Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

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

Based in Conshohocken, Hamilton Lane (HLNE - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -37.25%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.60 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.85%. In comparison, the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield is 2.8%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.35%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $2.40 is up 11.1% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Hamilton Lane has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 11.96%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Hamilton Lane's current payout ratio is 37%, meaning it paid out 37% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

HLNE is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $6.33 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 7.29%.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. Income investors must be conscious of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that HLNE is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Investors in Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Sep 18, 2026 $310 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.

What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.

What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Ulta Beauty shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Ulta Beauty is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Retail – Miscellaneous industry that ranks in the Top 22% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, two analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while eight analysts have revised their estimates downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from $6.25 per share to $6.16 in that period.

Given the way analysts feel about Ulta Beauty right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.

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Evercore ISI’s Mark Mahaney raised the bar on Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) ahead of Wednesday night’s Q2 2026 earnings report, telling CNBC viewers that Search needs to hold 17%+ growth and Google Cloud needs to accelerate well past 70%. That is a demanding checklist for a company with a $4.29 trillion market cap, with the stock up 83.14% in the past year.

Google Search Must Repeat Its Strongest Growth in Years Mahaney’s first hurdle is holding the line on ad-driven search. “Search revenue last quarter positively surprised 17%, strongest growth in years. We need a repeat of that, probably at least this quarter, so 17% or greater,” he said.

That reference point comes from Alphabet’s Q1 2026 report, where Google Search & Other revenue reached $60.399 billion. CEO Sundar Pichai attributed the strength to “AI experiences driving usage, queries at an all time high.” Mahaney also flagged that a little bit of softness in advertising at the end of the March quarter did not come through in the June quarter, signaling a strong ad backdrop that reads through positively to Meta as well.

YouTube ads are expected to grow about 11% year over year, roughly in line with the $9.883 billion, 11% YoY result from Q1. This is steady growth, but it’s likely not going to be meaningful enough to drive the stock’s reaction after earnings.

Evercore Says Google Cloud Must Accelerate Beyond 70% Growth The higher hurdle is Google Cloud. Google Cloud posted $20.028 billion in Q1 with 63% growth. Mahaney is asking for further acceleration from a base that has already climbed sharply through 2025 and 2026. “That cloud segment last quarter shocked people with 63%. I think the bar this quarter has got to be north, well north of 70%,“ Mahaney said.

As a comparison, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is seeing the same challenge. Azure last posted 40% YoY growth, with Microsoft Cloud revenue of $49.10 billion. Mahaney effectively wants to see Google Cloud grow at nearly double the pace of the market leader.

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Alphabet’s $185 Billion Spending Plan Raises the Stakes The cloud number matters because Alphabet’s spending plan has ballooned. “They sort of shocked people by saying that they’re going to spend $185, $195 billion this year. And they said on the March quarter call that in the following year, capex next year is going to grow significantly,“ Mahaney said.

Alphabet saw $35.674 billion in Q1 capex alone, more than doubling YoY. To justify it, investors want visibility. The cloud backlog stood at $400 billion last quarter. Mahaney thinks this can work for Alphabet stock as long as they show strong growth numbers: “The stock can still work in that environment, but you better have a very strong Google Cloud number, and you better have a very strong backlog number.”

Key Takeaways Evercore’s Mahaney will be looking for Alphabet to post Search growth of at least 17%, Google Cloud growth well above 70%, and another increase in cloud backlog.

Those numbers will help determine whether Alphabet’s massive AI spending is producing enough demand to justify the cost. If growth falls short of these high expectations, the stock could decline even after reporting strong results.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Vertiv is expanding AI-ready cooling production in Italy to support rising high-density data center demand. Vertiv raised 2026 sales guidance to $13.5B-$14.0B with 29%-31% organic sales growth vs. 2025. VRT faces growing AI infrastructure competition from Super Micro Computer and Amphenol. Vertiv (VRT - Free Report) is benefiting from the surging global demand for AI-ready data centers, which require advanced cooling and power infrastructure to support increasingly dense and complex compute workloads. The company’s strategic investment in expanding global manufacturing capacity has been a major growth driver.

Building on this momentum, the company recently announced investments at its Tognana campus near Padua, Italy, to expand manufacturing and testing capabilities for AI-ready data center cooling systems.

The expansion is expected to double regional chiller production capacity by the end of 2026 and add a large-scale testing laboratory in early 2027 to validate chillers integrated with liquid cooling systems under high-density AI workloads. The investment strengthens Vertiv's ability to meet growing demand for AI and high-performance computing infrastructure while accelerating product development, testing and customer deployment of advanced thermal management solutions.

Vertiv’s expanding portfolio and acquisitions have been a major growth driver. The company’s acquisitions, such as PurgeRite, ThermoKey and BMarko Structures and Strategic Thermal Labs, are expected to strengthen its capabilities and market reach. In the first quarter of 2026, acquisitions contributed 4% to revenues.

Vertiv’s expanding AI data center footprint and manufacturing capacity signal further upside potential. Management raised 2026 guidance, pointing to sustained market momentum and accelerating capacity expansion. Vertiv now expects net sales of $13.5 billion to $14.0 billion, with organic net sales growth of 29% to 31% compared with 2025.

VRT Suffers From Stiff CompetitionVertiv’s AI infrastructure solutions are facing increasing competition from Super Micro Computer (SMCI - Free Report) and Amphenol (APH - Free Report) . Both Super Micro Computer and Amphenol are expanding their offerings to support high-density, AI-driven data center deployments.

Super Micro Computer’s expanding portfolio has been noteworthy. The company recently expanded its AI infrastructure portfolio through collaborations with AMD, Arm and NVIDIA, introducing new rack-scale platforms and data center blueprints designed to accelerate the deployment of large-scale agentic AI workloads.

Amphenol is benefiting from the surge in demand for AI infrastructure, which has become a transformative force for the company’s growth and market positioning. In the first quarter of 2026, IT datacom represented about 41% of sales and grew 81% organically year over year. This robust performance was driven by accelerating investments in AI data centers and the company’s ability to capture a significant share of this unique interconnect opportunity.

Vertiv’s Share Price Performance, Valuation, and EstimatesVRT’s shares have surged 88% year to date compared with the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s 12.1% rise. The Zacks Computers - IT Services industry declined 24.8% in the same time frame.

VRT Stock's Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Vertiv stock is trading at a premium, with a trailing 12-month Price/Book of 27.55X compared with the Computer and Technology sector’s 10.24X. VRT has a Value Score of D.

VRT's Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.38 per share, which has increased by a couple of pennies over the past 30 days. This indicates a 51.90% increase from the reported figure of 2025.

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

Investors with an interest in Chemical - Diversified stocks have likely encountered both Innospec (IOSP - Free Report) and Air Products and Chemicals (APD - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits.

Right now, Innospec is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Air Products and Chemicals has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that IOSP has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

IOSP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 17.48, while APD has a forward P/E of 22.43. We also note that IOSP has a PEG ratio of 2.33. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. APD currently has a PEG ratio of 2.69.

Another notable valuation metric for IOSP is its P/B ratio of 1.56. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, APD has a P/B of 3.64.

These metrics, and several others, help IOSP earn a Value grade of B, while APD has been given a Value grade of D.

IOSP sticks out from APD in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that IOSP is the better option right now.

Key Takeaways WEN maintained its 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook of $460-$480 million despite a $13.2 million Q1 decline.Wendy's company-operated restaurants outperformed the broader U.S. system by 310 basis points in Q1.WEN expects global systemwide sales to return to growth in the second half as Project Fresh gains traction. The Wendy's Company (WEN - Free Report) is advancing its Project Fresh turnaround strategy amid persistent traffic pressure, intense value competition and elevated restaurant costs. U.S. same-restaurant sales declined 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026, primarily because of lower traffic, severe weather and adjustments to restaurant operating hours. Wendy’s nevertheless maintained its full-year outlook and expects sequential quarterly improvement, with global systemwide sales returning to growth in the second half as its turnaround initiatives gain traction.

Project Fresh focuses on strengthening brand relevance, restaurant execution and franchisee economics. Wendy’s introduced its Biggie Deals platform at $4, $6 and $8 price points to provide consistent everyday value while reinforcing product quality. The company also upgraded its core hamburger offerings, completed a significant enhancement to its spicy chicken sandwich and strengthened its innovation process. Customer-segmentation insights and a more audience-based marketing approach are expected to improve advertising effectiveness and strengthen customer engagement as the year progresses.

Early operational indicators support the strategy’s potential. Company-operated restaurants, which have fully implemented the operating playbook, outperformed the broader U.S. system by 310 basis points during the first quarter. Restaurants with the highest customer-satisfaction scores also generated same-restaurant sales that were approximately 400-500 basis points stronger than those of the lowest-performing locations. Wendy’s is expanding training, performance-management programs, order-accuracy technology and restaurant-cleanliness initiatives to extend these operational gains across the franchise system.

The path to EBITDA stabilization, however, remains dependent on a meaningful improvement in restaurant-level performance. First-quarter adjusted EBITDA declined $13.2 million year over year to $111.3 million, reflecting weaker company-operated restaurant margins, lower franchise royalty revenues and higher spending on brand revitalization, field support and international expansion. Wendy’s maintained its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook of $460-$480 million and expects a U.S. company-operated restaurant margin of 13%, plus or minus 50 basis points. Lower-income consumer pressure, beef inflation and labor-rate increases remain headwinds, while system optimization is expected to create a $15-$20 million adjusted revenue headwind in 2026.

Wendy’s ability to generate EBITDA progress amid weak traffic will likely depend on whether Project Fresh can sustain stronger restaurant execution, improve customer engagement and translate better service levels into a sustained improvement in same-restaurant sales. These factors can support restaurant margins, franchise royalty revenues and operating leverage, making disciplined execution central to the company’s turnaround in a challenging QSR environment.

WEN’s Competitor LandscapeStarbucks Corporation (SBUX - Free Report) provides a relevant turnaround benchmark for Wendy’s because it is using service execution, menu innovation and loyalty engagement to rebuild transactions while navigating continued investment pressure. Under its Back to Starbucks strategy, the company is strengthening staffing, scheduling, technology and coffeehouse leadership through Green Apron Service, while its Grow reporting system is reinforcing more consistent store-level execution. Starbucks is also using a redesigned Rewards program, faster menu innovation and coffeehouse upgrades to increase engagement across morning and afternoon occasions. These efforts helped drive U.S. comparable sales growth of 7.1%, led by transaction growth of more than 4%, while consolidated operating margin expanded 110 basis points to 9.4% in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.

McDonald’s Corporation (MCD - Free Report) provides a closer operating comparison because it competes directly in the burger QSR category and is using value, marketing and menu innovation to protect traffic in a pressured consumer environment. Its “3 for 3” strategy combines McValue’s under-$3 items and meal deals across dayparts with culturally relevant campaigns and full-margin beef and chicken limited-time offerings. McDonald’s is also expanding its beverage platform through McCafé refreshers and crafted sodas. This approach supported U.S. comparable sales growth of 3.9%, favorable comparable sales and guest-count performance relative to close competitors and continued market-share strength during the first quarter of 2026.

Against this backdrop, Wendy’s faces a more demanding recovery than its larger peers. Starbucks is already translating stronger service execution and loyalty engagement into transaction-led growth, while McDonald’s is using its scale, value architecture and marketing reach to protect traffic and market share. Wendy’s competitive position will depend on whether Biggie Deals and its upgraded core menu can narrow the traffic gap while broader adoption of the Project Fresh operating playbook strengthens franchisee economics.

WEN’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Wendy’s have gained 10.1% in the past three months against the industry’s 5% drop.

WEN Three-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, WEN trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 0.65, below the industry’s average of 3.28.

WEN’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WEN’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies a year-over-year decline of 34.1%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.

EPS Trend of WEN Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

WEN’s Zacks RankWEN stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

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

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry, could be a great candidate to consider.

When looking at the last two reports, this trucking company has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 5.70%, on average, in the last two quarters.

For the most recent quarter, Old Dominion was expected to post earnings of $1.05 per share, but it reported $1.14 per share instead, representing a surprise of 8.57%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $1.06 per share, while it actually produced $1.09 per share, a surprise of 2.83%.

Price and EPS Surprise

Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Old Dominion lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

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

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

Old Dominion has an Earnings ESP of +1.02% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on July 29, 2026.

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

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

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

Key Takeaways Teledyne reported Q2 EPS of $6.28 and revenues of $1.66 billion, beating estimates.TDY posted year-over-year sales growth across all four business segments in the quarter.Teledyne raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook above its previous guidance range. Teledyne Technologies Inc. (TDY - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $6.28 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.78 by 8.7%. The bottom line also improved 20.8% from $5.20 recorded in the year-ago quarter.

Including one-time items, the company recorded GAAP earnings of $5.37 per share, up 21.6% from the prior-year period’s earnings of $4.43.

The year-over-year improvement in the bottom line can be attributed to higher net sales and operating income in the second quarter than the year-ago quarter’s reported actuals.

Operational Highlights of TDYTotal sales were $1.66 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.57 billion by 5.9%. The top line also jumped 9.8% from $1.51 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. This improvement was driven by higher year-over-year sales across all business segments.

TDY’s Segmental PerformanceInstrumentation: Sales in this segment increased 5.5% year over year to $387.8 million, driven by higher sales of marine instrumentation, primarily due to stronger offshore energy and defense markets.

The adjusted operating income declined 0.1% year over year to $104.8 million.

Digital Imaging: Quarterly sales in this division increased 12.7% year over year to $868.7 million. The segment benefited from higher sales of infrared imaging detectors, components and subsystems for defense and commercial applications. Surveillance systems, industrial and scientific imaging systems, and X-ray products also contributed to the growth.

The adjusted operating income rose 31.2% year over year to $217.6 million.

Aerospace and Defense Electronics: Sales in this segment totaled $286.4 million, up 8.2% from the prior-year quarter. The improvement was driven by higher sales of defense electronics and aerospace electronics.

The adjusted operating income increased 8.6% year over year to $79.7 million.

Engineered Systems: Revenues in this division jumped 8.4% year over year to $119.6 million due to higher sales of engineered products and energy systems.

This segment's operating income rose 24.8% to $15.1 million.

Financial Condition of TDYTeledyne’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $340.1 million as of June 28, 2026 compared with $352.4 million as of Dec. 28, 2025.

Its long-term debt was $2.027 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2026 compared with $2.025 billion as of Dec. 28, 2025.

Cash flow from operating activities totaled $315.2 million during the first six months of 2026 compared with $226.6 million in the same period last year.

TDY generated free cash flow of $284.7 million, up from $196.3 million in the prior-year quarter.

Teledyne Raises 2026 Earnings ViewFor the third quarter of 2026, Teledyne expects adjusted earnings between $6.05 and $6.15 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TDY’s third-quarter earnings is pegged at $5.90, which is lower than the company's guided range.

For full-year 2026, Teledyne raised its adjusted earnings outlook to $24.45-$24.65 per share from the previous range of $23.85-$24.15. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $24.10, which is lower than the company's guided range.

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

Upcoming Q2 Defense ReleasesLockheed Martin Corporation (LMT - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 23, before market open.

The consensus estimate for LMT’s earnings is pegged at $7.22 per share. The consensus estimate for its sales is pegged at $19.52 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 7.5%.

The Boeing Company (BA - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 28, before market open.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BA’s loss stands at 24 cents per share. The consensus estimate for its sales is pegged at $24.03 billion, calling for year-over-year growth of 5.7%.

General Dynamics Corporation (GD - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 29, before market open.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GD’s earnings is pegged at $3.93 per share. The consensus mark for its sales is pegged at $13.49 billion, suggesting a year-over-year rise of 3.4%.

Investors might want to bet on Valvoline (VVV - Free Report) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). This rating change essentially reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.

The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system.

Individual investors often find it hard to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, since these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time. In these situations, the Zacks rating system comes in handy because of the power of a changing earnings picture in determining near-term stock price movements.

Therefore, the Zacks rating upgrade for Valvoline basically reflects positivity about its earnings outlook that could translate into buying pressure and an increase in its stock price.

Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, has proven to be strongly correlated with the near-term price movement of its stock. The influence of institutional investors has a partial contribution to this relationship, as these big professionals use earnings and earnings estimates to calculate the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their transaction of large amounts of shares then leads to price movement for the stock.

For Valvoline, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade fundamentally mean an improvement in the company's underlying business. And investors' appreciation of this improving business trend should push the stock higher.

Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsEmpirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, so it could be truly rewarding if such revisions are tracked for making an investment decision. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.

The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Earnings Estimate Revisions for ValvolineFor the fiscal year ending September 2026, this automotive and industrial lubricants maker is expected to earn $1.75 per share, which is unchanged compared with the year-ago reported number.

Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for Valvoline. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 3.1%.

Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.

You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>

The upgrade of Valvoline to a Zacks Rank #1 positions it in the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.

The Lock-In Effect Is Real—These 3 Homebuilders Are Betting on ItPulteGroup NYSE: PHM reported higher second-quarter orders and reaffirmed its full-year delivery and margin outlook, even as revenue and earnings declined from a year earlier amid fewer closings and a lower average sales price.

On the company’s earnings call for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, President and CEO Ryan Marshall said he was “extremely pleased” with PulteGroup’s operating and financial results for both the quarter and the first half of the year. He pointed to order growth across all buyer groups, reduced incentives from the first quarter and continued progress shifting the business back toward build-to-order sales.

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Netflix, Pulte, and Mobileye Are Buying Their Own Dips—Should You?Second-quarter net new orders rose 6% year over year to 7,536 homes, while the value of orders increased 5% to $4.1 billion, according to Executive Vice President and CFO Jim Ossowski. Orders increased across first-time, move-up and active adult buyer segments, rising 5%, 4% and 12%, respectively.

Orders Rise, While Revenue and EPS Decline PulteGroup generated home sale revenue of $3.8 billion in the second quarter, down from $4.3 billion in the prior-year period. Ossowski said the decline reflected an 8% decrease in closings to 6,997 homes and a 3% decrease in average sales price to $544,000.

Homebuilder Earnings: D.R. Horton Sticks Out as Pulte & NVR Sales TankOssowski said mix was a meaningful factor in the lower average selling price, as the company had fewer closings from its Northeast and West operations, which he described as PulteGroup’s two highest-priced operating geographies.

The company reported pretax income of $622 million and net income of $472 million, or $2.48 per share. That compared with net income of $608 million, or $3.03 per share, in the second quarter of 2025. Diluted shares outstanding fell by 10 million shares, or 5%, from the prior year to 191 million, and the company repurchased 3.1 million shares for $373 million during the quarter.

PulteGroup’s financial services operations generated pretax income of $37 million, compared with $43 million a year earlier. Ossowski said the year-over-year decline was primarily due to lower closing volumes in the homebuilding business. The company’s mortgage capture rate was 85%, comparable to the second quarter of 2025.

Margins Hold Near 25% as Incentives Ease Sequentially PulteGroup reported a homebuilding gross margin of 25% for the quarter, up 60 basis points from the first quarter. For the first half of the year, homebuilding gross margin was 24.7%.

Marshall said the company’s margins reflect a disciplined land underwriting process, diversification across markets and buyer groups, and a balanced approach to price and pace. He said PulteGroup’s gross margins are “in some instances” several hundred basis points higher than those of peers.

Ossowski said second-quarter incentives were 10.4%, down 50 basis points from the first quarter. He attributed the sequential margin improvement to a greater mix of closings from higher-margin Florida markets, lower-than-anticipated discounts on homes sold and closed in the quarter, and lower build costs.

House costs were just under $75 per square foot in the quarter, down 5% from a year earlier and about 1% from the first quarter. Ossowski said the company expects to lose the tailwind from lower lumber costs as the year progresses, though it still expects year-over-year house costs to be slightly lower than in 2025.

In response to analyst questions, Marshall said incentives remain elevated because of affordability challenges and a competitive market. He said the company had previously identified the first quarter as the “high watermark” for incentives, but cautioned that the company is not expecting a sharp improvement from current levels.

Build-to-Order Shift Continues Marshall said PulteGroup continued to execute its transition back to build-to-order homes, with build-to-order sales representing 45% of new orders in the second quarter. Year to date, build-to-order sign-ups rose 500 basis points as a share of total orders compared with the first six months of 2025.

Ossowski said the company’s long-term goal is for orders to be about 60% build-to-order and 40% spec. Marshall said during the question-and-answer session that PulteGroup likely reaches that 60% target sometime next year.

The company ended the quarter with 14,980 homes in production, of which 6,638, or 44%, were spec homes. PulteGroup also had about 1,400 finished spec homes, equal to 1.3 finished specs per community, down from 1.9 a year earlier. Marshall said the company has effectively reached the spec inventory level it wants, though some work remains in select communities.

Marshall said build cycles have recovered from the supply chain disruptions that followed COVID, with cycle times down to 100 working days or fewer in some markets. He said that gives PulteGroup the ability to manage starts while still meeting production goals.

Regional Trends and Buyer Mix Management described overall demand as following typical seasonal patterns during the quarter, with sales and absorption paces easing month to month. Marshall said consumer activity was affected at times by global tensions, macroeconomic uncertainty and movements in interest rates.

Ossowski said net new orders increased in every region except the West, where consumer demand has been slower to recover. Florida remained a standout, with second-quarter orders up 19% year over year. Marshall also cited strength in Midwest markets such as Columbus, Cleveland and Chicago, as well as Greenville and Coastal Carolina. He said Dallas and Houston showed year-over-year order improvement, though he said it was too early to “declare victory” in Texas.

Second-quarter net new orders were 39% first-time buyers, 36% move-up buyers and 25% active adult buyers. Ossowski said active adult orders benefited from the opening of new Explore by Del Webb communities in Tampa and Columbus. Marshall said the company now has Explore by Del Webb communities open in Southern California, Columbus and Tampa, with another planned east of Park City, Utah.

Guidance Reaffirmed, Land Investment Continues PulteGroup expects to close between 7,000 and 7,400 homes in the third quarter and reaffirmed its full-year 2026 closing guidance of 28,500 to 29,000 homes. The company expects average selling prices of $550,000 to $560,000 in both the third and fourth quarters.

Ossowski said PulteGroup expects third-quarter gross margin of 24.5% to 25.0% and reaffirmed the same range for the full year. The company also maintained full-year SG&A guidance of 9.5% to 9.7% of home sale revenue and an expected tax rate of 24.5%, excluding discrete tax events.

PulteGroup invested $1.4 billion in land acquisition and development during the quarter, bringing year-to-date land spend to $2.7 billion. Ossowski said the company remains on track to invest about $5.4 billion in land in 2026. It ended the quarter with 228,000 lots under control, 55% of which were controlled by option.

The company ended the quarter with $1.4 billion in cash and a debt-to-capital ratio of 12.3%. Ossowski said PulteGroup continues to expect operating cash flow of about $1 billion for 2026.

Marshall also addressed industry consolidation, saying PulteGroup’s first question on any acquisition is whether it would make the company “better, not just bigger.” He said the company prefers smaller tuck-in acquisitions that build local market scale and views M&A primarily as another way to acquire land.

About PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM)PulteGroup, Inc NYSE: PHM is a U.S.-based residential homebuilder that designs, constructs and sells single-family homes and develops master-planned communities. The company operates multiple national and regional brands that target different buyer segments, including first-time buyers, move-up buyers and active-adult customers. Its operations encompass land acquisition and development, home design and construction, community amenities and ongoing customer service and warranty programs.

PulteGroup markets homes under several well-known brands, such as Pulte Homes, Centex and Del Webb, among others, offering a range of product types from entry-level detached homes to larger, higher-end residences and age-restricted active-adult communities.

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

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Key Takeaways Energy Transfer leads on valuation, earnings revisions, pipeline scale and three-month gains.ET yields 6.66% and posted 16.58% average annual distribution growth over five years.Enterprise Products Partners posts a 19.53% ROE, compared with 9.77% for its peer. The companies operating in the Zacks Oil and Gas – Production Pipeline industry play a vital role in the energy ecosystem by facilitating the efficient transportation and storage of crude oil and natural gas to meet rising demand from the transportation, industrial and residential sectors. Beyond ensuring a stable and reliable energy supply, midstream infrastructure strengthens energy security, supports economic growth and provides essential feedstocks for petrochemical and fertilizer production. As global energy consumption continues to increase, midstream companies remain critical to meeting traditional energy needs while supporting the transition to cleaner technologies and lower-carbon energy solutions.

Two leading operators in the U.S. midstream sector are Enterprise Products Partners (EPD - Free Report) and Energy Transfer LP (ET - Free Report) . Their extensive pipeline networks provide a safe, efficient and cost-effective means of transporting crude oil, natural gas and refined products across long distances. This infrastructure helps ensure reliable deliveries to refineries, power plants and end users while offering a more economical and lower-risk alternative to transportation by rail or truck.

Energy Transfer operates a highly diversified midstream platform spanning crude oil, NGLs, refined products and natural gas pipelines, as well as storage and processing facilities. The company has a strong presence in the Permian Basin and operates the Dakota Access Pipeline. Energy Transfer’s interests in export terminals further enhance its scale and provide additional opportunities to generate cash flow. The company operates an extensive network of approximately 140,000 miles of pipelines.

Enterprise Products Partners offers a compelling investment case, supported by its extensive and strategically positioned pipeline network and diversified midstream asset base. Its broad infrastructure connects major supply basins with key demand centers, while a robust portfolio of growth projects supports expanding scale and improves cash flow visibility. This extensive network underpins stable, fee-based revenues and strengthens the company’s long-term resilience amid an evolving energy landscape. Enterprise Products Partners operates more than 50,000 miles of pipelines.

Growing U.S. hydrocarbon production and volumes continue to drive demand for midstream infrastructure and services. Against this backdrop, let’s take a closer look at the fundamentals of these two companies to determine which stock presents the more attractive investment opportunity at present.

ET & EPD’s Earnings Growth ProjectionsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Energy Transfer’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved up 4.38% and 4.79%, respectively, in the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The same for Enterprise Products Partners’ 2026 earnings has decreased 0.34% in the past 60 days and for 2027 earnings improved 0.3% in the same time period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Return on EquityReturn on Equity (“ROE”) is an important measure of financial performance that indicates how efficiently a company converts shareholder equity into profits. It highlights management’s effectiveness in utilizing invested capital to grow earnings and enhance shareholder value.

ET’s current ROE is 9.77% compared with EPD’s 19.53%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

EPD and ET’s Cash DistributionMidstream companies typically generate strong and relatively stable cash flows, supported largely by fee-based contracts and regulated tariffs that account for a significant share of their revenues. Both firms return a substantial portion of their cash flows to unitholders through regular cash distributions.

Enterprise Products Partners currently offers a cash distribution yield of 5.67% and has increased its distribution 10 times over the past five years. Its average annual distribution growth over the same period stands at 4.61%.

Energy Transfer offers a higher current cash distribution yield of 6.66% and has raised its distribution 18 times over the past five years. The partnership has achieved an average annual distribution growth rate of 16.58% during this period.

ValuationEnterprise Products Partners’ units are trading at a discount. EPD’s current trailing 12-month Enterprise Value/Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EV/EBITDA) is 11.66X, compared with the industry’s 12.15X.

 Energy Transfer is trading at an EV/EBITDA of 10.28X, at a discount compared with its industry. This indicates that the firm is presently undervalued compared with its industry peers.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Price PerformanceEnterprise Products Partners’ units have gained 1.9% in the past three months compared with Energy Transfer’s rally of 5.8%.

Price Performance (Three months)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Summing UpEnterprise Products Partners and Energy Transfer provide efficient midstream services across their key operating regions, supported by extensive infrastructure and strong exposure to the highly productive Permian Basin. Rising U.S. hydrocarbon production is driving increased demand for transportation, processing and storage services, creating additional growth opportunities for both midstream companies.

Energy Transfer shows promise with a discounted valuation, better earnings estimate revision, stronger unit price performance and broader pipeline operations in the United States compared with Enterprise Products Partners.

Based on the above factors, it can be said that Energy Transfer, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), has an edge over Enterprise Products Partners, which has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Moog (MOG.A - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry.

This aerospace contractor has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 14.17%.

For the last reported quarter, Moog came out with earnings of $2.64 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.38 per share, representing a surprise of 10.92%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $2.24 per share and it actually produced earnings of $2.63 per share, delivering a surprise of 17.41%.

Price and EPS Surprise

Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Moog lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

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

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

Moog currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.95%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on July 31, 2026.

When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.

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

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

Key Takeaways Valmont's Q2 EPS rose 25.8% to $6.14, while revenues climbed 6.5% to $1.12 billion.Infrastructure sales jumped 14.8% on North America Utility and Coatings strength, offsetting telecom weakness.VMI raised 2026 sales guidance to $4.3-$4.45 billion and lifted the EPS floor to $22.25. Valmont Industries, Inc. (VMI - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of $6.14 per share, up 25.8% from adjusted earnings of $4.88 a year ago. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.41.

Revenues increased 6.5% year over year to $1.12 billion and surpassed the consensus mark of $1.09 billion by 2.3%. Strong North America Utility and Coatings sales more than offset continued weakness in Agriculture.

The company ended the quarter with a total backlog of $1.67 billion. Gross profit rose 6.1% year over year to $340.8 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses declined to $174.7 million from $191.7 million, supporting the improvement in operating profitability.

VMI's Segment Performance in Q2Infrastructure revenues increased 14.8% year over year to $878.9 million, beating our estimate of $808.2 million and accounting for 78.4% of total sales. Growth reflected favorable pricing and higher volumes in North America Utility and Coatings, along with positive foreign-currency effects on international sales. Lower North America Telecommunications volumes, caused by moderating carrier spending, partly offset these gains.

Agriculture revenues fell 15.8% to $243.7 million, lagging our estimate of $284.2 million. North America irrigation sales declined 2.3% because of lower volumes amid persistent agricultural market softness, partly offset by favorable pricing. International Agriculture sales decreased 28.9%, primarily due to disruptions associated with the Middle East conflict.

VMI's FinancialsValmont ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $139.1 million. Cash provided by operating activities totaled $148.1 million during the quarter. The company returned $74.9 million to its shareholders during the quarter, including $60 million through share repurchases and $14.9 million in dividends. Capital expenditures totaled $35.9 million, primarily supporting capacity investments in North America Utility.

Valmont's Outlook for 2026VMI raised its full-year 2026 net sales outlook to $4.3-$4.45 billion from the earlier $4.2-$4.4 billion. Infrastructure revenues are now projected at $3.4-$3.5 billion, up from the prior forecast of $3.3-$3.45 billion. The Agriculture sales outlook remains unchanged at $900-$950 million.

The company lifted the lower end of its earnings guidance to $22.25 per share from $21.50 while retaining the upper end at $23.50. Capital expenditures are still expected between $170 million and $200 million. The effective tax rate is projected at approximately 26%.

VMI’s Stock Price PerformanceVMI’s shares have gained 41% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 45.7%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VMI’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksVMI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS - Free Report) ,Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (KRO - Free Report) and Avient Corporation (AVNT - Free Report) .

Carpenter Technology is slated to report fourth-quarter 2026 results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $10.58 per share, indicating 41.44% year-over-year growth. CRS sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 

Kronos is scheduled to report second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 5. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KRO’s second-quarter loss per share is pegged at 33 cents, indicating 65.63% year-over-year growth. KRO flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 at present.

Avient is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 6. The consensus estimate for AVNT’s earnings per share is pegged at $3.08. AVNT presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Key Takeaways Hasbro raised 2026 revenue growth guidance to 5-7% and lifted its margin and EBITDA outlook.HAS trades below the sector and S&P 500, but above its sub-industry and near its five-year median.Wizards drove profit growth, while Consumer Products losses and a $56 million impairment cloud quality. Hasbro, Inc. (HAS - Free Report) has a better growth story than it had earlier in the year, but the investment case is not one-sided. The company beat expectations, raised its fiscal 2026 outlook and has outperformed its industry over the past six months.

The question is whether that improvement leaves enough room for new buyers. HAS has stronger earnings momentum, but valuation and margin quality still require discipline.

HAS Earnings Momentum Is ImprovingHasbro’s second-quarter fiscal 2026 results gave the bull case more substance. Adjusted earnings of $1.28 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.4%, while revenues of $1.14 billion topped the consensus mark by 8.9%.

Management now expects fiscal 2026 revenues to rise 5-7% in constant currency, up from its prior view of 3-5%. The adjusted operating margin outlook also improved to 25-26%, while adjusted EBITDA is now projected between $1.45 billion and $1.50 billion.

The first-half numbers show why expectations moved higher. Adjusted operating profit rose 21% to $569 million, and adjusted operating margin expanded 150 basis points to 26.6%. Volume, mix and cost productivity more than offset incremental tariffs and royalty expense.

Why Hasbro Valuation Is Not a Clear BargainHAS does not look stretched against broader benchmarks. The stock trades at 14.19X forward 12-month earnings, below the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector at 16.2X and the S&P 500 index at 20.85X.

The relative picture is less attractive inside its own sub-industry. The Zacks sub-industry trades at 10.09X forward earnings, making Hasbro look more expensive than the narrower peer group.

The stock also sits close to its five-year median forward earnings multiple of 14.92X. That suggests the market is not assigning an extreme premium, but it also means the shares are not obviously cheap after improving year-to-date and trailing 12-month performance.

Mattel, Inc. (MAT - Free Report) remains a useful comparison for investors evaluating traditional toy demand, brand strength and holiday-season execution. JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (JAKK - Free Report) also provides context for the toy and licensed-product space, where retailer demand and entertainment tie-ins can shift quickly.

Hasbro Profit Quality Still Needs ProofWizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming remains the clearest source of profit strength. In the second quarter, the segment generated $664 million in revenues, up 27%, and $270 million in operating profit.

Magic: The Gathering grew 32% in the quarter, helped by Secrets of Strixhaven and Marvel Super Heroes. Monopoly Go! contributed $44 million in revenues, reinforcing the value of Hasbro’s digital and licensing model.

Consumer Products is less convincing on profitability. Revenues rose 5% to $463 million, but the segment recorded an adjusted operating loss of $8 million because of tariffs, entertainment-related mix shifts and normal seasonality.

Digital spending also adds risk. Hasbro recorded a $56-million impairment tied to canceled digital game projects planned for 2028 and beyond, showing that growth investments can still dilute profit quality.

What Could Move HAS Higher or LowerHAS could move higher if Magic stays resilient, licensing partnerships keep expanding and Consumer Products converts better sell-through into margin improvement. Holiday innovation and entertainment-linked demand also matter because the back half is important for toys and games.

Cost savings remain another catalyst. Hasbro delivered $70 million of savings in the first six months against a $150-million full-year commitment, while management continues to target $1 billion of gross cost savings by fiscal 2027.

The downside case rests on execution. Weaker releases, higher freight, resin and packaging costs, renewed tariff pressure or slower toy demand could weigh on profitability.

Digital execution is another swing factor. Exodus and Warlock remain planned for fiscal 2027, but delays, softer player adoption or further portfolio changes could pressure returns.

How HAS Ranks for Stock PickersThe bottom line is that HAS looks improved, but not clearly mispriced. Growth is better, Wizards remains powerful and guidance has moved higher, yet valuation and segment margin pressure keep the buy case measured.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That rank points to a middle-ground setup rather than a high-conviction entry call. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

HAS also has a Growth Score of B, Momentum Score of A and VGM Score of B, which indicate supportive growth and price-performance traits. The Value Score of C argues for timing discipline, especially with the stock trading above its sub-industry multiple.

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Newmark Group (NMRK - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Real Estate - Operations industry.

This provider of commercial real estate services has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 13.42%.

For the most recent quarter, Newmark Group was expected to post earnings of $0.27 per share, but it reported $0.33 per share instead, representing a surprise of 22.22%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.65 per share, while it actually produced $0.68 per share, a surprise of 4.62%.

Price and EPS Surprise

Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Newmark Group lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

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

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

Newmark Group currently has an Earnings ESP of +14.29%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on July 29, 2026.

When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.

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

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

Key Takeaways AVT expanded operating margin for a third straight quarter despite lower gross margins from sales mix changes.AVT expects further margin gains from SG&A discipline, improving demand and stronger book-to-bill trends.Avnet targets higher margins in EC and Farnell while maintaining its niche against Arrow and TD SYNNEX. Avnet's (AVT - Free Report) profitability continued to improve in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, even as gross margins remained under pressure, highlighting the benefits of disciplined cost management and operating leverage. The company reported an adjusted operating margin of 3.1%, up 38 basis points (bps) sequentially, marking its third consecutive quarter of expansion. Operating income grew more than twice as fast as sales, reflecting stronger execution across the business.

However, Avnet’s gross margin declined 68 bps year over year to 10.4%, primarily due to a greater mix of lower-margin Asia sales and memory price pass-throughs. Management noted that approximately half of sequential sales growth and one-quarter of year-over-year sales growth came from higher memory prices.

The company's largest Electronic Components (EC) segment expanded its operating margin to 3.5% from 3.2% in the previous quarter, driven by improving business conditions in Europe. Management expects EC operating margins to reach its 4% near-term target within the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, Farnell's operating margin improved to 5.2%, its sixth consecutive quarter of expansion, with management targeting a return to double-digit margins by the second half of 2027.

Looking ahead, rising book-to-bill ratios, improving lead times, stronger demand creation activity and continued SG&A discipline should support further operating margin expansion, even if gross margin remains constrained by product and geographic mix. Alongside this, AVT should also monitor how competitors are adapting to market dynamics and stay ahead of any new advancements.

How Competitors Fare Against AvnetAvnet operates in a competitive technology distribution market where it competes with global component distributors as well as broader IT distributors, including Arrow Electronics (ARW - Free Report) and TD SYNNEX (SNX - Free Report) . However, Avnet benefits from the niche it has created for itself, which helps to protect its margins.

Arrow Electronics competes directly with Avnet in electronic component distribution, semiconductor supply, embedded computing and engineering services. Both Arrow Electronics and Avnet serve OEMs, industrial manufacturers, automotive suppliers, communications equipment vendors and data center customers.

Avnet comes into crossroads with TD SYNNEX in the broader AI infrastructure value chain. AVT plays its role much earlier in the technology value chain by supplying electronic components directly to equipment manufacturers, making the overlap minimal with TD SYNNEX. Given these dynamics, Avnet has little to worry right now.

AVT’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesAvnet shares have soared 86.9% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Electronics - Parts Distribution industry’s 60.2% growth.

Avnet YTD Performance Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Despite this outperformance, AVT stock is trading at a price-to-sales multiple of 0.26X, which is below the P/S multiple of industry’s P/S multiple of 0.39X. The undervaluation is further substantiated by Zacks Value Score of B.

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

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVT’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $5.12, implying year-over-year growth of 49%. The estimate has remained unchanged for the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP reminds investors of the upcoming August 4, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Verra Mobility Corporation (“Verra” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: VRRM) common stock between February 24, 2026 and May 26, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”).

IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR VERRA INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS.

What Happened?
On May 26, 2026, Verra disclosed that it had received a termination notice from Avis Budget Group regarding its contract. The Company accordingly lowered its full year 2026 financial outlook.

On this news, Verra’s stock price fell $9.23, or 70.6%, to close at $3.85 per share on May 27, 2026, thereby injuring investors.

On June 1, 2026, Verra announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer had been terminated as “the Board determined that a change in leadership [was] needed[.]”

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Verra’s optimistic plan for continued growth in its Commercial Services business was dependent on its relationship with Avis, and in particular obtaining a contract extension with Avis Budget; (2) the Company minimized concerns that major RACs could replace Verra with in-house solutions or outsourced alternatives, making Verra’s 2026 full year guidance increasingly unlikely to be met; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Verra common stock during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than August 4, 2026 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150,
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.

Key Takeaways CRDO and MRVL are key AI connectivity players benefiting from rising data-center demand.CRDO expects more than 80% fiscal 2027 revenue growth, led by AECs and a stronger optical ramp.MRVL raised fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $11.5 billion as data center demand accelerates. The explosive AI-infrastructure buildout has put the spotlight on semiconductor companies as the reshaping of the data center connectivity landscape is creating massive demand for high-speed interconnect and optical solutions.

Both Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (CRDO - Free Report) and Marvell Technology (MRVL - Free Report) are beneficiaries of this cycle. While both companies operate in the same space, their positioning, scale and strategies differ significantly.

So, the question now arises: Which stock is a better investment pick at present? Let us dive into the fundamentals, valuations, growth outlook and risks for each company.

The Case for CRDOCredo is a leading provider of high-speed connectivity solutions for AI infrastructure. At the core of Credo’s business is its Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) and Digital Signal Processor (“DSP”) technology stack. Leveraging this foundation, Credo offers a diversified suite of solutions, including integrated circuits (ICs), retimers, optical DSPs, Active Electrical Cables (AECs), SerDes chiplets and SerDes IP licensing.

CRDO’s focus on high-performance, energy-efficient connectivity solutions gives it strategic relevance as hyperscalers and cloud service providers overhaul their network architectures.

Fiscal 2026 was a breakout year, with revenues surpassing $1.3 billion, more than tripling year over year. Non-GAAP net income increased more than fivefold. 

AECs are the primary growth engine for CRDO as they now play an increasingly critical role in AI-driven networking deployments. According to Credo, the adoption of zero-flap AECs is accelerating because they deliver up to 1,000x higher reliability while consuming roughly 50% less power compared with optical alternatives. These advantages are particularly valuable in large XPU clusters, where network failures can disrupt operations and lead to high costs. Beyond the traditional hyperscalers, Credo is also seeing increasing demand from emerging Neocloud providers.

In addition to AEC, CRDO is now focusing on the IC portfolio (retimers and DSPs). The company expects mid-single-digit sequential growth in the first half of fiscal 2027, followed by a stronger second-half acceleration buoyed by its optical portfolio. Management projects more than $600 million in optical revenues, with ZeroFlap optics, silicon photonics PICs and optical DSPs each contributing more than $100 million. This is expected to support more than 80% year-over-year revenue growth for the full year.

The acquisition of Dust Photonics strengthens Credo’s high-speed optical connectivity portfolio with silicon photonics PIC technology. The deal adds advanced technology, including 800G and 1.6T solutions, and would aid in developing upcoming 3.2T solutions.

As revenue scales, Credo is beginning to show signs of operating leverage. For fiscal 2027, gross margins are projected to stay in line with fiscal 2026 levels, while non-GAAP net margins are expected to remain around 50%, even as the company continues to invest in R&D.

However, no investment case is without risks. Macroeconomic uncertainties and exposure to the AI investment cycle amid increasing market competition remain concerns. On the last earnings call, Credo noted ongoing tightness in the supply chain. While the company has taken steps to secure capacity, disruptions could still affect its ability to meet demand.

The Case for MRVLMarvell Technology has been in the spotlight for some time now, especially after NVIDIA's chief publicly called it the next trillion-dollar company earlier this year. The company is now a component of the S&P 500 index. MRVL’s strategic pivot to prioritize the data center market is proving to be a successful catalyst amid surging AI-infrastructure spending.

The data center business accounted for 76% of total revenues in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. The company has raised its fiscal 2027 revenue forecast to $11.5 billion, with the upside coming from this business. Data center revenues increased 46% in fiscal 2026. Management expects growth to accelerate to approximately 50% in fiscal 2027 and 55% in fiscal 2028.

Interconnect remains a standout performer within the data center business. Demand for the company’s high-speed connectivity solutions remains strong, prompting management to raise its fiscal 2027 interconnect revenue growth forecast to more than 70% year over year. Demand remains strong for 800G products, while 1.6T solutions based on 200-gig-per-lane technology are ramping following their production launch in the second half of fiscal 2026. Marvell expects 1.6T revenues to increase substantially again in fiscal 2028.

Rapid growth in broadband analog products, including TIAs and drivers, bode well. Management projects revenues from TIAs and drivers to top a $1 billion annualized run rate over the next few quarters. Data center interconnect, or DCI, business represents another important growth opportunity. On the last earnings call, management highlighted that it now ships DCI solutions to all five major U.S. hyperscalers. It expects to gain from rising demand, driven by large-scale AI clusters that increasingly span several data centers.

Marvell has introduced secure 1.6T ZR and ZR+ DCI modules powered by its 2-nanometer coherent DSP, with sampling expected to begin this year. Management sees the DCI module business reaching a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate during fiscal 2028, nearly double the approximately $500 million generated in fiscal 2026.

MRVL is supplementing its organic growth with strategic acquisitions like Celestial AI and Xconn Technologies. Celestial AI specializes in the Photonic Fabric technology, or PF platform, while XConn Technologies will aid in expanding its footprint across PCIe and CXL switch opportunities.

However, Marvell Technology’s growth story comes with risks. Increasing reliance on the data center market makes it vulnerable to any changes in hyperscaler AI capital spending. Stiff competition in the semiconductor space and global trade tensions remain a matter of concern. Marvell expects to make $1 billion in supplier prepayments during fiscal 2027 to capture manufacturing capacity. Although these prepayments are intended to support future material purchases, these could impact cash generation if demand or production fall short of expectations. Apart from significant upfront investments, acquisitions bring along execution and integration risks.

Price Performance & Valuations of CRDO & MRVLYear to date, both CRDO and MRVL are up 55.6% and 144.7%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In terms of the forward 12-month price/sales multiple, Credo is trading at 16.06X, higher than MRVL’s 13.05X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

How Do the Consensus Estimates Compare for CRDO & MRVL?Analysts have significantly revised their earnings estimates upwards for CRDO for the current fiscal year in the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimates have been revised 6% upwards for MRVL’s bottom line.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CRDO or MRVL: Which Is a Better Pick?

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) reported upbeat earnings for the second quarter on Tuesday.

The company posted quarterly earnings of $4.94 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $4.93 per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $867.000 million which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $866.439 million.

“In the second quarter MSCI delivered strong financial results along with a record asset-based-fee run rate and accelerated run-rate growth in Index and Private Capital Solutions. We also achieved strength in recurring net-new sales across key client segments and geographies, including our best quarter ever with hedge funds and our best Q2 with asset owners,” said Henry A. Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of MSCI.

MSCI shares rose 1.2% to trade at $568.28 on Wednesday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on MSCI following earnings announcement.

JP Morgan analyst Alexander Hess maintained the stock with an Overweight rating and lowered the price target from $742 to $700. Evercore ISI Group analyst David Motemeden maintained the stock with an Outperform rating and lowered the price target from $746 to $722. Considering buying MSCI stock? Here’s what analysts think:

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LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP reminds investors of the upcoming July 27, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Calix, Inc. (“Calix” or the “Company”) (NYSE:  CALX) securities between January 28, 2026 and April 21, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”).

IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR CALIX INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS.

What Happened?
On April 21, 2026, after the market closed, Calix reported results for the first quarter of 2026 earnings, including that “[n]on-GAAP gross margin was 57.2%, a decrease of 80 basis points sequentially.” Further, the Company reported gross margin guidance for the second quarter of 2026 is “55.8% (at the midpoint) is down 140 basis points from the previous quarter. This decline is primarily due the increase in memory component costs.”

In the accompanying earnings call held on the same date, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Cory Sindelar, stated “advanced purchasing had allowed us to avoid higher memory component costs during the first quarter. However, that advanced supply has run its course, and we now face market prices.” Sindelar further revealed “reflecting the effects of higher memory component costs,” “[f]or the year, we expect our non-GAAP gross margin to decline between 50 and 150 basis points.”

On this news, Calix’s stock price fell $6.93, or 13.98% to close at $42.65 per share on April 22, 2026, on unusually heavy trading volume.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) the Company’s first quarter margins had significantly benefited from advanced purchasing of memory components; (2) that the Company’s advanced supply of memory components was dwindling; (3) that, as a result, the Company was experiencing negative margin pressure as it was forced to purchase memory components at rising market prices; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s margins, business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Calix securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than July 27, 2026 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150,
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN - Free Report) , a company that currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B. We also talk about price change and earnings estimate revisions, two of the main aspects of the Momentum Style Score.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for ELAN that show why this company shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

For ELAN, shares are up 4.07% over the past week while the Zacks Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry is up 1.41% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 9.92% compares favorably with the industry's 10.34% performance as well.

While any stock can see its price increase, it takes a real winner to consistently beat the market. That is why looking at longer term price metrics -- such as performance over the past three months or year -- can be useful as well. Shares of Elanco Animal Health Incorporated have increased 15.03% over the past quarter, and have gained 70.66% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 6.61% and 20.33%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to ELAN's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. ELAN is currently averaging 4,014,582 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with ELAN.

Over the past two months, 3 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost ELAN's consensus estimate, increasing from $1.10 to $1.11 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 3 estimates have moved upwards while there have been 1 downward revision in the same time period.

Bottom LineGiven these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that ELAN is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of B. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep Elanco Animal Health Incorporated on your short list.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of common stock of Primoris Services Corporation (NYSE: PRIM) between August 5, 2025 and June 22 2026. Primoris describes itself as a company that “designs, builds, maintains, and upgrades critical energy and utility infrastructure, including electric grids, natural gas systems, renewable energy projects, pipelines, and communications networks, throughout the Uni.

Key Takeaways Whirlpool's Q2 sales are likely to fall 4.5% YoY, while earnings are projected to plunge 94.03%.Price hikes and over $150 million in cost savings may aid margins despite soft appliance demand.SDA is expected to grow 13.5%, led by KitchenAid launches, direct sales and share gains. Whirlpool Corporation (WHR - Free Report) is expected to witness declines in its top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 results.

The household appliance company’s quarterly revenues are pegged at $3.61 billion, down 4.5% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus estimate for quarterly earnings has moved downward in the past 30 days to 8 cents per share. However, the consensus mark for earnings indicates a 94.03% fall from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

 Whirlpool delivered a negative earnings surprise of 230.2% in the last reported quarter. The bottom line has missed estimates by 55.9%, on average, over the trailing four quarters.

Key Points to Note Ahead of WHR’s Q2 ResultsWhirlpool's second-quarter results are expected to reflect the early benefits of the aggressive pricing actions and cost initiatives announced following a difficult first quarter. Management implemented its largest price increase in more than a decade, including promotional price increases of more than 10%, with additional list-price increases scheduled to take effect during the quarter. The company indicated that these actions would begin benefiting price/mix in the second quarter and continue building through the remainder of the year. Investors will closely monitor whether pricing has remained intact despite a still-soft demand environment and whether the initial recovery in North American margins has started to materialize.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MDA North America is currently pegged at $2419 million, indicating a decline of 5.8%.

North American demand trends are likely to remain the biggest determinant of Whirlpool's quarterly performance. Consumer sentiment remained near historic lows following the sharp decline witnessed in March, leading consumers to postpone discretionary appliance purchases and increasingly favor lower-priced products. While management expects March to represent the trough, it also anticipates only a gradual improvement in industry conditions rather than a sharp recovery. Investors will therefore look for evidence that replacement demand has remained resilient, promotional activity has moderated and retail sell-through has stabilized during the quarter.

Margin performance in the second quarter is expected to benefit from Whirlpool's accelerated cost-reduction initiatives and improving competitive dynamics. The company remains on track to deliver more than $150 million in cost savings during 2026 through manufacturing optimization, vertical integration, strategic sourcing and fixed-cost reductions. At the same time, the updated Section 232 tariffs are expected to provide Whirlpool with a structural competitive advantage given its predominantly U.S.-based manufacturing footprint, while imported appliances face materially higher tariff costs. Although raw-material inflation and tariff expenses remain headwinds, management expects the combination of pricing actions and productivity improvements to support a gradual recovery in profitability during the quarter.

Performance across Whirlpool's business segments is likely to remain mixed, with Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) continuing to outperform despite macroeconomic challenges affecting major appliances. Management highlighted another quarter of strong SDA growth, driven by KitchenAid's premium product launches, direct-to-consumer momentum and continued market-share gains. At the same time, major appliance demand is expected to remain pressured by weak consumer confidence, a challenging housing market and ongoing mix headwinds.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SDA is currently pegged at $227 million, indicating growth of 13.5%.

What the Zacks Model Unveils for WHROur proven model doesn’t conclusively predict an earnings beat for Whirlpool this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here.

Whirlpool currently has an Earnings ESP of -436.00% and a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Valuation Picture of WHR StockWith a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 16.48x, which is below the five-year high of 17.50x and above the Household Appliances industry’s average of 15.57x, the stock offers compelling value for investors seeking exposure to the sector.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The recent market movements show that WHR’s shares have lost 32.7% in the past three months compared with the industry's 27.9% decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings EstimatesHere are some companies that, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:

SharkNinja, Inc. (SN - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.29% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 

SN is likely to register growth in its bottom and top lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $1.6 billion, indicating a 13.5% increase from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

The consensus estimate for SN’s second-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.09 per share, implying 12.4% growth from the year-ago quarter’s actual. The consensus mark has dipped a penny in the past 30 days.

MGM Resorts International (MGM - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.08% and a Zacks Rank of 3. MGM is likely to register a top-line increase when it reports second-quarter 2026 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.5 billion, indicating a 1.4% rise from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

The consensus estimate for MGM Resorts’ second-quarter earnings is pegged at 62 cents a share, implying a 21.5% decrease from the year-earlier quarter. The consensus mark has increased by 2 cents in the past seven days.

Hilton Worldwide, Inc. (HLT - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.54% and a Zacks Rank of 3.

For the to-be-reported quarter, Hilton Worldwide’s earnings are expected to increase 3.6%. Hilton Worldwide reported better-than-expected earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 4.6%.

Key Takeaways Revvity will launch Signals for Startups in the United States and EMEA in late July 2026.The program offers scalable software, guided onboarding and startup-friendly licensing.It unifies research data, reduces rework and supports investor readiness and long-term growth. Revvity, Inc. (RVTY - Free Report) recently announced the launch of Signals for Startups, a new program to help early-stage biotechnology companies establish scalable digital informatics capabilities from the earliest stages of research. It is scheduled to launch across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and the Africa region in late July 2026.

The program provides startup biotechs with enterprise-grade Signals software, guided onboarding, startup-friendly licensing and best-practice configurations tailored to their needs. By enabling startups to adopt robust informatics capabilities from day one, the program aims to accelerate scientific innovation and research productivity, and reduce the time required to generate value from R&D investments.

Per management, Signals for Startups is built to help emerging biotech companies to grow fast without being held back by fragmented data or workflow challenges that limit their ability to scale. The combination of startup-friendly access, guided onboarding and scalable Signals workflows enables early-stage teams to establish a solid digital foundation, accelerate discovery and prepare for investor readiness and future growth.

Likely Trend of RVTY Stock Following the NewsShares of RVTY have risen 3.8% since the announcement on Monday. Year to date, the stock has gained 14.2% against the industry’s 2.2% fall. However, the S&P 500 has risen 9.5% in the same timeframe.

Revvity’s Signals for Startups program is expected to strengthen its software business by capturing emerging biotech companies early in their lifecycle. As these startups expand, the company can benefit from higher customer retention and increased adoption of its broader Signals portfolio. The initiative also enhances its competitive position in scientific informatics, broadens its presence in the fast-growing biotech sector and creates opportunities for sustained revenue growth through long-term customer relationships.

RVTY currently has a market capitalization of $11.87 billion.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

More on the NewsEmerging biotech companies often face the challenge of managing complex research data while operating with limited IT, informatics and operational resources. Signals for Startups addresses these challenges by offering a ready-to-use, scalable informatics environment that allows scientists to focus on innovation rather than system setup. With built-in workflows for both small- and large-molecule research, the platform helps standardize data management, streamline collaboration and create a strong digital foundation from the outset.

The program also provides startups with an easy entry into the Revvity Signals ecosystem through bundled software licenses suited to early-stage organizations, while offering the flexibility to expand as the business grows through funding rounds and commercialization. By replacing disconnected tools and fragmented data management with a unified informatics platform, Signals for Startups helps companies reduce inefficiencies, minimize rework and support long-term research scalability.

The program builds on the broader capabilities of Revvity Signals Software, a comprehensive cloud-based scientific informatics platform that supports research from early discovery through later-stage development. Designed to promote multidisciplinary collaboration, Signals helps research teams centralize scientific data, optimize R&D workflows and accelerate innovation across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical and specialty chemical applications. Trusted by over one million users worldwide, with a 97% renewal rate and used by all of the world's top 20 biopharma companies, Revvity Signals has established itself as a trusted scientific software platform.

Industry Prospects Favoring the MarketGoing by the data provided by Precedence Research, the life science software market is predicted to be valued at $19.65 billion in 2026 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 10.7% through 2035.

Factors like the high investment in drug development and R&D by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to manage complex data, the need for integrated and compliant digital solutions, and urgent demand for AI-based automation in drug discovery and clinical trials to decrease time-to-market and R&D costs are boosting the market’s growth.

Other NewsRevvity recently announced that its Signals Software business has been added to Anthropic’s directory for Model Context Protocol connectors, extending the capabilities of Signals AI beyond the Signals One platform. Through the integration, scientists can access Signals AI and connected R&D knowledge using Claude, including Claude Science, Anthropic’s AI workbench for scientific research.

RVTY’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksRevvity currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) , Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) and Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) .

West Pharmaceutical, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share (EPS) of $2.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.8%. Revenues of $844.9 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.5%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

West Pharmaceutical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 14.4%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.

Intuitive Surgical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.80, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. Revenues of $2.89 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.1%.

Intuitive Surgical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 14.3%. ISRG’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.5%.

Cardinal Health, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, reported a third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.17, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.2%. Revenues of $60.94 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%.

Cardinal Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 17%. CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 10.3%.

LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP reminds investors of the upcoming August 3, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Badger Meter, Inc. (“Badger Meter” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BMI) common stock between April 18, 2024 and April 16, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”).

IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR BADGER METER INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS.

What Happened?
On July 22, 2025, Badger Meter released its second quarter 2025 financial results, reporting below-consensus earnings, revenue growth decline, and margin deterioration. The Company also expected that “absolute sales [would] decline sequentially in the third quarter of 2025.”

On this news, Badger Meter’s stock price fell $40.42, or 16.5%, to close at $204.80 per share on July 22, 2025, thereby injuring investors.

Then, on January 28, 2026, Badger Meter released its fourth quarter 2025 financial results, revealing missed revenue expectations and a “6% sequential decline in utility water sales” due to “previously communicated project pacing effects.”

On this news, Badger Meter’s stock price fell $18.09, or 11%, to close at $146.32 per share on January 28, 2026.

Then, on April 17, 2026, Badger Meter released its first quarter 2026 results, disclosing that total sales were “9% lower than the prior year,” “[u]tility water sales declined 10% year-over-year,” “[o]perating earnings of $35.2 million, with an operating margin of 17.4%, compared to operating earnings of $49.4 million and an operating margin of 22.2% in the prior year,” and “[d]iluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.93, down from $1.30 in the first quarter of 2025.” The Company cited “project timing” and “softer short-cycle municipal customer ordering.”

On this news, Badger Meter’s stock price fell $36.75, or 24.1%, to close at $115.54 per share on April 17, 2026, thereby injuring investors further.

What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Badger Meter’s financial results during the Class Period were at least partially attributable to the Company’s practice of pulling-forward customer orders to recognize revenue early, which concealed weakening demand and deteriorating near-term order trends; (2) this practice also depleted revenue otherwise available for future periods, ultimately causing the disappointing financial results the Company later reported; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Badger Meter common stock during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than August 3, 2026 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150,
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email:  [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.