the range of $7.39-$7.49 billion, with core revenue growth projected to be between 4.5% and 6.0%. The company also expects 85 basis points of non-GAAP operating margin expansion at the midpoint of core growth guidance.
For the third quarter of fiscal 2026, A expects revenues in the range of $1.83-$1.85 billion, implying 5.0%-6.5% reported growth and 4.4%-5.9% core growth. Non-GAAP earnings for the quarter are expected to be in the range of $1.48-$1.50 per share, while full-year non-GAAP earnings were raised to $6.00-$6.10 per share.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates review.
VGM ScoresCurrently, Agilent has a subpar Growth Score of D, a score with the same score on the momentum front. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a score of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of this revision indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Agilent has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Vyšší sazby mohou prospět společnosti Interactive Brokers, protože většinu jejích výnosů tvoří čistý úrokový výnos. Ten v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 dosáhl 904 milionů USD, asi 54 % čistých výnosů.
Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh held his first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, making statements strongly suggesting a "higher for longer" interest rate policy, including possible rate hikes down the road.
For stock market investors, this could be concerning. Stocks, particularly speculative growth stocks, often trade inversely with interest rates. As rates go up, valuations could come down. Yet while Warsh's policy plans could create new headwinds for the broad market, these changes could be a potential boon for one major financial institution: Interactive Brokers (IBKR 2.06%).
Why? The discount broker, a pioneer in electronic trading, generates a majority of its overall revenue from interest. Hence, like with financial stocks and bank stocks, "higher for longer" bodes well for Interactive Brokers.
Image source: Getty Images.
Interactive Brokers and its not-so-secret revenue stream Like most brokerages, net interest income (NII) is a key revenue stream for Interactive Brokers. There are two ways brokerages generate NII. First, they collect interest on customer "float," or uninvested cash. They also earn interest income on margin loans made to customers.
For a major institution like Interactive Brokers, interest income can add up quickly. Each month, the company releases brokerage metrics and other financial information. According to the latest report, as of May 31, 2026, the company had client credit balances, or customer cash balances, totaling $180.1 billion, a 34% increase over the past year.
Client margin loan balances totaled $100.9 billion, a 65% increase over the past year. During the first quarter of 2026, NII totaled $904 million, making up around 54% of the company's total net revenue. With the company reporting pretax profits of around $1.3 billion, or 77% pretax margins, the lion's share of this NII flows straight to the bottom line.
Interactive Brokers also continues to benefit from customer growth. Last month, for instance, the company had nearly 5 million client accounts, a 32% increase compared to May 2025, and a 3% increase compared to the prior month.
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Interactive Brokers is a compounding machine Considering customer and NII growth, it's easy to see how this company has been a compounding machine in recent years. Since 2022, the company's revenue has surged from $4.2 billion to $10.6 billion, while earnings per share went from $0.94 to $2.34. The company's quarterly cash dividend has grown significantly during this time, from 2.5 cents to 8.8 cents per quarter, a more than 250% increase.
Currently, sell-side analysts forecast revenue growth of around 14.5% and 12.5%, respectively, with earnings expected to climb from $2.19 per share in 2025 to $2.51 per share in 2026 and to $2.88 per share by 2027, representing average annual growth of 14.7%.
Such earnings growth could translate into further strong dividend growth, especially as Interactive Brokers' payout ratio remains low, at around 13.7%. Shares may be pricey at nearly 40 times forward earnings, but if high growth persists, they may experience, at worst, moderate multiple compression.
Continued double-digit earnings growth could counter a drop in forward valuation to the low- to mid-30s. This, coupled with the 0.37% dividend, could yield steady, solid total returns. With this, consider Interactive Brokers one of the best growth stocks to buy and hold.
Wise Group PLC (LSE:WISE, NASDAQ:WSE) delivered stronger-than-expected annual profits, analysts said, although its growth guidance for the year ahead came in slightly below market expectations.
The shares were up 6.5% at 883p on Friday afternoon.
Jefferies said the payments group's results were "messy" because of its recent US listing and changes to accounting standards, but the underlying picture was one of strong cash generation and healthy customer growth.
The broker estimated that Wise generated around $700 million of underlying cash during the year, even after spending $470 million buying back shares to offset historic stock-based compensation dilution. The new programme, worth more than $500 million, is expected to reduce the share count by about 3%.
New active customers rose 20% to 7.1 million, taking Wise's total customer base to 35 million, while headcount increased 35% as the company continued to invest in servicing and product development.
For the 2027 financial year, Wise gave guidance for constant-currency revenue growth around the middle of its long-term 15-20% target range, implying growth of roughly 18%.
Jefferies said this was below its forecasts for 22% growth and the City consensus of 21%.
Despite the softer-than-expected outlook, the analysts said the combination of robust cash generation, continued customer growth and further price reductions should keep Wise's growth "flywheel" turning.
Xcel Energy zvýšila celoroční výhled zisku na 4,04 až 4,16 USD na akcii po silném prvním čtvrtletí. Opakující se zisk vzrostl meziročně o 17 % na 567 milionů USD.
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52-Week Range$66.56▼
$84.23Dividend Yield2.88%
P/E Ratio23.70
Price Target$91.06
Xcel Energy NASDAQ: XEL is dependable, predictable, and steady. In other words, it’s generally boring—yet analysts rate it a solid Buy.
Xcel is the kind of stock that income-oriented investors often overlook because it does not make headlines, and growth investors skip because it sounds like a bond substitute. Both groups might be missing something. The Minneapolis-based company is posting solid earnings growth, predictable guidance, and a steady long-term outlook.
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But with a well-valued price/earnings ratio, the stock is not for everyone. Investors should balance its dependable dividends and stability against its current valuation, execution risks, and limited near-term upside.
Xcel Thrives After Decades of InvestmentsXcel’s regional dominance has been built over decades. The current company was formed in 2000 through the merger of New Century Energies and Northern States Power, bringing together utility operations in the upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain West. Before the merger, Xcel operated as a classic regulated utility. It had steady dividends, predictable low single-digit growth, and a stock moved mostly by interest rate changes.
That picture began to change when the industry shifted in approach, and electricity demand surged. Xcel had been an early mover in renewable energy, turning to wind and solar alternatives ahead of many peers. The investments positioned the company well in states such as Colorado and Minnesota, where regulators began mandating decarbonization of electricity supply.
At the same time, the development of large-scale data centers in the company's service areas pushed new load growth to levels not seen in decades.
Today, the company serves 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers across eight states, including Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and the Dakotas. Importantly, that geographic breadth also helps reduce the risk that a single statewide rate case could materially hit the overall business.
Capital Spending Planned for Long-Term GrowthThe push for additional energy generation in the region continues to spur the company’s growth.
Xcel has announced plans to pursue a $60 billion capital investment program through 2030, driven by electrification demand, data center growth, and the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels. The company has said it is targeting, among other things, electric grid expansion, renewables expansion, new generation capacity, and transmission infrastructure.
If approved by regulators, the build-out could significantly expand Xcel’s rate base and provide a strong path for earnings growth well beyond the current year. The company has set an earnings-per-share growth objective of 6% to 8% or above annually, an aggressive level for a regulated utility. The company’s compound annual growth rate already sits at 6.2% for its ongoing earnings per share since 2005.
The company also expects its dividend, currently paying approximately 59 cents per share each quarter, to continue yielding about 3% going forward. Given its projected earnings growth, the company said it expects annual dividend increases of 4% to 6%, continuing a 22-year trend of dividend hikes.
Strong Financial Results Support OutlookThe financial results have been tracking that plan.
First-quarter 2026 ongoing earnings were $567 million, or 91 cents per share, up 17% from $483 million, or 84 cents per share, in the same quarter a year earlier. GAAP earnings came in at $556 million, or 89 cents per share. The quarterly increase was driven by higher electric revenue and continued recovery of electric infrastructure investment through rates, the company said.
The company also updated its full-year 2026 earnings guidance to a range of $4.04 to $4.16, compared with $3.80 in 2025.
Overall, with electric generation providing three-quarters of its revenue, Xcel reported $4 billion in operating revenue in the first quarter this year, compared with $3.9 billion a year earlier.
Analysts See Limited But Steady UpsideOverall MarketRank™75th Percentile
Analyst RatingBuy
Upside/Downside10.4% Upside
Short Interest LevelBearish
Dividend StrengthStrong
News Sentiment0.77 Insider TradingN/A
Proj. Earnings Growth9.25%
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That combination of income stability and visible earnings growth has impressed most analysts. The company currently has a solid Buy rating. Of the 17 analysts tracking the stock, 16 rate Xcel as a Buy, while one labels the stock as a Sell.
The 12-month average price target is around $91 per share, within a range of targets from $96 to $84. With a current price of about $80, the predictability of the company is clearly baked into the price range.
In fact, the stock’s steady climb is also evident in its history. Shares are currently trading approximately 5% higher than three months ago, 10% higher than the start of the year, and more than 20% higher than one year ago.
Investors Should Weigh the RisksDespite the current predictability and steadiness of Xcel, utility companies are never without risk. In the market, the utility sector competes with bonds for many investors, and interest rate hikes can hit valuations as well as borrowing costs for major projects.
In addition, Xcel's capital program is ambitious by any measure, and large capital programs are never guaranteed. Cost overruns, supply chain delays, or adverse regulatory decisions can lead to less recovery than management expects.
Wildfire liability is also a risk, especially with exposure in Colorado and other western states. Xcel has recognized this risk and formed a partnership with the National Forest Foundation in May this year, specifically to support wildfire mitigation and forest restoration.
Stability Remains Xcel’s Biggest StrengthXcel has a lot to recommend it. It’s a well-positioned, regulated utility with a reliable dividend yielding 3%, projected annual earnings growth of 6-8%, and a roughly 12% upside target from current levels.
For conservative investors, it also delivers a business aligned with long-term trends in electricity demand and a clean energy buildout. But it is well-priced, and appreciation could be slow.
In many ways, the company might be boring. But with steady accumulation and a multi-year horizon, Xcel’s income, growth, and its delivery of an increasingly essential product might be exciting enough.
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PPL přes své regulované utility LG&E a KU spolupracuje s X-energy na posouzení malých modulárních reaktorů Xe-100 v Kentucky. Zvažuje také projekt přečerpávací vodní elektrárny Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project o výkonu 266 MW.
Key Takeaways PPL is advancing clean energy through partnerships in carbon-free generation and energy storage. LG&E and KU partnered with X-energy to evaluate Xe-100 small modular reactors in Kentucky. PPL's shares rose 3.3% in the past month, topping the electric power industry's 2.2% gain. PPL Corporation (PPL - Free Report) is advancing its clean energy strategy through partnerships focused on carbon-free generation and energy storage. Collaborations involving advanced nuclear technology and pumped-storage hydropower support rising electricity demand, strengthen grid reliability and create long-term growth opportunities, while advancing decarbonization objectives.
Recently, PPL's regulated utilities, Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) Company, partnered with X-energy Inc. (XE) to evaluate the deployment of Xe-100 small modular reactors (SMR) in Kentucky to support rising electricity demand with reliable, long-term clean energy. Nuclear power could help PPL meet this demand while maintaining reliability and supporting decarbonization goals.
LG&E and KU are also collaborating with Rye Development to explore the 266 megawatt Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project. The project is still under evaluation and would not begin operating until around 2031. If approved, the project could enhance grid reliability, support renewable energy integration and create a future investment opportunity that expands PPL's regulated asset base.
For PPL, this collaboration represents a strategic step toward diversifying its generation portfolio with advanced nuclear technology, enhancing long-term energy reliability. If feasibility studies prove successful, SMRs could provide a reliable, carbon-free baseload power source, positioning the utility to capitalize on growing electricity demand, driven by industrial expansion and data-center development.
Diversified Generation Sources Strengthen Growth ProspectsA diversified generation portfolio strengthens long-term growth prospects by enhancing grid reliability and reducing dependence on any single source. It also supports rising electricity demand and provides greater operational flexibility amid evolving energy market dynamics.
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK - Free Report) benefits from a diversified electricity generation portfolio, with natural gas and fuel oil contributing 33.5% of output, followed by nuclear at 27.5%, coal at 14.5%, and hydroelectric and solar at 2%.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE - Free Report) derives nearly 54% of its electricity generation from renewable energy sources. The company maintains a diversified generation portfolio, with natural gas accounting for 34% of output, nuclear energy 8% and other sources 1%.
PPL’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 7.73% and 8.13%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Debt to CapitalPPL's debt-to-capital ratio currently stands at 57.40%, lower than the electric power industry’s 60.97%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PPL’s Stock Price PerformanceIn the past month, the company’s shares have risen 3.3% compared with the industry’s 2.2% growth.
Avient globálně představil PREPERM, nízkoztrátové dielektrické termoplasty pro radarové snímání v oblasti 5G/6G. Cílí na ADAS, inteligentní dopravu a humanoidní robotiku.
Key Takeaways Avient launched PREPERM thermoplastics globally for 5G/6G radar sensing applications.PREPERM targets ADAS, intelligent transportation, humanoid robotics and mmWave radome uses.The PPE portfolio helps address signal-loss, warpage and BSIS compliance barriers. Avient Corporation (AVNT - Free Report) has introduced its new PREPERM Low Loss Dielectric Thermoplastics, a modified polyphenylene ether (PPE) solution engineered to support the rapid growth of 5G/6G-enabled radar sensing. The new addition provides automotive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), intelligent transportation and humanoid robotics. The new PPE-based portfolio helps overcome signal-loss, warpage and BSIS compliance barriers of conventional glass-fiber-reinforced polybutylene terephthalate (PBT+GF) materials.
The PREPERM portfolio addresses these challenges with a dielectric constant (Dk) ranging from 2.53 to 2.94 and a loss tangent (Df) as low as 0.001 at 2.5 GHz. It is built to deliver at high frequencies. According to Avient’s in-house RF testing, the materials delivered improved gain, detection angles and elevation angle compared to traditional PBT+GF alternatives.
The portfolio includes four grades, offered in both unfilled and glass-filled PPE variants. These materials are optimized for the entire radome assembly, including high-impact and laser-weldable performance, structural requirements and laser absorption, while enabling a smooth upgrade for manufacturers currently using PBT+GF with dimensional stability.
Produced in Asia and available worldwide, PREPERM thermoplastics are expected to help automotive suppliers, traffic radar manufacturers, and robotics developers improve radar performance and manufacturing efficiency for mmWave radome applications.
AVNT shares have gained 12.7% over the past year compared with the industry’s 22.9% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AVNT’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksAVNT currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are Nucor Corporation (NUE - Free Report) , Dow Inc. (DOW - Free Report) and Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (ASM - Free Report) .
While NUE and DOW sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each at present, ASM carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NUE’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $17.08 per share, indicating a 121.53% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters and missed the remaining two, with an average surprise of 8.10%. NUE’s shares have jumped 89.4% over the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DOW’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $2.61 per share, indicating a rise of 377.66% year over year. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters. DOW’sshares have gained 8.6% over the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASM’s current fiscal-year earnings is pinned at 34 cents per share, indicating a 17.24% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 125%.
Neogen zvýšil výhled tržeb pro fiskální rok 2026 na 857–860 milionů USD díky silnému výkonu divize Food Safety. Firma zároveň pokračuje v integraci byznysu Food Safety od 3M.
Key Takeaways Neogen climbed on strong Food Safety performance and raised fiscal 2026 revenue guidance.NEOG expanded its portfolio with new testing products and advanced integration of 3M's Food Safety business. Neogen faces inflation, higher freight costs and ended Q3 fiscal 2026 with $793 million in debt. Neogen Corporation (NEOG - Free Report) has witnessed strong momentum over the past year. Shares of the company have risen 101.1%, outperforming the industry’s 30.4% decline. The S&P 500 composite has increased 22.5% during the same time frame.
With healthy fundamentals and strong growth opportunities, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company appears to be a solid wealth creator for its investors at the moment.
Neogen develops and markets food and animal safety products. The company’s Food Safety Division markets culture media and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns.
The Animal Safety division provides veterinary instruments, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, topicals, diagnostic products, rodenticides, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides and genomics testing services for the worldwide animal safety market.
Factors Favoring NEOG’s Share Price GrowthNeogen’s share price is trending upward, prompted by its strong Food Safety segment’s quarterly performance. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, revenues totaled $157.6 million, with core revenue growth of 4% being relatively in line with existing market growth rates. Performance was driven by continued strength in indicator testing and culture media products, along with solid growth in pathogen test kits within the bacteria and general sanitation category.
Investors are also focused on the company’s research and development efforts. In late 2025, the company introduced Neogen MPNTray, a new extension of its Colitag Water Testing System, designed for water testing laboratories and municipalities. Other key launches include the Listeria Right Now molecular detection assay, Igenity BCHF and MDA2 Quantitative Salmonella (MDA2QSAL96).
Additionally, Neogen’s 2022 merger with 3M’s Food Safety business is expected to generate significant long-term value for shareholders of the combined company. Neogen has made significant progress in integrating the former 3M Food Safety business, navigating through a complex process amid execution and macroeconomic challenges. The transaction also added 3M’s flagship indicator testing brand, Petrifilm, which is now part of Neogen Culture Media.
Given these positive developments, the company raised its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to $857-$860 million from $845-$855 million.
Factors That May Offset NEOG’s GainsNeogen’s operating results have been pressured by input cost inflation, including higher raw material expenses. These are further compounded by supplier shifts linked to global tariff changes.
Amid geopolitical tensions involving Iran, Neogen is seeing more tangible pressure in global logistics and freight, with disruptions around key global transit routes, such as the Suez Canal, and the impact of higher energy prices on transportation rates. It is experiencing freight and transportation cost increases in the high single-digit to low double-digit range, equating to approximately $1.5 million per quarter in incremental costs at current rates.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a solvency standpoint, Neogen exited the third quarter of fiscal 2026 with cash and cash equivalents of $159.9 million and a relatively high total outstanding debt of $793 million.
A Look at NEOG’s EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 EPS has remained unchanged at 29 cents in the past 30 days.
The company has an estimated long-term EPS growth rate of 10% compared with the industry’s 12.5%.
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , Integra LifeSciences (IART - Free Report) and Phibro Animal Health (PAHC - Free Report) .
Globus Medical has an earnings yield of 5.5%, well ahead of the industry’s negative 3% yield. Its earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%. The company’s shares have rallied 43.8% against the industry’s 4.8% decline over the past year.
GMED carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Integra LifeSciences, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 16% against the industry’s negative 3% yield. Shares of the company have gained 22.8% compared with the industry’s 4.8% growth. IART’s earnings topped estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.
Phibro Animal Health, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 9.2% compared with the industry’s 2.8% yield. Shares of the company have climbed 43.1% against the industry’s 27.9% decline. PAHC’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.3%.
First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) dosáhla nového 52týdenního maxima 33,5 USD po růstu o 8,6 % za měsíc. Firma zároveň ve čtyřech po sobě jdoucích čtvrtletích překonala odhady zisku i tržeb.
Have you been paying attention to shares of First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 8.6% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $33.5 in the previous session. First Financial has gained 33.9% since the start of the year compared to the 3.2% gain for the Zacks Finance sector and the 6.9% return for the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry.
What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, having beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on April 28, 2026, First Financial reported EPS of $0.77 versus consensus estimate of $0.7 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 5.09%.
For the current fiscal year, First Financial is expected to post earnings of $3.2 per share on $1.08 in revenues. This represents a 9.22% change in EPS on a 19.68% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $3.38 per share on $1.12 in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 5.63% and 3.86%, respectively.
Valuation MetricsThough First Financial has recently hit a 52-week high, what is next for First Financial? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company is due for a pullback from this level.
On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as these give investors a variety of ways to comb through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). The individual style scores for Value, Growth, Momentum and the combined VGM Score run from A through F. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.
First Financial has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are B and D, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.
In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 10.5X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is not in-line with the peer industry average of 11.2X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 10.6X versus its peer group's average of 11X. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.
Zacks RankWe also need to consider the stock's Zacks Rank, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, First Financial currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.
Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if First Financial passes the test. Thus, it seems as though First Financial shares could have potential in the weeks and months to come.
Key Takeaways AEO posted 10% revenue growth as Aerie delivered 34% sales and 25% comparable sales growth.AEO's Aerie surpassed $2 billion in trailing 12-month revenue with broad-based category strength.AEO expects Aerie's comparable sales growth in the high-teens to low 20% range for the fiscal second quarter. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO - Free Report) delivered a strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 performance, with Aerie remaining the primary growth driver, delivering exceptional results across both sales channels and profitability. The company’s revenues increased 10% year over year to $1.2 billion, and operating income reached $28 million, exceeding management’s guidance. Total Aerie sales increased 34%, while comparable sales rose 25%, reflecting broad-based growth across channels and reinforcing the brand’s continued momentum within the company’s portfolio.
Aerie surpassed the $2 billion milestone in trailing 12-month revenue, reflecting years of disciplined execution, sustained brand building and deep customer engagement. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, both the Aerie and OFFLINE brands generated strong customer response, supported by compelling products, impactful marketing and well-aligned sales channels.
Aerie delivered broad-based strength across key categories, led by a 45% comparable sales increase in apparel. Management also credited its head-to-toe merchandising strategy across intimates, sleepwear and apparel for simplifying customers’ outfit choices while increasing basket size and average order value, reinforcing the brand’s repeatable growth model.
The company continued to strengthen its commercial and brand strategy by replacing brand-wide promotions with a more disciplined, higher-margin approach centered on targeted promotions, always-on pricing and marketing investments to attract and retain high-value customers.
At the same time, American Eagle enhanced Aerie’s brand visibility through its 100% Aerie Real campaign featuring Pamela Anderson, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to inclusivity, authenticity and transparency while deepening customer engagement. Looking ahead, Aerie is projected to maintain momentum with comparable sales growth in the high-teens to low 20% range in the fiscal second quarter of 2026.
Aerie’s sustained performance underscores its evolution into a powerful long-term value creator for American Eagle. With a scalable business model and strong brand resonance, the company appears well-positioned to deliver consistent earnings growth and strengthen its competitive position over time.
The Zacks Rundown for AEOAEO’s shares have surged 87.6% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 10.7%. AEO carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AEO trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 9.91X, lower than the industry’s average 15.14X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEO’s current and next fiscal year earnings implies a year-over-year growth of 18% and 7.5%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks have been discussed below:
Tapestry, Inc. (TPR - Free Report) provides accessories and lifestyle brand products in North America, Greater China, the rest of Asia, and internationally. At present, TPR flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TPR’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 13.8% and 36.3%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. TPR has delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.6%, on average.
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN - Free Report) offers lifestyle products and services in the United States and internationally. At present, URBN carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for URBN’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings implies growth of 8.6% and 10.5%, respectively, from the year-ago figures. URBN has delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12.2%, on average.
Fossil Group, Inc. (FOSL - Free Report) designs, develops, markets, and distributes consumer fashion accessories in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. At present, FOSL carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FOSL’s current fiscal-year sales indicates a decline of 4.9%, while the same for earnings indicates growth of 87.6% from the year-ago figures. FOSL delivered a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 381.8%, on average.
Akcie Acadia Pharmaceuticals v pátek vyskočily poté, co evropští regulátoři nečekaně otočili své dřívější rozhodnutí a doporučili schválení léku Daybue na Rettův syndrom.
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Key Takeaways EG's net investment income delivered a 27% CAGR from 2020 to 2025, reflecting sustained portfolio growth. NII rose 15.5% year over year in first-quarter 2026, driven by fixed income and alternative investments. Growing insurance float, higher reinvestment yields, and disciplined portfolio management support earnings. Everest Group, Ltd. (EG - Free Report) has become one of the major beneficiaries of the higher interest rate environment, with net investment income (NII) serving as an increasingly important contributor to earnings alongside its insurance and reinsurance underwriting operations.
NII has become an increasingly valuable component of Everest Group's earnings profile. The combination of a growing insurance float, disciplined investment management, and a higher-yield investment environment strengthens the company's ability to generate consistent profits, complementing its underwriting performance and supporting long-term shareholder value creation.
A significant portion of the investment portfolio consists of fixed income securities, and smaller portions consist of equity securities and other investments, such as limited partnerships and other alternative investments. The metric should continue to gain from an increase in limited partnership income, higher income from fixed maturity investments, an increase in income from other alternative investments, higher income from short-term investments, and cash.
The insurer’s investment income has shown continuous improvement. The metric has delivered a five-year (2020-2025) CAGR of 27%.
NII increased 15.5% year over year for the three months ended March 31, 2026, largely driven by strong alternative asset returns, fixed income portfolio growth, and strong limited partnership returns.
EG's net investment income is primarily driven by the growth of its investment portfolio, higher reinvestment yields in a higher-rate environment, expanding insurance float, and disciplined portfolio management.
NII significantly boosts top-line growth and overall profitability for EG, complementing the company's underwriting operations. While insurance premiums are the primary source of revenue, NII provides a recurring stream of earnings generated from investing the company's insurance float and shareholders' capital.
What About Other Insurers?Chubb Limited's (CB - Free Report) net investment income is an important earnings contributor. The metric benefits from higher interest rates and stronger portfolio yields, providing a steady source of earnings beyond underwriting profits. This helps improve profitability, offset claim volatility and strengthen overall financial performance.
The Travelers Companies, Inc.’s (TRV - Free Report) net investment income is a material contributor to the company’s results of operations, consistently providing a reliable source of earnings that complements its underwriting activities. Net investment income acts as a second earnings engine for this property and casualty insurer after underwriting profit. Thus, even if underwriting profit weakens because of higher catastrophe losses, solid net investment income can help offset earnings pressure.
EG’s Price PerformanceShares of EG have gained 1.8% in the past year, outperforming the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
EG’s UndervaluationThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-book value multiple of 0.89, lower than the industry average of 2.78. It carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimate Movement for EGThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for EG’s second-quarter 2026 and third-quarter 2026 EPS has moved down 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively, in the past 30 days. The same for full-year 2026 EPS has moved up 0.9% in the past 30 days.
Chemed v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšil výnosy VITAS o 3,1 % díky vyššímu počtu přijetí pacientů a úhradám Medicare. Roto-Rooter zlepšil trendy v instalatérských službách i výběr plateb.
Key Takeaways Chemed's VITAS grew Q1 2026 revenues as admissions and Medicare reimbursement increased. CHE saw Roto-Rooter improve plumbing trends, billing efficiency and expand via franchise acquisitions. Chemed faces inflation, tariff risks and intense competition across hospice and plumbing services. Chemed Corporation (CHE - Free Report) is well poised to grow in the coming quarters due to strong operational growth in the VITAS arm. Roto-Rooter maintains its core competitive edge in a challenging operational environment, which is highly promising. Meanwhile, ongoing macroeconomic headwinds and competitive pressures pose risks for Chemed’s operations.
Over the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has lost 19% against the industry’s 10.2% growth and the S&P 500 composite’s 22.5% improvement.
The renowned hospice care provider has a market capitalization of $6.02 billion. Chemed has an earnings yield of 5.4% compared with the industry’s 5.3% yield. It has an earnings growth rate of 11.6% for 2026 compared to the industry’s 15.2% growth.
Let’s delve deeper.
Upsides for CHEVITAS Prospects Bright: In the first quarter of 2026, VITAS’ revenues grew 3.1% year over year, driven by a 2.2% increase in days of care and a roughly 2.6% rise in the geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate. Admissions at VITAS during the quarter reached 19,394, representing a 6.9% increase over the prior-year period.
Hospital-based admissions accounted for 43.8% of total admissions. Strengthened admissions led VITAS to outperform internal projections and add more than $32.5 million to the Florida combined program’s cap cushion.
Roto-Rooter Shows Resilience: In the first quarter of 2026, Roto-Rooter showed signs of improvement across multiple fronts, with residential plumbing and residential sewer and drain revenues increasing for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2022.
Roto-Rooter is centralizing water restoration billing and collections that were historically performed at each branch. The project is expected to create more concentrated expertise and result in better billing and collection results. In the first quarter, the transition resulted in a $1.5 million improvement in overall write-offs compared with the prior-year period. Management remains confident that the strategic initiatives discussed over the last few quarters are starting to take hold.
On March 31, 2026, Roto-Rooter purchased the territory and assets of the franchises operating in San Francisco, CA, and Fort Worth, TX, aggregating to roughly $20.6 million.
Concerns for ChemedMacroeconomic Headwinds: Chemed is actively monitoring the macroeconomic trends, such as inflation, and the effects of implemented or potential tariffs, which may adversely impact its net sales and profitability. Significant tariffs on certain products, such as steel for Roto-Rooter’s cabling machines and pharmaceuticals utilized by VITAS, could materially increase the cost of both segments. For 2025, Chemed’s cost of services provided and goods sold increased 8.2% over 2024.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Tough Competitive Landscape: Roto-Rooter operates in the highly competitive market for sewer, drain, and pipe cleaning and plumbing repair businesses. Competition is fragmented in most markets, with local and regional firms providing much of the competition. Besides, Hospice care in the United States is competitive, as programs for hospice services are generally uniform.
As the hospice care industry is highly fragmented, VITAS competes with a large number of organizations based on its ability to deliver quality, responsive services. Both these segments could face challenges in their operations if they are unable to innovate and effectively respond to market trends.
CHE’s Estimate TrendThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Chemed’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) has remained constant at $24.05 in the past 30 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 revenues is pegged at $2.69 billion, suggesting a 6.2% rise from the year-ago reported number.
Key MedTech StocksSome better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , Integra LifeSciences (IART - Free Report) and Phibro Animal Health (PAHC - Free Report) .
Globus Medical has an earnings yield of 5.5%, well ahead of the industry’s negative 3% yield. Its earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%. The company’s shares have rallied 43.8% against the industry’s 4.8% decline over the past year.
GMED carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Integra LifeSciences, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 16% against the industry’s negative 3% yield. Shares of the company have gained 22.8% compared with the industry’s 4.8% growth. IART’s earnings topped estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.
Phibro Animal Health, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 9.2% compared with the industry’s 2.8% yield. Shares of the company have climbed 43.1% against the industry’s 27.9% decline. PAHC’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.3%.
GlobalFoundries rozšiřuje kapacity pro silicon photonics a SiGe, protože poptávka z AI a datových center převyšuje nabídku až do roku 2027. UMC zároveň hlásí silnější poptávku a růst spolupráce na 12nm procesu s Intelem.
Key Takeaways GlobalFoundries is expanding silicon photonics and SiGe capacity amid strong AI and data center demand.UMC is seeing stronger specialty technology demand while advancing 12-nanometer work with Intel.Both companies expect higher 2026 sales and earnings as foundry demand continues to improve. The global semiconductor foundry industry continues to benefit from rising demand for chips used in artificial intelligence, automotive electronics, industrial automation and connected devices. As chipmakers increasingly outsource manufacturing, foundries with advanced technologies, diverse customer bases and expanding production capacity are well positioned to capture long-term growth.
Against this backdrop, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GFS - Free Report) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC - Free Report) stand out as two prominent players. While GlobalFoundries focuses on specialized process technologies and strategic manufacturing partnerships, UMC leverages its mature-node expertise and cost-efficient operations to serve a broad range of customers. Which semiconductor foundry stock offers the better investment opportunity today? Let's compare the two.
The Case for GFSGlobalFoundries is strengthening its long-term growth profile by capitalizing on rising demand from artificial intelligence and data center applications. The company reported robust double-digit growth in its Communications Infrastructure & Data Center and Automotive businesses during the first quarter, while highlighting strong momentum in silicon photonics and silicon-germanium (SiGe) technologies. Management noted that demand for its SiGe solutions has exceeded available capacity well into 2027, prompting capacity expansion. The company also expects its silicon photonics revenues to roughly double in 2026 and target a run rate exceeding $1 billion by the end of 2028, supported by increasing customer wins and new optical networking products.
Another positive is GlobalFoundries' improving profitability and expanding customer relationships. The company posted a record first-quarter gross margin of about 29%, up more than five percentage points year over year, reflecting a richer product mix, cost improvements and contributions from higher-margin technology services. Design wins climbed 50% from the prior-year period, while strategic partnerships with companies such as Renesas and Apple reinforce its position in automotive, industrial and U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing. Management also emphasized that its diversified manufacturing footprint across the United States, Germany and Singapore is attracting customers seeking resilient supply chains amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
Despite these strengths, GlobalFoundries continues to face headwinds in its Smart Mobile Devices business, which remains the largest revenue contributor. Management expects the segment to decline at a high-single-digit rate in 2026 as the broader smartphone market weakens, although it believes the business will outperform overall industry trends. The company also warned that geopolitical disruptions could raise supply-chain costs, with additional spending on critical materials expected to weigh on margins through the remainder of the year. These challenges suggest that sustained growth in AI, automotive and communications markets will be essential to offset weakness in mobile demand.
The Case for UMCUnited Microelectronics is benefiting from improving demand across its mature-node foundry business, supported by rising utilization and strong momentum in specialty technologies. During the first quarter, wafer shipments increased sequentially, lifting utilization to 79%, while 22-nanometer revenues reached another record and accounted for 14% of total sales. Management expects more than 50 customers to complete tape-outs on its 22-nanometer platform by the end of 2026, spanning applications such as display driver ICs, networking chips and microcontrollers. Looking ahead, UMC guided for high-single-digit shipment growth and low-single-digit ASP improvement in the second quarter, reflecting healthy demand across communications, consumer, industrial and AI-related markets.
UMC is also investing to expand its long-term growth opportunities beyond traditional mature-node manufacturing. The company continues to advance its 12-nanometer collaboration with Intel, which is expected to provide customers with U.S.-based manufacturing and pave the way for commercial production in 2027. At the same time, management highlighted growing traction in emerging businesses such as silicon photonics and advanced packaging, with more than 10 customer engagements and over 35 expected tape-outs in 2026. These initiatives, combined with disciplined pricing actions planned for the second half of the year and a strategy focused on higher-value specialty technologies, should strengthen UMC's competitive position over time.
On the downside, UMC's profitability continues to face cost pressures despite improving demand. Management cautioned that higher depreciation from the Singapore fab expansion, along with rising raw material, energy and logistics costs, is expected to offset much of the benefit from stronger utilization in 2026. While the company plans to implement wafer price increases in the second half, executives acknowledged that margin expansion is likely to remain constrained until depreciation expenses begin to ease, making sustained earnings growth dependent on continued demand recovery and successful execution of its higher-value technology roadmap.
How Does the Zacks Consensus Estimate Compare for GFS & UMC?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GFS’ 2026 sales and earnings per share implies a 7.3% and 9.9%, respectively, year-over-year increase. Moreover, in the past 60 days, earnings estimates have witnessed upward revisions.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UMC’s 2026 sales and EPS implies year-over-year growth of 10.9% and 32.1%, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2026 have increased in the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Price Performance & ValuationGFS stock has gained 140.2% in the past six months compared with its sector’s growth of 49.5%. Conversely, UMC’s shares have surged 247.9% in the same time frame.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GFS is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 48.92X, above its median of 32.37X over the last year. UMC’s forward earnings multiple sits at 36.23X, above its median of 18.79X over the same time frame.
P/E (F12M)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Which Stock to Buy Now?Both companies are well positioned to benefit from long-term semiconductor demand, but UMC appears to have the stronger investment case at this stage. The company is seeing broad-based improvement across core businesses, healthy momentum in the specialty technology portfolio and encouraging progress in emerging areas such as silicon photonics, advanced packaging and its collaboration with Intel.
In addition, analysts have become increasingly optimistic about UMC's earnings outlook, while it is expected to deliver faster growth than GlobalFoundries. Although both stocks trade at premium valuations after strong rallies, UMC's stronger earnings trajectory, improving demand environment and expanding technology roadmap give it an edge. This makes it the more compelling semiconductor foundry stock to buy now.
UMC currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), whereas GFS carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Kinder Morgan těží z rostoucího exportu LNG a vyšší poptávky po plynové elektřině v USA. Její objednávkový backlog ve výši 10,1 miliardy USD míří hlavně na LNG, výrobu elektřiny a utility.
Key Takeaways Kinder Morgan transports about 40% of U.S. natural gas and has stable, contracted cash flows.Rising LNG exports and gas-fired power demand are driving Kinder Morgan's natural gas growth story.A $10.1B project backlog targets LNG, power generation and utility demand to support cash flows. Kinder Morgan (KMI - Free Report) is a leading energy infrastructure company in North America that transports approximately 40% of U.S. natural gas. The company owns an extensive asset base, including approximately 78,000 miles of pipelines, 136 terminals and more than 700 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working natural gas storage capacity. While KMI generates stable cash flows, supported by its highly contracted business model, its growth story is backed by the rising demand for natural gas and power consumption in the United States.
The rising demand for natural gas is driven by two major factors – growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and increasing gas-fired power demand in the U.S. Kinder Morgan’s assets. These assets are well-positioned to support LNG export growth, particularly at the export hubs in Texas and the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Additionally, the expansion of data centers, the retirement of coal-fired power plants, industrial reshoring, population migration and economic growth in the Southern U.S. are resulting in increased electricity consumption, boosting the need for reliable natural gas-fired power generation.
The company’s $10.1 billion project backlog is primarily focused on natural gas infrastructure, with more than 20% directed toward serving the growing LNG demand, whereas about 60% is directed toward power generation and utility demand. This should enable the midstream player to convert these demand trends into stable, predictable cash flows. These trends enhance the strategic value of KMI’s pipeline and storage assets and provide investors with a low-risk path to gain exposure to the structural growth in U.S. natural gas demand.
Energy Sector Players to Benefit From Rising Natural Gas DemandThe rise of data centers and higher gas-fired power demand presents an opportunity for Enbridge Inc. (ENB - Free Report) to capitalize on. Data centers require a huge amount of electricity, which is driving rapid growth in gas demand. The shift from coal to gas for power generation is increasing the demand for gas. Enbridgeis expected to gain from the expansion of its natural gas storage facilities.
Venture Global (VG - Free Report) is one of the largest U.S.-based exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is currently operating and developing multiple LNG export projects in Louisiana. The company anticipates that the total production capacity across its projects will account for approximately 68 million tons per annum, upon completion, with potential upside from optimization initiatives. Being an LNG export company, VG is expected to benefit from the rise in LNG demand, driven by the expansion of data centers, replacement of coal and the global shift toward lower-emission fuels.
KMI’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of KMI have jumped 14.2% over the past year compared with the 18.7% improvement of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, KMI trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 14.47X. This is below the broader industry average of 15.2X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KMI’s 2026 earnings hasn’t seen any revisions over the past seven days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
KMI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Quanta Services plánuje investovat 500–700 milionů USD do rozšíření kapacity transformátorů a výrobní stopy. Firma zároveň oznámila rekordní backlog 48,5 miliardy USD.
Key Takeaways PWR is expanding beyond construction to support utilities across engineering, manufacturing and supply chains.PWR plans to invest $500-$700 million to expand transformer capacity and manufacturing footprint.Quanta ended Q1 with a record $48.5 billion backlog, strengthening multiyear revenue visibility. Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR - Free Report) is increasingly aligning its business with one of the largest infrastructure opportunities in North America as utilities modernize aging power grids to meet rising electricity demand. The expansion of artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing and electrification is placing greater pressure on transmission networks, making grid upgrades a long-term investment priority. This creates a favorable backdrop for companies with the expertise and scale to deliver complex infrastructure projects.
Grid modernization is becoming a key growth driver for Quanta because it has expanded well beyond traditional construction services. PWR now supports customers across engineering, procurement, construction, manufacturing and supply-chain solutions, allowing utilities to execute larger and more complex capital programs with greater certainty. The company is also working alongside customers much earlier in the planning process, strengthening its role in multiyear infrastructure investments.
Quanta is reinforcing this position through targeted manufacturing investments. The company plans to invest $500-$700 million over the next several years to double the power transformer manufacturing capacity while nearly doubling its off-site manufacturing, fabrication and logistics footprint to approximately 6.7 million square feet. These investments are designed to reduce equipment constraints, improve project execution and accelerate grid expansion as transmission demand grows.
The strategy is already translating into greater project visibility. Quanta ended the first quarter with a record backlog of $48.5 billion, up from $35.3 billion a year ago, including a 12-month backlog of $28.2 billion, up 45.4%, reinforcing strong multiyear revenue visibility. With utilities expected to invest heavily in transmission infrastructure for years to come, grid modernization has the potential to become one of Quanta's most durable long-term growth drivers.
How Does Quanta Compare With Infrastructure Peers?Quanta has established a leading position in North America's power infrastructure market, benefiting from growing investments in grid modernization, transmission expansion and electrification. As investors assess whether the company can sustain the long-term growth, comparisons with EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME - Free Report) and MasTec, Inc. (MTZ - Free Report) highlight its differentiated exposure to the evolving utility infrastructure landscape.
EMCOR is also benefiting from robust demand across electrical and mechanical construction, supported by data centers, manufacturing, health care and institutional projects. The company ended the first quarter with remaining performance obligations of $15.62 billion, reflecting strong project visibility. However, its growth remains more closely tied to building construction and facility-related services than utility transmission infrastructure.
MasTec is a closer peer, with exposure to power delivery, telecom, clean energy, pipeline and data center infrastructure. The company reported a record backlog of $20.3 billion and continues to benefit from investments in grid reliability, transmission expansion and AI-driven electricity demand. However, Quanta's integrated solutions platform, manufacturing investments and larger $48.5 billion backlog position it to capture a broader share of North America's multiyear grid modernization opportunity.
PWR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesPWR stock has surged 70.2% in the year-to-date (“YTD”) period, outperforming the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry, the broader Construction sector and the S&P 500 index.
PWR YTD Share Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, PWR trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 47.53X, well above the industry’s 32.03X, as shown below.
PWR Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Quanta’s earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have decreased in the past 30 days. However, the revised estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 30.5% and 17.3%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PWR’s Zacks RankQuanta currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Winnebago Industries má oporu v segmentu motorhome RV: tržby segmentu vzrostly o 10,1 % na 320,7 mil. USD a provozní marže se zlepšila na 3 % z -1,1 %.
Key Takeaways WGO's 2026 outlook hinges on whether Motorhome RV strength can offset towable RV and marine weakness.Motorhome RV revenues rose 10.1% to $320.7M, with operating margin improving to 3% from negative 1.1%.Affordability pressure, cautious dealer ordering and weak big-ticket demand still weigh on Winnebago. Winnebago Industries, Inc. (WGO - Free Report) is navigating a split 2026 backdrop. Motorhome improvement is helping, but the broader outdoor recreation market remains pressured.
The key question is whether product breadth and brand expansion can outweigh weak discretionary demand. For now, investors have to balance a visible bright spot against still-fragile towable RV and marine trends.
Winnebago's Segmental SplitWinnebago’s business is organized around three reportable segments: Towable RV, Motorhome RV and Marine. That mix matters because the company is not moving through the cycle evenly.
Towable RV represented 45.2% of fiscal 2025 revenues, while Motorhome RV accounted for 43.7%. Marine contributed 11.1%, making it smaller but still relevant to earnings quality, dealer demand and the company’s broader outdoor recreation identity.
Thor Industries, Inc. (THO - Free Report) remains a direct RV peer because it also competes across towable and motorized recreational vehicles. Patrick Industries, Inc. (PATK - Free Report) adds a supply-chain lens, since its component exposure to RV and marine markets makes it sensitive to the same production and dealer-order trends affecting Winnebago.
WGO Finds Support in New ProductsWinnebago continues to lean on new products to defend share and broaden price-point coverage. In towables, the Access and Thrive platforms under the Winnebago brand and Grand Design’s Transcend Lite are aimed at expanding participation among buyers who remain price conscious.
The company is also refreshing the higher end of its portfolio. The ARKA off-grid adventure truck, updated Newmar offerings and Grand Design’s Worry-Free Roof technology support product differentiation in motorhomes and towables.
Marine is part of the same strategy. Barletta’s Sanza line creates a more accessible entry point into the brand while Barletta continues to build share in the U.S. aluminum pontoon segment.
Winnebago Gets a Lift From MotorhomesThe Motorhome RV segment is the clearest support point in Winnebago’s latest results. Segment revenues rose 10.1% year over year to $320.7 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2026.
The profit improvement was more important than the sales gain. Motorhome RV generated operating income of $9.6 million and a 3% operating margin, compared with an operating loss of $3.2 million and a negative 1.1% margin in the year-ago quarter.
Higher unit volume and selective price adjustments helped the segment, partly offset by higher input costs. Management also cited traction at Grand Design Motorized, execution at Newmar and broader share gains across key motorhome categories.
WGO Still Faces Demand HeadwindsThe bullish case still runs into a difficult retail backdrop. Consumers remain interested in outdoor recreation, but affordability pressure, cumulative inflation, elevated interest rates and uncertainty around geopolitical events are delaying big-ticket purchases.
Dealer behavior is another drag. Management pointed to more deliberate ordering, with dealers focused on inventory quality, carrying costs and retail sell-through rather than adding wholesale volume.
These pressures are showing up outside motorhomes. Towable RV revenues fell 26.1% year over year in the fiscal third quarter of 2026, while Marine revenues declined 8.3%. Both segments also saw lower operating margins as volume deleverage, product mix and higher input costs weighed on performance.
What Winnebago’s Stock Signals Say NowThe bottom line is that Winnebago has one meaningful operating bright spot, but the stock still carries a weak short-term profile. Motorhome strength gives WGO a recovery argument, while towables, marine and consumer affordability keep that argument from looking clean.
WGO currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). The Value Score of A supports the view that valuation screens well, and the Growth Score of B and VGM Score of B are not dismissive of the company’s broader financial profile.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Momentum Score of D keeps the signal mix cautious. Since Zacks Style Scores are designed to complement the Zacks Rank, the unfavorable rank makes it harder to treat WGO’s valuation as enough on its own. Investors may need clearer evidence that motorhome strength can spread across the portfolio before becoming more constructive.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Standard Commercial Lines je hlavním tahounem Selective Insurance Group: v roce 2025 tvořil 71 % tržeb a 79 % čistého předepsaného pojistného. Růst podporuje expanze do nových států a vyšší nové obchody i retence.
Key Takeaways The Standard Commercial Lines segment generated 71% of total revenues and 79% of net premiums written in 2025.Expansion into new states, including Kansas in 2025, supports premium growth and broader market presence.Higher new business, pricing, renewal exposure and retention continue to drive growth in the segment. Selective Insurance Group, Inc. (SIGI - Free Report) has a strong presence in the standard commercial lines market, focusing primarily on small and middle-market businesses. SIGI sells the Standard Commercial Lines property and casualty insurance products and services to commercial enterprises, typically businesses, non-profit organizations, and local government agencies, primarily in 36 states and the District of Columbia.
Selective Insurance continues to expand its Standard Commercial Lines footprint with the goal of a near national presence, while maintaining an agent-driven distribution model. Since 2017, SIGI has added 14 states to the Standard Commercial Lines footprint, including Kansas in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, these expansion states produced $125 million in premiums, representing approximately 9% of total direct premiums written and 1% marginal total premium growth. SIGI expects to write new business in Montana and Wyoming by the end of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
Standard Commercial Lines is the core revenue driver for Selective Insurance Group, making it the company's primary earnings engine. It generates the majority of the company's premium revenue, supplies the investment float that supports investment income, and serves as the foundation of the long-term growth strategy. This segment accounted for 71% of total revenues and 79% of total net premiums written in 2025. Higher new business, renewal pure price increases, exposure growth on renewal policies, and higher retention should continue to drive premiums in the segment.
Selective Insurance's standard commercial lines strategy centers on profitable underwriting rather than market-share expansion. By concentrating on well-understood industries, maintaining strong independent agency partnerships and exercising disciplined pricing, SIGI has consistently generated underwriting results that compare favorably with many peers across the commercial property and casualty insurance industry.
What About Its Peers?Axis Capital Holdings Limited (AXS - Free Report) , a global specialty underwriter, has a strategic focus on specialty products, including professional liability, cyber insurance, marine and aviation. AXS has been witnessing an increase in its top line over a considerable period of time on the back of higher net premiums. Its well-performing Insurance segment largely contributes to improving premiums. It continues to boost shareholder value through stock buybacks and dividend hikes.
Palomar Holdings, Inc. (PLMR - Free Report) has been displaying a good track record of net written premiums due to increased volume of policies written across the lines of business, driven by new business generated with existing partners, strong premium retention rates for existing business, expansion of its products’ geographic and distribution footprint, and new partnerships. Backed by a sustained operational performance, the company has maintained a solid capital position.
SIGI’s Price PerformanceShares of SIGI have gained 9.9% in the past year, outperforming the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SIGI’s Expensive ValuationThe stock is overvalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-book ratio of 1.67, above the industry average of 1.42. It carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimate Movement for SIGIThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for SIGI’s second-quarter 2026 EPS has moved up 2.4% in the past 60 days. The same for full-year 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up 1.9% and 0.4%, respectively, in the past 30 days.
Ubiquiti ve 3. fiskálním čtvrtletí zvýšila výnosy o 18,7 % na 788,2 mil. USD, tažená růstem Enterprise Technology o 22,6 %. V Severní Americe výnosy stouply o 27 %.
Key Takeaways Ubiquiti's Q3 fiscal 2026 revenues rose 18.7% year over year, led by Enterprise Technology growth.UI's Enterprise Technology revenues climbed 22.6%, with North America revenues up 27% year over year.Ubiquiti expects product innovation and operations investments to support higher-value sales and expansion. Ubiquiti, Inc. (UI - Free Report) delivered impressive results in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, with revenues rising to $788.2 million from $664.2 million a year ago. The 18.7% year over year surge was driven by robust demand across its Enterprise Technology portfolio, while profitability also improved.
The Enterprise Technology segment generated $717.9 million in revenues, up from $585.7 million in the prior-year quarter, up 22.6% year over year. The company is benefiting from rising enterprise networking demand, increasing adoption of IoT-connected devices and continued deployment of unified IT infrastructure solutions. The North America region, which is Ubiquiti’s largest market, generated $410.2 million in revenues, up 27% year over year. Europe, the Middle East and Africa continued to post steady growth. Despite a lower market share, the company has witnessed improved traction in the Asia Pacific and South America regions.
The company continues to enhance the UniFi ecosystem and broaden its networking and unified IT management offerings. Management believes investments in product innovation, inventory management and operations will help maintain its competitive position while supporting higher-value product sales and long-term market expansion. Per our estimate, the company is set to report $2.83 billion in revenues from this segment in 2026, indicating a growth of 26% year over year.
How Are Competitors Faring?Ubiquiti faces competition from Cisco Systems (CSCO - Free Report) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE - Free Report) . Cisco enables enterprises and service providers to deliver highly secure connectivity from workplaces to data centers worldwide. During the recent quarter, the company’s total revenues increased 12% year over year, while networking revenues rose 25% year over year. Accelerating demand for Cisco’s switching and routing portfolio is driving this growth.
HPE reported revenue growth of 40.4% year over year. The Networking segment generated $2.7 billion in revenues in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, up 148.2% year over year. Management highlighted record campus and branch orders, with nearly 20% normalized growth in enterprise data center switching orders and nearly 30% normalized growth in routing orders. HPE also launched new autonomous, agentic AI operations capabilities and raised its cumulative Networks for AI order target to at least $2 billion by the end of fiscal 2026, reflecting confidence in AI-driven demand for high-performance networking.
UI’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesUbiquiti has gained 36.7% in the past year compared with the Wireless Equipment industry’s growth of 42.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 34.57 forward earnings, higher than 31.44 for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for UI for 2026 have improved over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Ubiquiti carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
JPMorgan uvedl, že více než 60 % plánované kapacity datacenter pro rok 2027 ještě nezačalo a dalších 7 % projektů se zpožďuje kvůli dodavatelským řetězcům, povolování a nedostatku energie.
A popular saying in professional sports is that Father Time is undefeated. The clock stops for no professional athlete. The same can be true of the current data center buildout.
A recent JPMorgan Chase report states that more than 60% of the planned data center capacity for 2027 has not yet been started. An additional 7% of projects under construction are being delayed by supply chain bottlenecks, permitting hurdles, and power shortages.
Investors who focus on FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) argue that the shift out of technology stocks, particularly hyperscaler stocks, is evidence that the data center story is falling apart.
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But the recent earnings season refuted that point of view. Demand is real. The money is committed. In the last quarter, the four major hyperscalers raised their combined AI-related capital expenditures to $750 billion for this calendar year. That demand is expected to reach $1 trillion in 2027.
But the one factor that investors can’t control is the time it takes to actually build the data centers. The story has gotten ahead of the shovels.
Data Center Backlog Stocks Could Be the Bigger AI TradeA more likely reason for the selloff is rotation into the stocks of companies that are essential to filling this backlog. The companies supplying the equipment needed to build new facilities stand to be the largest beneficiaries.
One option for investors is to look at exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to physical data center infrastructure. One example is the Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF BATS: PAVE, which is up 22% in 2026 as of this writing.
However, investors may do better by investing in individual stocks within these funds. That can provide the opportunity for market-beating gains and, in some cases, dividends that can beat the performance of a single fund.
Eaton Is Turning AI Data Center Spend Into Backlog GrowthEaton Today
$403.94 -15.93 (-3.79%)
As of 11:43 AM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$311.92▼
$436.74Dividend Yield1.09%
P/E Ratio39.35
Price Target$420.95
Eaton NYSE: ETN sells the electrical guts inside an AI data center. Think of switchgear, UPS systems, busways, and power distribution units that connect the grid to the server racks. The Q1 2026 numbers tell the story. In Eaton’s Electrical Americas segment, data center orders surged roughly 240% year over year, while data center revenue in the segment grew about 50%.
That growth is likely to accelerate. Eaton closed the Boyd Thermal acquisition to expand into liquid cooling. The company is also collaborating with NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA on the Beam Rubin DSX platform for AI factories. Plus, a planned Reverse Morris Trust deal will spin off Eaton's Mobility Group. That leaves a more focused Electrical and Aerospace business aligned squarely with AI buildout demand.
ETN is up 28% year-to-date, which lands it within 5% of its consensus price target. However, since the company’s Q1 2026 earnings report, analysts have been aggressively raising their price targets.
Why Quanta Services Offers the Clearest Backlog VisibilityQuanta Services Today
PWR
Quanta Services
$701.12 -17.47 (-2.43%)
As of 11:43 AM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$363.01▼
$788.75Dividend Yield0.06%
P/E Ratio95.86
Price Target$733.87
Quanta Services NYSE: PWR does the physical work that turns a data center site plan into delivered power. The company builds high-voltage transmission lines, substations, and load centers. At its 2026 Investor Day, management outlined a $2.4 trillion addressable market through 2030.
The backlog supports that forecast. Quanta exited Q4 with a $44 billion backlog, up 27.5% year-over-year. Management now guides for 15% to 20% annual EPS (earnings per share) growth through 2030. Internal training programs have built a skilled-labor moat that smaller rivals struggle to match. That gives PWR pricing power as electricians and linemen become scarce.
PWR is up over 65% year-to-date, and like ETN, it’s within about 5% of its consensus price target. But analyst sentiment is bullish, and the chart is constructive, with support at the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) and a MACD on the cusp of reversing.
Vertiv Turns AI Heat and Power Demand Into Backlog GrowthVertiv Today
$306.74 -18.83 (-5.78%)
As of 11:43 AM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$110.06▼
$379.93Dividend Yield0.08%
P/E Ratio76.48
Price Target$326.39
Vertiv NYSE: VRT sells the power and thermal infrastructure inside the building. Once Quanta finishes the grid work, Vertiv's UPS systems, switchgear, racks, and liquid cooling take over. Roughly 75% of revenue now comes from data center customers. Q1 2026 revenue grew 30% to $2.65 billion. Project backlog more than doubled to over $15 billion.
Management raised its full-year guidance to $13.5 to $14 billion in net sales. Recent acquisitions of Strategic Thermal Labs and ThermoKey extend Vertiv from chip-level cold plates to facility-scale heat rejection. Vertiv was also named a Tier 1 partner on Hut 8's NASDAQ: HUT gigawatt-scale Beacon Point AI campus. Each hyperscaler win reinforces the picks-and-shovels thesis.
VRT is up over 95% in 2026 and is also trading within 5% of its consensus price target. The company also has the most mixed analyst picture of the three stocks on this list. But investors willing to play the long game should consider VRT's potential for strong dividend growth in the coming years.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Eaton Right Now?Before you consider Eaton, you'll want to hear this.
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With the proliferation of data centers and electric vehicles, the electric grid will only get more strained. Download this report to learn how energy stocks can play a role in your portfolio as the global demand for energy continues to grow.
Duolingo (DUOL) za poslední měsíc vzrostlo o více než 20 % a těží z AI, která výrazně zrychlila tvorbu obsahu. V 1. čtvrtletí zvýšilo čistý zisk o 24 % a tržby o 27 %.
It's been tough for long-term investors to hold Duolingo (DUOL +4.04%). The stock is down more than 70% over the past year, and while it was overvalued at over $400 per share, the current price is at bargain-basement levels, and some investors are finally noticing.
The stock has rallied more than 20% over the past month, and there are several reasons for Duolingo investors to feel optimistic that this is just the beginning.
Image source: Getty Images.
Duolingo isn't just for learning new languages Duolingo's original specialty was gamifying the language-learning experience. However, it is expanding into teaching other subjects, including chess, its fastest-growing subject.
Chess is a notable addition since it expands Duolingo's offerings beyond academic areas. The edtech company introduced math and music a few years ago and continues to expand its inventory. Duolingo is turning into an app that helps people master high-demand skills, not just new languages.
Its recent artificial intelligence (AI) investments also play a role here. Duolingo told investors in its Q1 shareholder letter that AI has "fundamentally changed how quickly we can create content." The company was able to publish 20,500 course units in Q1, compared to an average of 7,100 per quarter in 2025 and 1,800 per quarter in 2024.
Duolingo explained that this dramatic scaling helped it improve its popular Chinese, Japanese, and Korean courses. However, this same increase in content production makes it substantially easier for Duolingo to create new courses on high-demand skills that attract more users.
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Net income is still growing Almost tripling quarterly course unit production in a single year gives customers more options. That helps with revenue, but surprisingly, Duolingo's net income has marched higher as well. It truly demonstrates that Duolingo's AI efforts are cost-efficient, which makes the growth sustainable.
For instance, Duolingo delivered 24% year-over-year net income growth in Q1. Revenue was up by 27%, so there was a slight contraction in the net profit margin. Duolingo still walked away from the quarter with a double-digit profit margin, which has become the norm.
All of this financial growth is fueled by steady user acquisition. Duolingo's daily active users and paid subscribers were both up by 21% year over year. With 56.5 million and 12.5 million people, respectively, in those segments, Duolingo can still gain more market share. A side focus on hot, broader subjects like chess can expand Duolingo's footprint and keep users more engaged.
Intentional revenue slowdown is for long-term gains Although Duolingo's numbers were good, they were a downgrade from what investors have come to expect. Last year, Duolingo was exceeding 40% year-over-year revenue growth. A drop to 27% would explain the decline if Duolingo traded at over $400 per share then. However, Duolingo released Q1 results in early May, when almost all of the damage was already done.
Duolingo is aiming to become a company that will be around for 100 years and change how the world learns everything. This long-term vision comes with a medium-term goal of reaching 100 million daily active users in 2028.
The company could make more revenue by pushing its subscriptions or establishing a hard paywall, but Duolingo said its scale wouldn't be possible with a paywall model. Getting to 100 million daily active users with a freemium model will give Duolingo more options and financial growth in the future when it maximizes its average revenue per user.
In the meantime, Duolingo continues to improve its subscriptions so more people feel inclined to become paying customers. The company cited its subscription-only Video Call feature, which has more than doubled the average number of words spoken per user who takes advantage of it.
Duolingo anticipates 17.1% year-over-year revenue growth in Q2 and 16.1% in full-year 2026. The guidance figures imply deceleration and aren't glamorous for a growth stock, but Duolingo's correction is long overdue. Its efforts to attract 100 million daily active users in 2028 should pay off tremendously and give the company more opportunities to reignite revenue growth when the time calls for it.
Edwards Lifesciences na konferenci New York Valves 2026 představila nová data podporující její vedení v oblasti strukturální kardiologie. Studie PROGRESS, PARTNER 3, EARLY TAVR i registry PASCAL a SAPIEN M3 posilují důkazy pro platformu SAPIEN.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) today announced new data presented at New York Valves 2026, the annual conference organized by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, which reinforce the company's leadership in advancing high-quality scientific evidence and innovating for patients. These new data – spanning aortic, mitral and tricuspid therapies – provide further understanding of the complexity of structural heart disease and the need for innovative treatment options.
Ahead of the planned full clinical presentation at TCT later this year, the baseline characteristics of the PROGRESS trial presented today provide new insights into the heterogeneous nature of moderate aortic stenosis (AS) patients. Research has shown that approximately half of moderate AS patients present with at least one at-risk feature, which includes symptoms, progressive cardiac damage, declining health and elevated risk of hospitalization. The PROGRESS trial is designed to evaluate whether patients with moderate AS and at least one risk factor may benefit from transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) earlier than current guidelines, which recommend clinical surveillance with echocardiographic follow-up every 1-2 years. Details of the PROGRESS trial design were recently published in the American Heart Journal and baseline characteristics of the PROGRESS trial are listed below:
More than 95% were symptomatic More than 70% had 2 or more at-risk features More than 90% had a normal left ventricular function Mean age was 78 ± 6 years Mean KCCQ score was 64 ± 24 Broad surgical risk distribution (46% low risk) Additional late-breaking clinical science presentations strengthen the evidence base for the SAPIEN 3 platform, including seven-year benchmark durability data from the PARTNER 3 trial, simultaneously published in JAMA Cardiology. Also presented were new findings from the EARLY TAVR trial, reinforcing the shift toward proactive disease management and providing continued long-term reassurance for physicians and patients. These data on Edwards’ SAPIEN platform underscore the benchmark valve performance and differentiated long-term durability of the therapy.
“Edwards remains focused on addressing the significant unmet needs of the many structural heart patients who remain untreated today,” said Bernard Zovighian, Edwards’ CEO. “Our expanding evidence base reflects Edwards’ clear and sustained commitment to advancing care through partnership with the physician community. From building a deeper understanding of the moderate AS population and advancing evidence about asymptomatic patients to demonstrating distinguished SAPIEN platform durability and strategies for lifetime disease management, we are strengthening confidence in long-term outcomes and increasing access for patients worldwide.”
Also at the meeting, new data highlighted clinical trial and real-world outcomes across Edwards’ mitral and tricuspid portfolio. Data from more than 4,500 patients treated with the PASCAL system in the STS/ACC Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry helps highlight the sustained safety and effectiveness of the technology for patients with mitral regurgitation (MR). One-year data from the ENCIRCLE trial Mitral Annular Calcification (MAC) Registry support the safety, effectiveness and quality of life improvements with SAPIEN M3, the first and only transcatheter transseptal mitral valve replacement system, in patients with symptomatic valve dysfunction associated with MAC who are deemed unsuitable for surgery or TEER therapy by a heart team.
Zovighian added, “Together, our differentiated technology and world-class evidence reflect Edwards’ leadership in elevating the standard of care for structural heart patients and improving outcomes across the care continuum.”
About Edwards Lifesciences
Edwards Lifesciences is the leading global structural heart innovation company, driven by a passion to improve patient lives. Through breakthrough technologies, world-class evidence and partnerships with clinicians and healthcare stakeholders, our employees are inspired by our patient-focused culture to deliver life-changing innovations to those who need them most. Discover more at www.edwards.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements made by Mr. Zovighian and statements regarding the benchmark performance and differentiated long-term durability of Edwards’ SAPIEN platform, elevating the standard of care, our leadership in advancing our growing body of high-quality scientific and clinical evidence, long-term reassurance for physicians and patients, our commitment to advance care through partnerships with the physician community, strengthen confidence in long-term outcomes and expanding access for patients, innovating for patients with structural heart disease, the safety and effectiveness and quality of life improvements of our products, and improving outcomes across the care continuum, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the company and are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statement. Investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors as detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings, along with important safety information about our products, may be found at Edwards.com.
Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, the stylized E logo, EARLY TAVR, ENCIRCLE, PARTNER, PARTNER 3, PASCAL, PROGRESS, SAPIEN, SAPIEN 3 and SAPIEN M3 are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Intuitive Machines rozšiřuje byznys prostřednictvím akvizic v oblasti navigace, výroby kosmických lodí a komunikací. Nejnověji plánuje koupit Goonhilly Earth Station a její dceřinou společnost COMSAT a přidat 44 antén i významnou deep-space komunikační infrastrukturu ve Spojeném království a USA.
Key Takeaways Intuitive Machines expanded through acquisitions in navigation, spacecraft manufacturing, and communications.LUNR agreed to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station, adding 44 antennas and deep-space communications assets.LUNR shares rose 7.5% in three months and trade at a forward P/S premium to the industry. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR - Free Report) has long been associated with lunar landers and NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. However, recent acquisitions suggest management is pursuing a much broader vision.
The acquisition strategy began to accelerate in 2025 when the company acquired KinetX Aerospace, a leader in deep-space navigation and flight dynamics services. It added expertise in spacecraft navigation, mission design, and constellation management. KinetX has supported numerous NASA planetary missions, giving LUNR valuable technical capabilities that complement its lunar operations.
LUNR’s most transformative transaction came in November 2025 when it announced the acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems, formerly Maxar Space Systems, from Advent International. The deal was valued at $800 million, and was closed in January 2026. The business brings decades of spacecraft manufacturing experience and serves national security, civil, and commercial customers.
Lanteris provides proven capabilities in satellite manufacturing, missile-warning systems, secure communications, Earth observation, and space-domain awareness missions. These capabilities position Intuitive Machines to compete for larger defense and civil-space programs while expanding its presence in rapidly growing national security markets.
Management continued its acquisition-driven expansion in May 2026 by announcing plans to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station and its COMSAT subsidiary. The acquisition is expected to add 44 antennas and substantial deep-space communications infrastructure across the United Kingdom and the United States.
Through targeted acquisitions, the company is building capabilities across navigation, manufacturing, communications, and operations. If management successfully integrates these assets, acquisitions could become one of the company's most important drivers of long-term growth.
Space Companies Using Acquisitions to Expand GrowthSeveral space companies have pursued similar acquisition-driven strategies to broaden capabilities and accelerate expansion:
Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB - Free Report) has acquired businesses across spacecraft components, solar power systems, software, and satellite technologies, helping transform the company from a launch provider into a diversified space systems company.
Redwire Corporation (RDW - Free Report) has completed numerous acquisitions spanning in-space manufacturing, digital engineering, mission systems, and spacecraft technologies, creating a broad portfolio serving commercial and government customers.
LUNR Stock’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings per share implies a decrease of 2.38% year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LUNR Stock Trades at a PremiumIn terms of valuation, LUNR’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 4.09X, a premium to the industry’s average of 2.59X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LUNR Stock’s Price PerformanceIn the past three months, the company’s shares have risen 7.5% compared with the industry’s 1.2% growth.
Alto Ingredients se v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 vrátila k ziskovosti a upravený EBITDA vzrostl na 4,7 milionu USD. Firma čeká zhruba 15 milionů USD ročních čistých výnosů z daňových kreditů 45Z.
Key Takeaways Alto Ingredients returned to profitability in Q1 2026 as adjusted EBITDA improved to $4.7 million.Alto Ingredients expects about $15 million in annual net proceeds from qualifying 45Z production volumes.Green Plains produced 174 million gallons of ethanol in Q1 2026 while operating at 97% of capacity. Alto Ingredients, Inc. (ALTO - Free Report) and Green Plains Inc. (GPRE - Free Report) are two prominent players in the U.S. biofuels industry, with business models centered on producing ethanol and other value-added agricultural products. While Alto Ingredients has increasingly diversified into specialty alcohols and essential ingredients for industrial and consumer applications, Green Plains has focused on transforming itself into a higher-margin producer of sustainable ingredients, renewable corn oil and low-carbon products.
The comparison between ALTO and GPRE is especially relevant as investors reassess the outlook for ethanol producers amid volatile corn prices, evolving renewable fuel policies and growing demand for low-carbon energy solutions. Both companies are navigating the same macroeconomic and regulatory environment but pursuing different strategic paths, making them an intriguing pair for evaluating growth potential, profitability and long-term positioning in the energy transition.
Let's discuss in detail.
The Case for Alto Ingredients StockAlto Ingredients operates as a diversified producer of renewable fuels, specialty alcohols and essential ingredients, supplying customers across health, beauty, food, beverage, industrial and agricultural markets. The company's diversified portfolio and focus on higher-value products are contributing to a meaningful improvement in operating performance. In the first quarter of 2026, Alto Ingredients returned to profitability with earnings of 5 cents per share, against a loss of 16 cents a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA improved to $4.7 million from negative $4.4 million, reflecting the benefits of its strategic realignment, stronger export demand and improved crush margins.
Another major catalyst has been stronger industry fundamentals and a more favorable product mix. Robust export demand, higher export premiums relative to domestic renewable fuel sales and improving corn oil prices supported margins. The company's crush margins increased to 17 cents per gallon from just 2 cents a year ago, while essential ingredients returns improved to 53.4% from 48.2%. Management also remains optimistic about demand growth from export markets and year-round E15 adoption.
Operational improvements and expansion projects are further supporting the company’s long-term outlook. Alto Ingredients is investing in projects to improve reliability, increase utilization and expand capacity. A debottlenecking project at the Pekin dry mill is expected to raise annual production capacity by about 5 million gallons, while additional CO2 infrastructure investments are expected to enhance operational flexibility and support higher-value opportunities. The company is also evaluating carbon capture and sequestration initiatives that could provide additional earnings opportunities over time.
Alto Ingredients is benefiting from growing opportunities tied to Section 45Z tax credits and improving financial flexibility. The company recognized $3.9 million in tax-credit earnings in the first quarter and expects roughly $15 million in annual net proceeds from qualifying production volumes. Positive operating cash flow, lower debt and more than $94 million in borrowing capacity have further strengthened the company's balance sheet and financial flexibility.
The Case for Green Plains StockGreen Plains has established itself as a prominent player in the U.S. biofuels industry, operating a network of eight ethanol plants and maintaining a significant presence in domestic biofuel production. The company produced 174 million gallons of ethanol in the first quarter of 2026 while operating at 97% of capacity, underscoring the scale, utilization rates and efficiency of its production platform.
The business has evolved beyond conventional ethanol manufacturing into a diversified portfolio of value-added products and services. Alongside ethanol, Green Plains generates revenues from renewable corn oil, ultra-high protein ingredients, grain handling, commodity marketing and carbon-related activities. This broader product mix expands the company's exposure across agricultural, feed, energy and low-carbon markets.
Green Plains continues to focus on improving plant reliability, increasing processing yields and lowering carbon intensity across its facilities. The company is directing capital toward grain storage expansion, low-energy distillation upgrades and yield-enhancement technologies designed to improve efficiency and strengthen operating performance. Benchmarking initiatives and data-driven analytics are also helping identify productivity gains across the production network.
Green Plains is also benefiting from the growing contribution of its carbon platform and Section 45Z production tax credits. Net production tax credits contributed $55.2 million to adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter, supported by the first full quarter of carbon sequestration operations at its three Nebraska facilities. The company expects its carbon strategy to contribute between $200 million and $225 million of EBITDA in 2026, while strong liquidity provides additional financial flexibility.
Valuation & Price Performance of ALTO & GPREAlto Ingredients currently trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.38, representing a modest discount to Green Plains, which trades at 0.52.
P/S Ratio (Forward 12 Months)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Over the last three months, Alto Ingredients has emerged as the stronger performer, rising 10.4% while Green Plains lost 11.8%.
Three Months Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bottom Line: ALTO Appears Better Positioned for GrowthBoth Alto Ingredients and Green Plains are evolving beyond traditional ethanol production, but the former currently offers a more compelling turnaround and valuation story. Its improving profitability, stronger crush margins, growing specialty alcohol and ingredients business, and exposure to Section 45Z incentives provide multiple avenues for earnings growth. While Green Plains continues to advance its low-carbon and carbon capture initiatives and benefits from greater scale, ALTO's improving operational execution, strengthening balance sheet and leverage to improve industry fundamentals could position the stock to deliver stronger upside potential over the near to medium term.
Both ALTO and GPRE sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CoreWeave čelí rostoucím nákladům na datová centra, které mohou zkomplikovat plán zvýšit kapacitu zhruba z 1 GW na 8 GW do roku 2030. Její backlog meziročně vzrostl téměř o 300 % na 99,4 miliardy USD.
Cloud-computing specialist CoreWeave (CRWV 4.13%) has seen its order book grow nearly 300% year over year to a staggering $99.4 billion. At the same time, the capital required to build an artificial intelligence (AI) data center is rising, with costs estimated at $15 to $25 million per megawatt to build AI-ready facilities.
On a recent episode of the All-In Podcast, venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya remarked that building a modern 1-gigawatt (GW) AI data center now runs closer to $100 billion fully loaded.
As land fees rise and the scarcity of electrical engineers and components intensifies, specialized AI cloud providers like CoreWeave find themselves in a hyperinflationary infrastructure race to build scale.
Image source: Getty Images.
A purpose-built platform for AI CoreWeave operates a vertically integrated platform designed for the performance demands of AI workloads. The company buys the latest graphics processing units (GPUs) from its partner Nvidia and combines them with other computing hardware and its own software to deliver performance that general-purpose clouds often struggle to match.
CoreWeave acts as a middleman, renting the compute capacity to AI model companies and hyperscalers. This type of operation keeps capital costs down by leasing the physical data center facilities from third-party developers rather than owning them.
The specialization has made it a key partner to major AI labs, securing multi-year, take-or-pay contracts with clients such as Meta Platforms and OpenAI. CoreWeave's customer concentration is improving, with 10 customers committed to spending at least $1 billion each, and non-investment-grade AI labs now represent less than 30% of its backlog.
The cost of rapid expansion To fund its expansion, CoreWeave has taken on $25 billion in debt in the form of delayed-draw term loans (DDTLs). It signs a customer contract, uses it as collateral to borrow against future cash flows, and draws money only as capacity is deployed.
Lenders consider the credit-worthiness of the end customer, such as Meta, resulting in better terms. This structure has helped reduce its average borrowing rate from the mid-teens to just below 10% by the end of 2025.
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Capital expenditures are expected to exceed $30 billion this year, up from $15 billion last year. The company is on a capital-intensive campaign that is sustainable only as long as it can keep signing new deals and tapping capital markets.
The rising cost of data center construction could weigh on its ability to scale economically as it attempts to grow from around one gigawatt today to 8 GW of capacity by 2030. One factor that helps balance the risk of owning depreciating hardware is the rising demand for inference, which keeps older, less powerful GPUs more valuable for longer than usual.
If AI inference remains highly profitable for providers over the next three to five years, pricing for compute capacity should hold up well. If demand underwhelms or the world moves toward low-cost open-source models, it could put pressure on compute rates for future contracts.
While CoreWeave offers a unique and compelling way for investors to play the AI infrastructure build-out, there's still plenty of uncertainty around who the winners and losers will be over the long run. As the cost of memory chips and other inputs rises, the capital burden on neoclouds and its partners gets heavier. Given the wide range of potential outcomes, investors interested in this stock should keep in mind that taking a reasonable approach to position sizing can help reduce the risk involved with any single stock in a rapidly evolving industry.
Figma po IPO prudce klesla na 16 USD, zatímco tržby v 1. čtvrtletí vzrostly o 46 % na 334 milionů USD. Firma zároveň zvýšila výhled díky poptávce a růstu počtu uživatelů.
Figma's stock price has imploded since its initial public offering (IPO) last year as the exuberance that fueled its private-market valuation collided with the realities of life as a publicly traded company. FIG dropped to $16 on Thursday, down sharply from the all-time high of $142.
Figma is one of the best-known software companies in the corporate world. Over the years it has become a beloved name among designers because of the collaborative aspect.
This popularity surged before it became a publicly traded company. At its peak, it reached a $20 billion valuation when Adobe placed a bid. Adobe terminated the agreement after it faced opposition in the UK and the EU, forcing it to pay a $1 billion breakup fee.
Figma’s popularity helped its valuation to surge to over $60 billion following its IPO. Today, the figure has tumbled to $8.9 billion, and the situation is getting worse by the day.
The rise and fall of Figma is emblematic of what has been going on in the market today. It is common for highly valued companies to suffer a rude awakening when they go public. A good example of this is Klarna, whose valuation peaked at $17 billion following its IPO. Today, the company is valued at $7.2 billion.
Another example of this phenomenon is Circle Internet Group whose valuation peaked at $60 billion before plummeting to $17 billion today.
The main reason why the Figma stock price is imploding is known as SaaSpocalypse, a situation where investors are dumping software stocks in fear that their businesses will be disrupted by AI tools.
These fears explain why other companies in the software industry like Salesforce, Adobe, Intuit, and ServiceNow are in a freefall this year.
However, in reality, some popular individuals, including Jensen Huang, argues that the fear that AI will disrupt software companies is not backed by reality.
Instead, AI will improve these companies by helping them reduce their operational costs and improve their service offerings.
Indeed, the most recent results showed that Figma’s business is still firing on all cylinders this year. Its revenue surged by 46% in the first quarter to $334 million, with the management boosting its forward guidance citing demand and seat expansion.
The management now expects that its second-quarter revenue will jump by 40% to between $348 million and $350 million. For the year, the company is expected to make between $1.42 billion and $1.428 billion.
Therefore, there are signs that Figma is being punished unfairly, as the management is also predicting that profitability will happen soon. It is also showing that more companies are subscribing to its services.
FIG stock price chart | Source: TradingView
The daily chart shows that the FIG stock price has imploded and is now sitting at a crucial support level of $16.85. A closer look shows that this price coincides with the lowest swing in April this year. That is a sign that it has formed a double-bottom pattern whose neckline is at $27.80.
The double-bottom pattern suggests that a rebound is possible. However, the most likely scenario is where the stock continues falling for a while before bouncing back eventually. This view will be confirmed if it drops below the double-bottom level of $16.85.
Ondas přes Sentrycs navázala spolupráci s Lockheed Martin na integraci technologie Cyber-over-RF do protidronového systému Sanctum. Cílem je posílit detekci, sledování a neutralizaci bezpilotních hrozeb.
Ondas Inc. (ONDS - Free Report) recently announced that its subsidiary, Sentrycs, has collaborated with Lockheed Martin to integrate Sentrycs' Cyber-over-RF technology into Sanctum, Lockheed Martin's next-generation Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) solution. The deal is aimed at strengthening protection for military forces, homeland security and critical assets against evolving unmanned aerial threats.
Sanctum is designed to address complex drone threats, including coordinated swarms and rapidly evolving unmanned aerial system (UAS) tactics, by combining artificial intelligence, cloud-enabled data fusion and a modular defense architecture. The platform is built to detect, track, analyze and neutralize aerial threats in real time while integrating multiple sensors, effectors and command-and-control systems into a unified framework that supports interoperability, mission flexibility and scalable protection across a broad range of defense environments.
As part of the collaboration, Sentrycs' Cyber-over-RF technology will add a cyber-based detection and mitigation layer to Sanctum's multi-domain architecture. Operating directly at the communication protocol layer, the technology enables operators to detect, identify, track and take control of unauthorized drones without relying on jamming, spoofing or kinetic engagement, while avoiding collateral interference with surrounding communications and infrastructure. The capability also allows operators to safely guide unauthorized drones to a controlled landing, providing a targeted and non-disruptive mitigation option that enhances layered response capabilities and supports mission-adaptable counter-drone operations.
Management stated that modern defense against unmanned aerial threats requires integrated, layered solutions that combine advanced detection, rapid decision-making and precise mitigation capabilities. Management also stated that integrating Sentrycs' technology into Lockheed Martin's modular defense architecture creates a stronger and more comprehensive operational capability for countering evolving aerial threats. The collaboration represents another step toward more integrated and interoperable Counter-UAS architectures as defense organizations increasingly prioritize flexible, layered solutions to address rapidly evolving unmanned aerial threats.
Ondas is benefiting from robust demand for its ISR and counter-UAS solutions, supported by higher defense spending, growing investor interest and expanding market opportunities. Demand for its proven ISR platforms remains strong, while acquisitions have broadened its ISR capabilities, expanded its customer base and strengthened its multi-domain surveillance and reconnaissance portfolio. Its partnership with Palantir is further advancing layered ISR capabilities and expanding ISR-as-a-service opportunities.
Taking a Look at ONDS Competitors’Draganfly (DPRO - Free Report) is gaining from strong demand for its drone solutions, particularly in the military sector, supported by growing defense spending and expanding opportunities across domestic and international markets. The company is strengthening its position through strategic collaborations with partners such as Palladyne AI on swarming technologies, Global Ordnance and Babcock to expand its defense reach and multi-platform capabilities. Its interoperable, modular drone platform and partner-centric approach enable customers to integrate multiple payloads and mission requirements, while increasing adoption among military and public safety users. The company also continues to build relationships with key defense customers and strategic partners to support long-term growth.
Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (RCAT - Free Report) is benefiting from rising defense spending on drones, expanding demand for autonomous systems and a growing opportunity pipeline across military customers. The company expects annual revenues of $150-$180 million in the near to medium term, supported by strong demand for its Black Widow, Blue Ops and FlightWave platforms. It is also expanding its capabilities through the acquisition of Quaze Technologies, adding wireless power transfer technology for unmanned and autonomous systems. Management highlighted a nearly $700 million opportunity pipeline for Black Widow and expects its expansion into unmanned surface vessels through Blue Ops to create an additional revenue opportunity in 2026.
ONDS’ Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of ONDS have gained a whopping 338.6% in the past year against the Zacks Wireless-National industry’s decline of 11.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ONDS seems overvalued, as suggested by the Value Score of F. In terms of the forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio, ONDS is trading at 7.2, considerably higher than the industry’s multiple of 1.62.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
For ONDS, earnings estimates for the current year have been revised upwards in the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ONDS currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
SpaceX Corp (NASDAQ:SPCX) is considering launching a Starlink-branded mobile phone service in the United States, according to a Financial Times report published on Friday, potentially expanding the company's role in the telecommunications market.
The report cited comments from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell during a recent investor roadshow, where she reportedly discussed plans for a direct-to-consumer wireless offering and the possibility of building a terrestrial mobile network in the US.
SpaceX currently works with T-Mobile to provide direct-to-cell satellite connectivity aimed at extending coverage to remote areas. A standalone mobile service would place the Elon Musk-led company in more direct competition with established wireless carriers including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
According to the Financial Times, SpaceX has told investors that a retail Starlink mobile product could allow the company to capture a larger share of customer revenue by combining satellite capabilities with terrestrial wireless infrastructure.
The company strengthened its wireless spectrum holdings through acquisitions of EchoStar licenses totaling about $19.6 billion, including a roughly $17 billion purchase in September 2025 and an additional $2.6 billion transaction in November.
Starlink has more than 10 million subscribers worldwide and has become a key contributor to SpaceX's record valuation.
Shares of SpaceX traded hands at $153 on Friday, after debuting at $135 per share on June 12.
