The price trend for Trex (TREX - Free Report) has been bearish lately and the stock has lost 8.9% over the past two weeks. However, the formation of a hammer chart pattern in its last trading session indicates that the stock could witness a trend reversal soon, as bulls might have gained significant control over the price to help it find support.
While the formation of a hammer pattern is a technical indication of nearing a bottom with potential exhaustion of selling pressure, rising optimism among Wall Street analysts about the future earnings of this maker of fencing and decking products is a solid fundamental factor that enhances the prospects of a trend reversal for the stock.
What is a Hammer Chart and How to Trade It?This is one of the popular price patterns in candlestick charting. A minor difference between the opening and closing prices forms a small candle body, and a higher difference between the low of the day and the open or close forms a long lower wick (or vertical line). The length of the lower wick being at least twice the length of the real body, the candle resembles a 'hammer.'
In simple terms, during a downtrend, with bears having absolute control, a stock usually opens lower compared to the previous day's close, and again closes lower. On the day the hammer pattern is formed, maintaining the downtrend, the stock makes a new low. However, after eventually finding support at the low of the day, some amount of buying interest emerges, pushing the stock up to close the session near or slightly above its opening price.
When it occurs at the bottom of a downtrend, this pattern signals that the bears might have lost control over the price. And, the success of bulls in stopping the price from falling further indicates a potential trend reversal.
Hammer candles can occur on any timeframe -- such as one-minute, daily, weekly -- and are utilized by both short-term as well as long-term investors.
Like every technical indicator, the hammer chart pattern has its limitations. Particularly, as the strength of a hammer depends on its placement on the chart, it should always be used in conjunction with other bullish indicators.
Here's What Increases the Odds of a Turnaround for TREXThere has been an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions for TREX lately, which can certainly be considered a bullish indicator on the fundamental side. That's because a positive trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.
The consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 5.7% over the last 30 days. This means that the Wall Street analysts covering TREX are majorly in agreement about the company's potential to report better earnings than what they predicted earlier.
If this is not enough, you should note that TREX currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), which means it is in the top 5% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on trends in earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises. And stocks carrying a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 usually outperform the market. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Moreover, a Zacks Rank of 1 for Trex is a more conclusive indication of a potential trend reversal, as the Zacks Rank has proven to be an excellent timing indicator that helps investors identify precisely when a company's prospects are beginning to improve.
The Auto-Tires-Trucks group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Federal Signal (FSS - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector should help us answer this question.
Federal Signal is a member of our Auto-Tires-Trucks group, which includes 104 different companies and currently sits at #12 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Federal Signal is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FSS' full-year earnings has moved 4.8% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
Based on the latest available data, FSS has gained about 6.8% so far this year. At the same time, Auto-Tires-Trucks stocks have lost an average of 12.1%. This means that Federal Signal is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
One other Auto-Tires-Trucks stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Polaris Inc (PII - Free Report) . The stock is up 16.1% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Polaris Inc's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, Federal Signal belongs to the Automotive - Domestic industry, a group that includes 17 individual companies and currently sits at #105 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 13% this year, meaning that FSS is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Polaris Inc is also part of the same industry.
Federal Signal and Polaris Inc could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Auto-Tires-Trucks stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Evercore (EVR - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis investment bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.02 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +24.8%.
Revenues are expected to be $993.52 million, up 18.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.02% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Evercore?For Evercore, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Evercore will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Evercore would post earnings of $5.57 per share when it actually produced earnings of $7.53, delivering a surprise of +35.19%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Evercore doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
For value investors who don’t believe the AI bubble is bursting, starting with the semiconductor industry, some of the harder-hit names within the space might be worth a closer look. Undoubtedly, there’s more to dip-buying than simply going for the biggest (or close to it) dips in any given sell-off.
Either way, I do view shares of Marvell (NASDAQ:MRVL | MRVL Price Prediction) as enticing, especially since they’ve already shed just over 40% from peak to trough while the broader semiconductor industry fell a hair north of 20%, with the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) just making it into a bear market.
Not to discount how painful bear markets can be, but whenever you have an industry-wide lift-off and doubling in under a year’s time, perhaps a brutal bear market is the kind of “correction” that you’d want to see. Whether it takes an AI bubble off the table entirely remains the big question, but either way, the relief rally enjoyed in recent sessions could go either way.
As a slate of big Magnificent Seven quarterly earnings results comes up, they could set the tone for the rest of the semi space, especially as hints of future spending get dropped. In my view, one thing that keeps getting CapEx from the big AI hyperscalers (and beyond) is custom silicon.
The custom silicon tailwind is still going strong Firms are taking command when it comes to their silicon futures, and I just don’t see that changing, especially when you consider the kinds of gross margins that the GPU makers, most notably Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), have been generating in recent years.
That’s where the opportunity seems to lie in these early days of the AI race. And if Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang is right in that semiconductors could become the largest industry in the world, I do think that custom silicon ought to remain a top priority of tech firms that hope to win the AI race.
Undoubtedly, it’s expensive enough to stay competitive in the AI race, especially given the costs of hardware. For the firms looking to take control of their own silicon, though, I do see the economics getting better over time. Whether it’s hyperscaler custom silicon, AI labs getting into custom silicon, or software design firms getting in the game, it’s clear that the custom silicon tailwind might be one of the fiercest in all of the industry.
SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion. Open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts. See for yourself by clicking here now.
For investors who view the latest semi drop as another window to buy, I think Marvell stands out as a name that could be in for the biggest recovery bounce. Indeed, high beta works both ways, with Marvell sporting a 2.20 beta and a fierce surge of 6.7% on Tuesday’s recovery session.
Of course, cyclicality applies across the broad semi scene and, in that regard, Marvell might not be deserving of a free pass if the semis move south. Whether the semis are in for a steeper correction from here (a 50% dip in the broader industry certainly isn’t off the table) or not, companies have the incentive to make the investments so that they don’t have to pay the so-called Nvidia tax forever.
The fast-growing CXL market is a driver With UBS recently shining light on the company’s CXL (Compute Express Link) business, citing a $4.5 billion total addressable market (TAM) by year-end, reaching as high as $10 billion by 2030, the firm views Marvell as a standout name worthy of a big price target upgrade. With a $340 target, which now implies a 64% gain, it certainly seems like Marvell is one of the more underestimated plays as the XPU continues moving at full speed.
Could CXL be the next big catalyst? Given the memory chip bottleneck and focus on greater efficiencies across AI, I do think UBS is spot on to raise the bar on Marvell shares, given the tailwind, which I think might still be underrated by investors, especially amid the latest industry-wide panic.
While Marvell won’t be a name for everyone, I do see it as having a unique and powerful slate of catalysts, which might just take the stock right back to new highs. With a capital-light model and all the essential tools needed for custom AI silicon, especially as inference takes off, Marvell remains a name that’s worth hanging in for the ride, at least according to most analysts.
Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users Free StockLooking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.
From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced. Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.
Marvell Technology, Inc. is upgraded to a timely Buy as valuation finally cools from a frothy level, while long-term growth drivers solidify. MRVL's integration with Nvidia and leadership in CXL position it for significant revenue inflection through FY2028. Despite a recent 50% correction, MRVL still trades at a premium (46x forward earnings), demanding robust execution and a clear roadmap.
My brokerage app knows the Marvell ticker by heart. When a stock I have been accumulating drops 33.02% in a month and the underlying business keeps accelerating, the decision writes itself.
That is the single factor pulling me back to Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL | MRVL Price Prediction): the market handed me a discount on an AI infrastructure semiconductor pure-play whose numbers still point the right direction. Shares closed at $207.96, well below the 52-week high of $329.80. Yet year to date the stock is up 145.07%, up 185.25% over one year, and up 1,811.10% over ten. This is a violent repricing inside a long uptrend, and I am adding to my cost basis at these prices.
The Data Behind My Conviction Marvell’s most recent quarter (Q1 FY2027) posted revenue of $2.418 billion, up 27.6% year over year and ahead of consensus. Data center revenue reached $1.833 billion, 76% of the total, up 27% year over year and 11% sequentially. Free cash flow more than doubled to $483.1 million, up 126.8%, while cash on the balance sheet climbed to $3.84 billion. Full fiscal 2026 revenue landed at $8.195 billion, up 42%, and the company repurchased $2.04 billion of stock during that year.
Management is guiding Q2 FY27 revenue to $2.7 billion, roughly 35% year-over-year growth, and CEO Matt Murphy said Marvell is “significantly raising Marvell’s revenue outlook for both fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028” on “exceptional AI-related bookings.” He expects growth to accelerate each quarter through fiscal 2027. Trailing P/E sits at 65, while forward P/E drops to 47, indicating the earnings ramp is driving valuation.
Why Marvell Stands Out Every AI investor first reaches for mega-cap chip generalists. Marvell offers a concentrated bet on AI datacenter plumbing: custom XPU and XPU-attach silicon, plus 800G and 1.6T scale-out optics, 51.2T Ethernet scale-out switches, and scale-up NPO and CPO optical solutions. At a market cap of roughly $175 billion, every incremental hyperscaler design win moves the needle in a way it cannot at a generalist ten times the size. The Celestial AI and XConn acquisitions that closed in February 2026 add photonic fabric and chiplet connectivity directly to that thesis.
The Risk I Cannot Ignore With 76% of revenue from data center and a small group of hyperscalers driving most of that, customer concentration is the real risk. If a major customer moves silicon fully in-house, this thesis takes a hit. Q1 also included a $331.8 million contingent consideration charge that pushed GAAP net income down 80.6% year over year. That is acquisition-related accounting noise rather than operating deterioration, and the raised multi-year guidance tells me the bookings pipeline is deep enough to absorb any single customer’s platform decisions.
Why the Buy Button Stays Active Analyst consensus sits at a $253.69 target with 7 strong buy, 31 buy, 5 hold, and 1 strong sell ratings behind it. Marvell is compounding revenue in the high 20s heading toward the mid 30s, generating record cash, buying back stock, and sitting inside the fastest capex cycle of my investing life. The market decided it was too expensive. I decided it was on sale, and the buy button stays lit until the story changes.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Marvell Technology didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Wall Street watches a company's quarterly report closely to understand as much as possible about its recent performance and what to expect going forward. Of course, one figure often stands out among the rest: earnings.
The earnings figure itself is key, of course, but a beat or miss on the bottom line can sometimes be just as, if not more, important. Therefore, investors should consider paying close attention to these earnings surprises, as a big beat can help a stock climb and vice versa.
The ability to identify stocks that are likely to top quarterly earnings expectations can be profitable, but it's no simple task. Here at Zacks, our Earnings ESP filter helps make things easier.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Earnings ESP is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information.
Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.
In fact, when we combined a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, stocks produced a positive surprise 70% of the time. Perhaps most importantly, using these parameters has helped produce 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Stocks with a ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market; Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Monster Beverage?The last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to quickly look at a qualifying stock. Monster Beverage (MNST - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.60 a share 15 days away from its upcoming earnings release on August 6, 2026.
By taking the percentage difference between the $0.60 Most Accurate Estimate and the $0.59 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Monster Beverage has an Earnings ESP of +2.61%. Investors should also know that MNST is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
MNST is one of just a large database of Consumer Staples stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Anheuser-Busch Inbev (BUD - Free Report) .
Anheuser-Busch Inbev, which is readying to report earnings on July 30, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $1.11 a share, and BUD is eight days out from its next earnings report.
Anheuser-Busch Inbev's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +1.60% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.09.
MNST and BUD's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
In its upcoming report, Brown & Brown (BRO - Free Report) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $1.08 per share, reflecting an increase of 4.9% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $1.72 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 34%.
Over the last 30 days, there has been a downward revision of 0.2% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, leading to its current level. This signifies the covering analysts' collective reconsideration of their initial forecasts over the course of this timeframe.
Prior to a company's earnings release, it is of utmost importance to factor in any revisions made to the earnings projections. These revisions serve as a critical gauge for predicting potential investor behaviors with respect to the stock. Empirical studies consistently reveal a strong link between trends in earnings estimate revisions and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.
With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some Brown & Brown metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.
The consensus estimate for 'Revenues- Investment income' stands at $24.70 million. The estimate indicates a change of -29.4% from the prior-year quarter.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Revenues- Commissions and fees' will reach $1.70 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +36.3%.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Total revenues- Retail' should arrive at $984.73 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +41.3%.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Total revenues- Other' will likely reach $17.50 million. The estimate points to a change of -30% from the year-ago quarter.
Analysts expect 'Total Organic growth' to come in at 0.9%. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 3.6%.
View all Key Company Metrics for Brown & Brown here>>>
Over the past month, shares of Brown & Brown have returned +10.3% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. Currently, BRO carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting that its performance may align with the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Lululemon (LULU - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Shares of this athletic apparel maker have returned +7.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The Zacks Textile - Apparel industry, to which Lululemon belongs, has gained 8.4% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Lululemon is expected to post earnings of $1.79 per share, indicating a change of -42.3% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.1% over the last 30 days.
The consensus earnings estimate of $10.94 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of -17.5%. This estimate has changed -1.8% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.54 indicates a change of +5.5% from what Lululemon is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -2.8%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Lululemon is rated Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Lululemon, the consensus sales estimate of $2.47 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of -2.3%. The $11.08 billion and $11.43 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of -0.2% and +3.2%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryLululemon reported revenues of $2.47 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +4.3%. EPS of $1.69 for the same period compares with $2.6 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.43 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.59%. The EPS surprise was +1.2%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Lululemon is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Lululemon. However, its Zacks Rank #5 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.
The market expects WEC Energy Group (WEC - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis electricity and natural gas provider is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.81 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +6.6%.
Revenues are expected to be $2.07 billion, up 3.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 5.26% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for WEC Energy?For WEC Energy, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.83%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that WEC Energy will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that WEC Energy would post earnings of $2.33 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.45, delivering a surprise of +5.15%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
WEC Energy doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerDTE Energy (DTE - Free Report) , another stock in the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $1.14 for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate points to a year-over-year change of -16.2%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $3.51 billion, up 2.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for DTE Energy has been revised 4.7% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, reflecting an equal Most Accurate Estimate.
This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that DTE Energy will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Shares of cooling infrastructure play Vertiv (NASDAQ:VRT | VRT Price Prediction) have been that much harder to hang onto since the shares peaked out back in May. Despite the pick-up in turbulence and the plunge into bear market territory, a number of analysts have not soured on the name. The AI data center buildout hasn’t gone anywhere; if anything, things could get even more intense as companies look to get AI compute where it needs to be to roll out the red carpet for that agentic AI blast-off.
While chatbots are getting more efficient over time, the agents we keep hearing about that could run around the clock are going to require worlds more compute. And, with that, there just aren’t enough data centers to feed what could be one of the most transformative shifts we’ve seen in this AI revolution.
Vertiv’s secured its front-row seat to the AI data center buildout. It’s time to sit back and enjoy the show As more data center projects get the green light, a company like Vertiv, which supplies critical cooling solutions, is going to win more business. It seems like such an obvious bull point, but it’s one that numerous analysts seem to think is underpriced in the shares, especially after that latest dip into a bear market.
Baird started its coverage of the $117 billion firm with a buy and a $370.00 price target, which entails a gain of just north of 21% from Tuesday’s close. Indeed, shares of Vertiv bounced back furiously on Tuesday, gaining 4.4% on a day that saw much of the battered semiconductor-tied plays bounce. With a slate of impressive and red-hot AI hardware launching in the second half, the need for cooling solutions could kick things up a few more notches.
What’s most interesting, at least in my view, is how blistering-hot next-generation hardware (think Vera Rubin and beyond) racks stand to be. Liquid cooling is quickly becoming the new default, and, for many, Vertiv is going to be that number-one provider of liquid-cooling infrastructure that flows into the data center and into each rack.
Vertiv’s tailwinds could become even more pronounced It’s not just liquid innovation that makes Vertiv such a stellar firm to hang onto as the AI data center buildout continues on. Heat rejection is another key piece of the puzzle, and with the ThermoKey acquisition in the books, the company can now dissipate the heat in a way that few other firms can.
Of course, liquid cooling solutions might seem unexciting at best, commoditized at worst. But at the same time, there’s a lot of complexity in designing a thermal management system that scales. These data centers are getting bigger and bigger, and firms are going to need the expertise to get the job done well the first time.
SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion. Open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts. See for yourself by clicking here now.
Given the stakes when it comes to thermal management and the costs that accompany thermal downtime, perhaps Vertiv is the essential service provider that deserves its pricing power.
Any way you look at it, Vertiv has way too much business coming in. As the more than $15 billion backlog swells further (order velocity is off the charts, up 252% in the fourth quarter) and the firm looks to really get going, I wouldn’t be so quick to time a peak in the name, as it may very well be a bet against the data center buildout as we know it.
As the DRAM shortage gets corrected in the coming years and other chokepoints are addressed, my guess is that buildouts could accelerate further. For a company like Vertiv, that’s some serious growth that, believe it or not, might not be priced in just yet.
Vertiv looks expensive, but why it might be worth buying anyway With shares going for 47.2 times forward price-to-earnings (P/E), it feels like the premium multiple has already reflected the massive growth. Any way you look at it, Vertiv is the cool leader with a flywheel that looks like it could keep spinning as the AI supercycle looks to extend for who knows how long.
Perhaps Loop Capital’s Ananda Baruah is right on the money when they say Vertiv is a “tech company” that just so happens to sell industrial gear. If the firm can add to its moat in this explosive phase of the buildout, my guess is that shares aren’t yet pricey enough.
Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users Free StockLooking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.
From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced. Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.
Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?
Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT - Free Report) .
Vertiv currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.46, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 26 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.46 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.
Of the 26 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 19 are Strong Buy and two are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 73.1% and 7.7% of all recommendations.
Brokerage Recommendation Trends for VRT
Check price target & stock forecast for Vertiv here>>>
While the ABR calls for buying Vertiv, it may not be wise to make an investment decision solely based on this information. Several studies have shown limited to no success of brokerage recommendations in guiding investors to pick stocks with the best price increase potential.
Do you wonder why? As a result of the vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover, their analysts tend to rate it with a strong positive bias. According to our research, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" recommendation.
This means that the interests of these institutions are not always aligned with those of retail investors, giving little insight into the direction of a stock's future price movement. It would therefore be best to use this information to validate your own analysis or a tool that has proven to be highly effective at predicting stock price movements.
Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with an impressive externally audited track record, categorizes stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), and is an effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future. Therefore, using the ABR to validate the Zacks Rank could be an efficient way of making a profitable investment decision.
Zacks Rank Should Not Be Confused With ABRIn spite of the fact that Zacks Rank and ABR both appear on a scale from 1 to 5, they are two completely different measures.
The ABR is calculated solely based on brokerage recommendations and is typically displayed with decimals (example: 1.28). In contrast, the Zacks Rank is a quantitative model allowing investors to harness the power of earnings estimate revisions. It is displayed in whole numbers -- 1 to 5.
Analysts employed by brokerage firms have been and continue to be overly optimistic with their recommendations. Since the ratings issued by these analysts are more favorable than their research would support because of the vested interest of their employers, they mislead investors far more often than they guide.
In contrast, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions. And near-term stock price movements are strongly correlated with trends in earnings estimate revisions, according to empirical research.
In addition, the different Zacks Rank grades are applied proportionately to all stocks for which brokerage analysts provide current-year earnings estimates. In other words, this tool always maintains a balance among its five ranks.
There is also a key difference between the ABR and Zacks Rank when it comes to freshness. When you look at the ABR, it may not be up-to-date. Nonetheless, since brokerage analysts constantly revise their earnings estimates to reflect changing business trends, and their actions get reflected in the Zacks Rank quickly enough, it is always timely in predicting future stock prices.
Is VRT a Good Investment?In terms of earnings estimate revisions for Vertiv, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has increased 0.3% over the past month to $6.38.
Analysts' growing optimism over the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by strong agreement among them in revising EPS estimates higher, could be a legitimate reason for the stock to soar in the near term.
The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for Vertiv. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
Therefore, the Buy-equivalent ABR for Vertiv may serve as a useful guide for investors.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.43 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +50.5%.
Revenues are expected to be $3.39 billion, up 28.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.33% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Vertiv?For Vertiv, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +3.28%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.
So, this combination indicates that Vertiv will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Vertiv would post earnings of $1.02 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.17, delivering a surprise of +14.71%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Vertiv appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAnother stock from the Zacks Computers - IT Services industry, Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $1.43 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +50.5%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $3.39 billion, up 28.4% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for Vertiv has been revised 0.3% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. However, a higher Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +3.28%.
When combined with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), this Earnings ESP indicates that Vertiv will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
[url="]Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.[/url] (NASDAQ: ARWR) today announced topline results for the global Phase 3 SHASTA-3 and SHASTA-4 clinical studies of pl
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals reported positive phase 3 results for Redemplo, achieving 79-81% triglyceride reductions and significant acute pancreatitis risk reduction in severe hypertriglyceridemia. Redemplo demonstrates strong efficacy, quarterly dosing, and a favorable safety profile versus Ionis' Tryngolza, positioning ARWR for leadership in the SHTG market. Tryngolza has a first-mover advantage and administration with an autoinjector versus the current prefilled syringe for Redemplo, but ARWR expects to have an autoinjector as well.
Key Takeaways Ally Financial's Q2 adjusted earnings per share missed estimates despite rising 22% year over year.Higher expenses and credit-loss provisions weighed on results despite stronger financing revenues.Loans, deposits and net interest margin increased, and non-performing loans declined. Shares of Ally Financial (ALLY - Free Report) lost 2.4% during yesterday’s trading session after reporting lower-than-expected results. The company’s second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.21 per share lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.25. However, the bottom line reflected a 22% jump from the year-ago quarter.
Results were primarily hampered by higher expenses and provisions. However, growth in net financing revenues and other revenues, an increase in loan balances and an improvement in net interest margin (NIM) offered support to some extent.
After considering non-recurring items, net income attributable to common shareholders (GAAP basis) was $367 million, up 13.3% from the prior-year quarter.
Ally Financial’s Revenues Improve, Expenses RiseTotal quarterly GAAP net revenues were $2.29 billion, up 9.8% from the prior-year quarter. Also, the top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.21 billion. Adjusted total revenues were $2.28 billion, up 10.3% year over year.
Net financing revenues grew 11.1% year over year to $1.68 billion. The rise was primarily driven by growth in retail and commercial auto assets. NIM (excluding OID) was 3.63%, up 18 basis points year over year.
Total other revenues were $602 million, up 6.4% from $566 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted other revenues were $573 million, up 7.9% year over year, driven by momentum across diversified revenue streams, including Insurance, SmartAuction and Passthrough programs.
Total non-interest expenses increased 4.5% to $1.32 billion from $1.26 billion in the prior-year quarter. The rise reflected higher compensation and benefits, insurance losses and other operating expenses.
The adjusted efficiency ratio was 48.7%, down from 50.9% in the year-ago period. A fall in the efficiency ratio indicates an improvement in profitability.
ALLY’s Loans & Deposit Balances RiseAs of June 30, 2026, total finance receivables and loans, net of allowance, amounted to $140.1 billion, up 2.7% sequentially.
Deposits also increased marginally on a sequential basis to $154.1 billion.
Ally Financial’s Credit Quality: Mixed BagNon-performing loans were $1.23 billion as of June 30, 2026, down 9.8% year over year.
In the reported quarter, Ally Financial recorded net charge-offs of $394 million, up 7.7% from the prior-year quarter.
Provision for credit losses increased 12% year over year to $430 million. The rise reflected a CECL reserve build related to asset growth, partly offset by continued improvement in credit trends.
Capital Ratios of ALLY ImproveAs of June 30, 2026, the total capital ratio was 13.2%, unchanged from the prior-year period. The tier 1 capital ratio was 11.4%, also unchanged year over year.
The common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio increased to 10.1% from 9.9% in the prior-year period. The tangible common equity-to-tangible assets ratio was 6.7%.
Update on ALLY’s Share RepurchasesDuring the quarter, the company repurchased $148 million worth of shares.
Our View on Ally FinancialALLY’s strong growth in core revenues, improving efficiency and solid loan originations reflect the benefits of its focused strategy and balance sheet repositioning efforts. The company’s expanding deposit base will likely support profitability. However, elevated provisions for credit losses, an uncertain credit environment and a mounting expense base may act as near-term headwinds.
Currently, Ally Financial carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Earnings Dates & Expectations of ALLY's PeersHere are some of Ally Financial’s peers that are yet to come out with quarterly numbers.
OneMain Holdings (OMF - Free Report) is slated to announce second-quarter 2026 numbers on July 29.
In the past week, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for OneMain’s quarterly earnings has remained unchanged at $1.40. This implies a 3.5% decrease from the prior-year reported number.
Navient (NAVI - Free Report) is scheduled to announce quarterly numbers on Aug. 6.
In the past seven days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Navient’s quarterly earnings has remained unchanged at 19 cents. This indicates a 9.5% decline from the prior-year reported number.
The market expects Amphenol (APH - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis maker of fiber-optic products is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.19 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +46.9%.
Revenues are expected to be $8.3 billion, up 46.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 5.53% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Amphenol?For Amphenol, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.12%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #1.
So, this combination indicates that Amphenol will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Amphenol would post earnings of $0.95 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.06, delivering a surprise of +11.58%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Amphenol appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
3 Oil & Gas Gear Makers With Triple-Digit EPS Growth ForecastsWeatherford International NASDAQ: WFRD reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $1.105 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $223 million and adjusted free cash flow of $139 million, as management said the oilfield services company held margins steady despite operational disruptions tied to conflict in the Middle East and softer activity in several markets.
President and CEO Girish Saligram said adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.2% in the quarter, while adjusted free cash flow conversion reached 62.3% of adjusted EBITDA. He said the company was “especially pleased” with margin and cash performance given a challenging backdrop that included Middle East activity not returning to pre-conflict levels, activity declines in Indonesia, pricing pressure in some areas and a union strike in Norway.
Get WFRD alerts:
Oilfield Services Growing Faster Than Wider Energy Sector“Despite those incremental pressures, our team rallied to deliver EBITDA margins north of 20% and essentially flat to Q1,” Saligram said. He also cited working capital execution, including strong payments from Weatherford’s largest customer in Mexico, as a key driver of cash flow.
Middle East disruptions weigh on outlook Saligram said the Middle East was the most visibly affected region in the quarter, with activity suspensions, project deferrals and logistical disruptions that began in March continuing through much of the period. Freight and logistics costs remained elevated, peaking in May before beginning to moderate, he said.
2 Energy Mid-Caps Expected To Post Monster Earnings GrowthThe company previously estimated a first-half profit impact of $30 million to $50 million from the regional conflict. Saligram said the first-half impact was within that range, but that the full-year effect is expected to increase following recent flare-ups, and Weatherford has incorporated that into its guidance.
In response to a question from Citigroup analyst Scott Gruber, Saligram said the financial impact does not appear to be increasing at the moment and is moderating, though he cautioned that the situation remains uncertain. He said Saudi Arabia had started to return to normalcy before the latest flare-up, while Oman remained broadly stable. He identified Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait as areas that had seen more disruption and delay.
Weatherford also saw revenue decline in Saudi Arabia following the conclusion of its LSTK contract, an effect Saligram said will be more visible in the second half. He said the company remains interested in growth in Saudi Arabia but is comfortable not having an LSTK contract given market pricing levels.
Guidance revised, cash flow outlook raised Executive Vice President and CFO Anuj Dhruv said Weatherford generated $139 million of adjusted free cash flow in the second quarter, compared with adjusted free cash flow conversion of 31.1% in the second quarter of 2025 and 36.5% in the first quarter of 2026. He attributed the improvement primarily to working capital release, continued collections, including from the company’s key customer in Mexico, and lower capital expenditures.
Dhruv said adjusted net working capital as a percentage of revenue improved sequentially by about 90 basis points to 27%, marking the second consecutive quarter of improvement. Capital expenditures were $42 million, or 3.8% of revenue, down about $12 million from the prior-year quarter.
Weatherford returned $36 million to shareholders during the quarter, including $20 million in dividends and $16 million in share repurchases. Since launching its shareholder return program, the company has returned more than $370 million through buybacks and dividends, Dhruv said.
At quarter-end, Weatherford had about $1.14 billion of cash and restricted cash, total liquidity of $1.7 billion and a net leverage ratio of 0.34 times.
For the third quarter, Weatherford expects:
Revenue of $1.105 billion to $1.155 billion; Adjusted EBITDA of $235 million to $265 million; Adjusted free cash flow of more than $100 million. For full-year 2026, the company now expects revenue of $4.54 billion to $4.80 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $951 million to $1.046 billion. Weatherford raised its adjusted free cash flow conversion outlook to the mid-to-high 40% range, up from its prior outlook, while forecasting an effective tax rate in the low-to-mid 20% range.
Regional and segment trends mixed Latin America revenue declined sequentially, driven primarily by Mexico, where activity came in below expectations as several wells were deferred and Weatherford’s largest customer in the country continued to prioritize spending, Saligram said. However, collections from that customer were strong, and the company has aligned its cost structure and footprint in Mexico to current activity levels.
During the Q&A, Saligram said Pemex appears to have reached “a point of stability,” adding that Weatherford is not betting on a major increase in activity but sees potential for mid-to-high single-digit growth in 2027 and beyond. Dhruv said the second quarter marked the third consecutive quarter of sizable collections from Pemex and said the company is cautiously optimistic that trend will continue.
In Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Russia, revenue grew sequentially on higher activity, though a labor strike in Norway affected activity late in the quarter and is expected to remain a headwind into the third quarter.
By segment, Weatherford said:
Well Construction and Completions revenue declined 5% year over year, primarily due to lower activity in the Middle East and North Africa, partly offset by higher completions activity in Latin America; Drilling and Evaluation revenue declined 13% year over year, mainly from lower wireline and drilling-related services activity in MENA, partly offset by higher managed pressure drilling activity in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Russia; Production and Intervention revenue declined 3% year over year, primarily due to lower artificial lift activity in North America and Latin America. Contracts, NCS acquisition and redomestication plans Saligram highlighted several contract awards, particularly in deepwater markets. In Brazil, Weatherford received offshore well intervention and managed pressure drilling awards from Constellation Oil Services, Ventura Offshore and Valaris. In West Africa, Noble Corporation awarded multiple managed pressure drilling contracts and a global aftermarket agreement in Nigeria, while Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria awarded Weatherford a deepwater integrated completions contract. Chevron awarded a five-year framework contract in Australia for tubular running services, casing accessories and other tools tied to a deepwater development project.
Beyond deepwater, Saligram said Kuwait Oil Company awarded two five-year contracts for cementation products and completion services, while PTTEP awarded a 22-month downhole deployment valve contract in Thailand. Petroleum Development Oman awarded Weatherford a three-year integrated drilling services contract covering 247 wells in the Marmul Field.
Weatherford also discussed its definitive agreement to acquire NCS Multistage, which Saligram said expands the company’s completions portfolio and increases exposure to unconventional resources. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Weatherford expects at least $15 million of annual cost synergies within 18 months of closing.
Saligram said the deal is “at its core, a distribution play,” with NCS bringing differentiated technology and Weatherford offering a customer base across six continents. In response to analyst questions, he said the focus is less on increasing North American exposure and more on scaling NCS technologies globally, including in Argentina, the Middle East and other unconventional markets.
Saligram also updated investors on Weatherford’s proposed redomestication to the United States. A prior proposal to redomesticate to Texas received more than 60% support from votes cast but fell short of the 75% threshold required under Irish law. Weatherford has since introduced a proposal to redomesticate to Delaware, with special shareholder meetings scheduled for Sept. 3. The company continues to expect $20 million to $30 million of annual cash savings beginning in 2027, subject to approvals.
Management emphasizes margins and cash discipline Throughout the call, management emphasized that Weatherford would prioritize returns over lower-margin revenue. In response to Barclays analyst David Anderson, Saligram said the company recognizes that top-line growth is needed over the long term, but it will walk away from contracts that do not provide the right returns unless they offer strategic capability benefits.
Saligram said Weatherford sees a multi-year demand cycle forming around energy security, though the timing and pace have been affected by geopolitical events and demand uncertainty. He said national oil companies and governments are increasingly anchoring investment programs around security of supply, including gas programs, deepwater projects and domestic production initiatives.
“The recovery will be progressive, and we are managing the company accordingly,” Saligram said.
About Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD)Weatherford International NASDAQ: WFRD is a global oilfield services company specializing in the development, design and manufacturing of equipment and technologies for oil and natural gas drilling, evaluation, completion and production. The company’s core offerings include well construction services such as directional drilling and wellbore positioning, well completion solutions that encompass sand control and zonal isolation technologies, and production enhancement services involving artificial lift systems and well intervention tools.
In addition to its comprehensive service lines, Weatherford provides a range of drilling optimization and reservoir evaluation products.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
Should You Invest $1,000 in Weatherford International Right Now?Before you consider Weatherford International, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Weatherford International wasn't on the list.
While Weatherford International currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Robotics and automation are rapidly becoming essential infrastructure across healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and many other industries.
"Physical AI" is coming to the United States, and there are four ways that investors can gain exposure to this new robotics revolution. Plus, learn which seven companies are most positioned to benefit as intelligent robots enter the workforce.
For the 13th time, Paychex named one of Selling Power’s 60 Best Companies to SellRecognition highlights Paychex’s high-performance, growth-oriented sales culture, and strong career development opportunitiesSales professionals supported by advanced enablement tools, AI-powered insights, and award-winning training programsCompany invests in continuous coaching, mentorship, and leadership pathways for long-term career growth ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paychex (Nasdaq: PAYX), a leading provider of expert-enabled HR, payroll, and benefits, has been honored by Selling Power as one of the 60 Best Companies to Sell For. This is the 13th time the company has been included on the annual list, demonstrating Paychex’s longstanding commitment to developing talent, investing in innovative solutions, and driving consistent sales excellence.
“At Paychex, we believe in building a strong culture where great salespeople can thrive and do work that genuinely makes a difference,” said Chad Parodi, senior vice president of HR and benefits services at Paychex. “That’s why we’re proud to be named among the best companies to sell for over the last 13 years. We offer a high-growth environment where sales professionals can build long-term careers, expand their skills, and pursue leadership opportunities. Supported by strong marketing enablement, coaching, and collaboration, our team is focused on delivering purpose-driven solutions that help businesses succeed.”
The Paychex sales organization works cross-functionally with teams across the company to stay agile in a rapidly evolving market. Supported by advanced enablement tools, AI-powered insights, and rich data resources, Paychex equips its sales professionals to work more efficiently, reduce administrative burden, and focus on high-value interactions. This integrated approach enhances the buying experience for customers and enables Paychex to deliver tailored HR, benefits, insurance, and payroll solutions that help businesses succeed.
“The 60 Best Companies to Sell For have demonstrated remarkable success and growth by elevating their sales teams to new heights,” said Selling Power publisher and founder Gerhard Gschwandtner. “These companies have invested in comprehensive training programs, cutting-edge tools, and supportive work environments that empower their sales professionals to excel. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, they have set a high standard in the competitive world of sales."
To learn more about Paychex’s awards and honors, please see the awards page on the Paychex website.
About Paychex
Paychex, Inc. (Nasdaq: PAYX) provides a comprehensive suite of expert-enabled technology and advisory solutions that help businesses manage HR, payroll, and benefits. Serving approximately 840,000 customers and paying 1 in 11 U.S. private sector workers, Paychex combines scale, trusted expertise, and innovation to help businesses succeed. Built on more than 50 years of workforce experience and one of the industry’s largest proprietary HR datasets, Paychex’s WISE agentic AI platform embeds intelligence directly into workflows to improve productivity, enhance decision-making, and deliver better outcomes. Learn more at paychex.com.
Media Contact
Tracy Volkmann
Manager, Public Relations
Paychex, Inc.
(585) 387-6705 [email protected]
Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.
The earnings figure itself is key, of course, but a beat or miss on the bottom line can sometimes be just as, if not more, important. Therefore, investors should consider paying close attention to these earnings surprises, as a big beat can help a stock climb and vice versa.
The ability to identify stocks that are likely to top quarterly earnings expectations can be profitable, but it's no simple task. Here at Zacks, our Earnings ESP filter helps make things easier.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Earnings ESP, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.
Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.
In fact, when we combined a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, stocks produced a positive surprise 70% of the time. Perhaps most importantly, using these parameters has helped produce 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Baker Hughes?Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Baker Hughes (BKR - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.52 a share, just four days from its upcoming earnings release on July 26, 2026.
By taking the percentage difference between the $0.52 Most Accurate Estimate and the $0.51 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Baker Hughes has an Earnings ESP of +1.84%. Investors should also know that BKR is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
BKR is part of a big group of Oils and Energy stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Halliburton (HAL - Free Report) as well.
Halliburton is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on October 20, 2026. HAL's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.61 a share 90 days from its next earnings release.
For Halliburton, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.60 is +1.18%.
Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, BKR and HAL could potentially post earnings beats in their next reports.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
NEW YORK, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc. (“Black Rock Coffee” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BRCB) investors of the August 17, 2026 deadline involving a securities fraud class action lawsuit commenced against the Company.
Should You Join The Black Rock Coffee Class Action Lawsuit:
Do you, or did you, own shares of Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRCB)?Did you purchase your shares pursuant to the Company’s September 2025 IPO; or between September 12, 2025 and May 12, 2026, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc.? Investors are encouraged to act promptly and submit a form at Black Rock Coffee Bar, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or [email protected].
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff for the Class, you must file papers by August 17, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on other class members’ behalf in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn’t require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.
All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses.
About The Lawsuit:
A lawsuit was filed on behalf of investors (the “Class”) who purchased or acquired: (a) Black Rock Coffee Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company’s September 2025 initial public offering; and/or (b) Black Rock Coffee securities between September 12, 2025 and May 12, 2026, inclusive, alleging violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its senior officers.
The lawsuit alleges that defendants made materially false and misleading statements and omissions regarding the Company’s business operations, growth prospects, and financial stability. As a result of these alleged misrepresentations, Black Rock Coffee securities traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period. When the truth was disclosed, investors allegedly suffered significant losses.
About Bernstein Liebhard:
Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal’s “Plaintiffs’ Hot List” thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.
The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.
It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.
Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.
For instance, a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one that boasts Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings forecast, and a much greater likelihood its share price will decline as well.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Cognizant (CTSH - Free Report) Headquartered in Teaneck, NJ, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation is a leading professional services company. The company was spun off from Dun & Bradstreet in 1996 and went public in 1998.
CTSH is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 7.65; value investors should take notice.
Two analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $5.70 per share. CTSH also boasts an average earnings surprise of +4.8%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, CTSH should be on investors' short list.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Cognizant (CTSH - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis information technology consulting and outsourcing firm is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.38 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +5.3%.
Revenues are expected to be $5.48 billion, up 4.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.18% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Cognizant?For Cognizant, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -1.45%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Cognizant will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Cognizant would post earnings of $1.33 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.40, delivering a surprise of +5.26%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Cognizant doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis trucking company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.52 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +19.7%.
Revenues are expected to be $1.54 billion, up 9.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.83% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Old Dominion?For Old Dominion, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.02%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.
So, this combination indicates that Old Dominion will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Old Dominion would post earnings of $1.05 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.14, delivering a surprise of +8.57%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Old Dominion appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAnother stock from the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $1.52 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +19.7%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $1.54 billion, up 9.5% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for Old Dominion has been revised 2.8% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. However, a higher Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.02%.
This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), suggests that Old Dominion will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Whether you're a growth, value, income, or momentum-focused investor, building a successful investment portfolio takes skill, research, and a little bit of luck.
But what's the best way to find the right combination of stocks? Because funding things like your retirement, your kids' college tuition, or your short- and long-term savings goals will definitely require significant returns.
Enter the Zacks Rank.
What is the Zacks Rank?A unique, proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank uses earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors create a winning portfolio.
There are four main factors behind the Zacks Rank: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise.
Agreement is the extent to which all brokerage analysts are revising their earnings estimates in the same direction. The greater the percentage of analysts revising their estimates higher, the better chance the stock will outperform.
Magnitude is the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate for the current and next fiscal years.
Upside is the difference between the most accurate estimate, which is calculated by Zacks, and the consensus estimate.
Surprise is made up of a company's last few quarters' earnings per share surprises; companies with a positive earnings surprise are more likely to beat expectations in the future.
Each factor is given a raw score, which is recalculated every night and compiled into the Zacks Rank. Utilizing this data, stocks are put into five different groups: Strong Buy, Buy, Hold, Sell, and Strong Sell.
The Power of Institutional InvestorsThe Zacks Rank also allows individual investors, or retail investors, to benefit from the power of institutional investors.
Institutional investors are the professionals who manage the trillions of dollars invested in mutual funds, investment banks, and hedge funds. Studies have shown that these investors can and do move the market due to the large amounts of money they invest with. Because of this, the market tends to move in the same direction as institutional investors.
In order to figure out the fair value of a company and its shares, these investors will build valuation models focused on earnings and earnings expectations. Because if you raise estimates for the bottom line, it creates a higher fair value for a company.
With these changes, institutional investors will act, usually buying stocks with rising estimates and selling those with falling estimates. An increase in earnings expectations can potentially lead to higher stock prices and bigger gains for the investor.
Retail investors who get in at the first sign of upward revisions have a distinct advantage over larger investors since it can often take weeks, if not months, for an institutional investor to build a position. They'll also benefit from the expected institutional buying that could follow.
Not only can the Zacks Rank help you take advantage of trends in earnings estimate revisions, but it can also provide a way to get into stocks that are highly sought after by professionals.
How to Invest with the Zacks RankThe Zacks Rank is known for transforming investment portfolios. In fact, a portfolio of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks has beaten the market in 26 of the last 32 years, with an average annual return of +23.94%.
Moreover, stocks with a new #1 (Strong Buy) ranking have some of the biggest profit potential, while those that fell to a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) have some of the worst.
Let's take a look at Carpenter Technology (CRS - Free Report) , which was added to the Zacks Rank #1 list on July 16, 2026. Philadelphia, PA-based Carpenter Technology Corporation is a producer and distributor of premium specialty alloys, including titanium alloys, powder metals, stainless steels, alloy steels, and tool steels as well as drilling tools. The company’s provides solutions for critical applications across diversified end-use markets - Aerospace and Defense (accounting for around 50.1% of the company’s revenues), Energy (5.3%), Transportation (3%), Medical (10.3%), Industrial and Consumer (12.3%) and Distribution (2.9%).
For fiscal 2026, four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.09 to $10.58 per share. CRS boasts an average earnings surprise of 9%.
Earnings are expected to grow 41.4% for the current fiscal year, while revenue is projected to increase 8.5%.
CRS has been moving higher over the past four weeks as well, up 1.9% compared to the S&P 500's gain of 0.3%.
Bottom LineWith a #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, positive trend in earnings estimate revisions, and strong market momentum, Carpenter Technology should be on investors' shortlist.
If you want even more information on the Zacks Ranks, or one of our many other investing strategies, check out the Zacks Education home page.
Discover Today's Top StocksOur private Zacks #1 Rank List, based on our quantitative Zacks Rank stock-rating system, has more than doubled the S&P 500 since 1988. Applying the Zacks Rank in your own trading can boost your investing returns on your very next trade. See Today's Zacks #1 Rank List >>
Teledyne Technologies (TDY - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $6.28 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.78 per share. This compares to earnings of $5.2 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +8.65%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this defense and aerospace industry supplier would post earnings of $5.48 per share when it actually produced earnings of $5.8, delivering a surprise of +5.84%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Teledyne, which belongs to the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, posted revenues of $1.66 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.93%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.51 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Teledyne shares have added about 26.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.7%.
What's Next for Teledyne?While Teledyne has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Teledyne was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $5.90 on $1.6 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $24.10 on $6.42 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Aerospace - Defense Equipment is currently in the top 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, FTAI Aviation (FTAI - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 29.
This transportation infrastructure company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.32 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -15.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
FTAI Aviation's revenues are expected to be $859.32 million, up 27.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Company Teases Transformational Product Functionality in Lead-up to Annual Customer Conference
, /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading provider of AI-powered solutions for social impact, today announced multiple new agents within its Agents for Good™ suite—building on the success of the Development Agent—as well as several other AI-driven product enhancements, all of which are planned for delivery as part of a reimagined Blackbaud operating system for social impact.
"The solutions we're delivering today have been trusted by our customers for decades, but we've now completely rebuilt them under the surface to transform what's possible—especially with AI agents," said Mike Gianoni, president, CEO and vice chairman of the board of directors of Blackbaud. "We are connecting every product and learning from every interaction with AI that gets smarter over time. We're giving customers greater clarity on what to do next, more capacity to take action, and the confidence to leverage intelligent systems without sacrificing human judgment. There is no more powerful AI engine for social impact than Blackbaud."
Embedded, Trustworthy, Effective Agentic AI
Earlier this year, Blackbaud launched Agents for Good™, the first-ever digital teammates native to a social impact-specific platform, to help close capacity gaps commonly experienced by social impact teams. The first of these agents, the Development Agent, allows Blackbaud customers to execute fully autonomous donor engagement workflows under human supervision.
Even in the early stages of adoption, customers are experiencing success in engaging a broader donor base without increasing staff headcount. The Development Agent identifies every potential or dormant donor who is not in a major gift officer portfolio and executes a personalized, brand-aligned, multi-touch engagement sequence. Its reply rate is 76 times the industry average, and it has a message open rate 10 points higher than the industry average, leading to an attributable gift size that is 39% higher.
"We're using the Development Agent to accelerate donor connections and make those connections more impactful in a shorter period," said Brian Otis, vice president for university advancement at the University of New Haven. "This will help us accelerate fundraising across all levels."
Building on the success of the Development Agent, Blackbaud announced today four new Agents for Good planned for the coming month that expand beyond the development office:
The Data Health Agent, which will run autonomously within fundraising solutions to identify duplicate records, confirm contact information and resolve constituent life changes, helping the development office run more curated and targeted campaigns. The Admissions Agent, which will support independent K–12 schools by guiding families through the process, allowing all schools to offer a high-touch, personalized admissions experience that previously only the most well-resourced institutions could achieve, resulting in more complete applications. The Digital Marketing Agent, a sector-specific marketing agent, which will help plan campaigns intelligently, from audience selection and content creation to real-time campaign optimization across channels. The Accounts Payable Agent, the first autonomous AI agent within Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT®, which will help accounts payable teams reduce manual work across each payment cycle by supporting policy-based processing, improving operational efficiency and enabling teams to scale capacity seamlessly. Blackbaud Agents for Good stand apart because they are embedded directly in the solutions customers already trust and use every day, reducing the data gaps and security risks created by bolt-on agents.
AI-Powered Product Enhancements
AI innovation across Blackbaud's platform extends beyond Agents and includes AI-powered enhancements for products across the portfolio, including powerful updates announced today for Financial Edge NXT®.
AI Document Intelligence that processes invoices in seconds, addressing one of the most labor-intensive tasks in finance operations while reducing the risk of data-entry errors. AI Document Intelligence extracts key details from invoices and receipts and then generates draft records automatically, directly removing hours of manual data entry, while keeping teams in control of every review and approval. Import Mapping Assistant that eliminates friction when importing budgets, payables or other data by automatically matching incoming fields to the correct Financial Edge NXT® fields for improved data quality at a fraction of the time. AI Anomaly Detection & Reconciliation Assistants that deliver continuous oversight, reviewing transactions and identifying unusual activity, potential errors, duplicate payments, misclassifications or suspicious patterns. This helps teams catch issues as they happen, rather than after the books are closed. Bridging the AI Effectiveness Gap
Blackbaud is the only AI solutions provider that combines the sector's richest social impact signal graph, embedded sector context, and purpose-built governance—all of which lead to better outcomes for customers. Better outcomes build trust over time, and trust makes organizations willing to let systems act on their behalf, under their oversight.
This foundation of trust is an important component of Blackbaud's mission to help social impact organizations deliver more impact with AI. Recent research from the Blackbaud Institute reveals that AI is now a common part of work across the social sector: most professionals in the field are using AI in their work, with half of them saying they use it more than they did the year prior. However, only a small percentage of organizations are realizing significant dividends on their AI investment; most organizations are held back by gaps between adoption and effective use.
Delivering trusted, transformational AI capabilities is one way Blackbaud is helping the sector close the gap between AI adoption and measurable impact. The other is with the AI Coalition for Social Impact, which last week opened the free, product-agnostic AI for Social Impact Certification Program, designed specifically to help social impact professionals adopt AI effectively and responsibly. Thousands of social impact professionals have already registered for the course.
Blackbaud will unveil full details of its reimagined connected system, along with more exciting product news and announcements, at bbcon 2026, taking place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Columbus, Ohio.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading provider of AI-powered solutions for social impact. Serving nonprofits, educational institutions, companies committed to corporate social responsibility, and individual change makers, Blackbaud propels impact at scale with the sector's most intelligent solutions for fundraising and engagement, education solutions, financial management and CSR and grantmaking. With the deepest expertise powered by the world's largest philanthropic data set, the most connected workflows, and the most powerful impact network, Blackbaud's solutions are building a future where resources are unleashed at the speed of need. Blackbaud has been recognized by Fast Company, Newsweek, Quartz, Forbes and more for AI innovation, responsible leadership and workplace excellence. Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Inquiries
[email protected]
Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
PulteGroup (PHM - Free Report) reported $3.98 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 9.6%. EPS of $2.48 for the same period compares to $3.03 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.98 billion, representing a surprise of +0.06%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +4.2%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.38.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how PulteGroup performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Average selling price - Total: $544.00 versus the four-analyst average estimate of $546.26.Net new orders - units - Total: 7,536 versus the four-analyst average estimate of 7,371.Closings (units) - Total: 6,997 versus 6,987 estimated by four analysts on average.Unit backlog - Total: 10,966 compared to the 10,811 average estimate based on four analysts.Backlog dollars - Total: $6.8 billion compared to the $6.76 billion average estimate based on two analysts.Homebuilding Revenues- Home sale revenues: $3.81 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $3.93 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -10.8%.Revenues- Financial Services: $96.94 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $101.06 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -4.2%.Homebuilding Revenues: $3.89 billion versus $3.96 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -9.7% change.Homebuilding Revenues- Land sale and other revenues: $78.92 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $43.16 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +128%.Income / (loss) before income taxes- Financial Services: $37.38 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $44.86 million.View all Key Company Metrics for PulteGroup here>>>
Shares of PulteGroup have returned -1.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Old National Bancorp (ONB - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.65 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.62 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.53 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +4.84%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this holding company for Old National Bank would post earnings of $0.6 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.61, delivering a surprise of +1.67%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Old National Bancorp, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry, posted revenues of $740.06 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.55%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $654.37 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Old National Bancorp shares have added about 17.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.7%.
What's Next for Old National Bancorp?While Old National Bancorp has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Old National Bancorp was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.65 on $729.15 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.57 on $2.88 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Midwest is currently in the top 32% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, First Financial Corp. (THFF - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.
This holding company for First Financial Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.71 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +8.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.5% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.
First Financial Corp.'s revenues are expected to be $72.05 million, up 14.3% from the year-ago quarter.
For the quarter ended June 2026, Old National Bancorp (ONB - Free Report) reported revenue of $740.06 million, up 13.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.65, compared to $0.53 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +3.55% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $714.7 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.62, the EPS surprise was +4.84%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Old National Bancorp performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Net interest margin (FTE): 3.5% versus 3.6% estimated by two analysts on average.Efficiency Ratio: 47% compared to the 50.6% average estimate based on two analysts.Net Interest Income (FTE): $586.5 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $589.5 million.Total noninterest income: $153.56 million compared to the $125.2 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for Old National Bancorp here>>>
Shares of Old National Bancorp have returned +3.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Old National Bancorp NASDAQ: ONB reported what management described as a record second quarter for 2026, citing strong loan growth, fee income gains, expense control and continued capital returns to shareholders.
Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said the quarter reflected “an exceptional” performance for the company, including record adjusted earnings per share, record net income and a record efficiency ratio. He said Old National generated an adjusted return on average tangible common equity of about 20% and an adjusted return on assets of 1.39%.
“These results show what happens when we stay focused on the fundamentals,” Ryan said, pointing to high-quality relationship growth, disciplined credit and expense management, investments in talent and technology, and tangible book value growth.
Get Old National Bancorp alerts:
Loan Growth and Pipeline Strength Drive Quarter Old National said end-of-period loans increased by $1 billion, or 8% annualized, during the quarter. Ryan said the increase was driven by “robust, high-quality commercial production.” Commercial production reached $3.5 billion, while the company’s period-end commercial pipeline rose to a record $5.6 billion.
John, who reviewed the company’s financial results on the call, said total loans grew 8.3% annualized from the prior quarter, with balanced growth across commercial real estate and commercial and industrial portfolios. He said production was diversified across the commercial book and was predominantly floating rate.
During the question-and-answer session, Tim said the company is beginning to see larger loan opportunities in its middle-market C&I business, particularly in growth markets. However, Ryan added that the average C&I loan in the bank remains below $1 million, underscoring that Old National still handles a large number of smaller commercial loans.
Management said loan growth expectations have improved, and the company now expects full-year loan growth of 6% to 8%, supported by year-to-date results and the current pipeline.
Fee Businesses Outperform Expectations Fee income was another area of strength. Ryan said the company saw broad-based gains across all fee businesses and described the diversification as intentional, saying Old National is seeking to build “a stronger, more balanced earnings engine” that is less dependent on net interest income.
Adjusted non-interest income was $140 million for the quarter, exceeding management’s guidance. John said all fee businesses performed better than expected. He noted that the “other income” line was elevated by approximately $10 million due to market value adjustments, higher bank-owned life insurance income and an asset recovery. While those items were described as core, John said the line should run closer to first-quarter levels for the rest of the year.
In response to an analyst question, John said wealth management has been “terrific,” investments have been good, mortgage performed solidly and capital markets remained strong. He said Old National is “reasonably bullish” on capital markets revenue because of the company’s commercial pipelines and production levels.
Looking longer term, John said aggregate fee income growth is likely a mid- to high-single-digit growth item, with some businesses, including wealth and capital markets, having potential to grow at double-digit rates.
Expenses Controlled as Efficiency Ratio Hits Record Old National reported GAAP second-quarter earnings per share of $0.65. Excluding $12.1 million in merger-related expenses and a $13.2 million valuation gain tied to the settlement of the Bremer pension plan, adjusted earnings per share were also $0.65.
Adjusted non-interest expense totaled $360 million. John said expenses remained well controlled and drove positive operating leverage both sequentially and year over year. Ryan said the company’s adjusted efficiency ratio was 45.2%, marking the seventh straight quarter of positive year-over-year operating leverage.
Ryan said Old National is investing in technology, artificial intelligence and process improvements to make the company more scalable while maintaining expense discipline.
Net Interest Income Outlook Holds Steady Management left net interest income guidance unchanged, while noting it had been updated for the impact of a subordinated debt issuance. John said second-quarter net interest margin was affected by two basis points from the full-quarter impact of subordinated debt issued in late January and lower SOFR rates. Without those factors, he said the margin would have been up slightly.
John said net interest income growth should be supported by strong asset generation, stable funding costs, fixed-asset repricing and earning-asset remix opportunities. He said new money yields on securities are running about 100 basis points above back-book yields, while fixed-to-fixed loan repricing offers about 60 basis points of opportunity.
During the Q&A, John said management sees “more opportunities than challenges” in the second half of the year, citing higher average earning assets, repricing opportunities, the potential for SOFR to become a tailwind, remix opportunities and additional calendar days in both the third and fourth quarters.
Old National said total deposits increased 3.4% annualized, led by commercial and public fund growth, partly offset by seasonal retail tax outflows. Non-interest-bearing deposits remained 23% of total deposits. John said total deposit costs decreased by one basis point during the quarter, even as the company continued to pursue new client acquisition in a competitive deposit environment.
Credit and Capital Remain Management Priorities Credit quality improved in several areas. Ryan said non-accrual loans declined by $50 million, or 10%, from the prior quarter. John said non-accrual loans fell to 91 basis points of total loans, while criticized and classified loans decreased by $109 million during the quarter.
Net charge-offs were 26 basis points, or 22 basis points excluding charge-offs on purchased credit deteriorated loans. John said the allowance for credit losses to total loans, including the reserve for unfunded commitments, was 121 basis points, down one basis point from the prior quarter, primarily due to charge-offs on PCD loans and improved credit quality.
Old National’s capital position remained strong. The company’s CET1 ratio was 11.09%, and tangible book value per share increased 14% year over year. John said tangible book value per share grew 11% annualized from the prior quarter, even as the company absorbed Bremer-related charges, supported better-than-expected balance sheet growth and returned capital.
The company returned $163 million to shareholders in the quarter through dividends and share repurchases. That included $107 million of common stock repurchases, representing 4.4 million shares. John said Old National has $277 million remaining under its buyback program and expects to use the remaining authorization opportunistically through the plan period ending in February 2027.
Asked about capital levels, John said the company is comfortable with its position and has enough capital to support organic growth while continuing capital returns. Ryan said the company is balancing organic investment, tangible book value growth, strong capital ratios and shareholder returns.
Ryan closed by saying Old National does not need to rely on acquisitions to meet its goals and remains focused on organic growth, client relationships, investments in people and platforms, risk management and long-term shareholder value.
About Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ:ONB)Old National Bancorp NASDAQ: ONB is the bank holding company for Old National Bank, a regional financial services firm headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. Through its network of community banking offices, the company provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking services. Its offerings include checking and savings accounts, personal and business loans, and deposit products designed to meet the needs of individuals, small businesses, and larger corporate customers.
In addition to traditional banking, Old National Bancorp delivers specialty financial services such as treasury management, wealth management, mortgage loan production, and insurance solutions.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
Should You Invest $1,000 in Old National Bancorp Right Now?Before you consider Old National Bancorp, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Old National Bancorp wasn't on the list.
While Old National Bancorp currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
With the proliferation of data centers and electric vehicles, the electric grid will only get more strained. Download this report to learn how energy stocks can play a role in your portfolio as the global demand for energy continues to grow.
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.
Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.
Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.
VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.
Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Smucker (SJM - Free Report) The J. M. Smucker Company, headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, is a leading marketer and manufacturer of branded food and beverage products and pet food and pet snacks in North America. The company's operations are primarily U.S.-based, with additional international activities, principally in Canada.
SJM is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.64; value investors should take notice.
Six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2027. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.25 to $9.95 per share. SJM boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.5%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, SJM should be on investors' short list.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when Humana (HUM - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis health insurer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $6.22 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -0.8%.
Revenues are expected to be $40.65 billion, up 25.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 26.64% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Humana?For Humana, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.71%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #1.
So, this combination indicates that Humana will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Humana would post earnings of $9.97 per share when it actually produced earnings of $10.31, delivering a surprise of +3.41%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Humana appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Key Takeaways Labcorp is expected to post Q2 revenue growth of 5.4% and EPS growth of 10.1% year over year.LH expanded diagnostics through partnerships, acquisitions and new oncology, neurology and consumer tests.Labcorp likely saw BLS support from Central Laboratories as Early Development streamlining continued. Labcorp Holdings Inc. (LH - Free Report) , or Labcorp, is slated to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, before the market opens.
In the last reported quarter, the company posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.25, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.91%. Labcorp outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 3.31%.
Q2 Estimates for LHThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Labcorp’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $3.72 billion. This suggests a 5.4% rise from the year-ago reported figure.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter EPS indicates an improvement of 10.1% to $4.79. The estimate has remained unchanged in the past 60 days.
Here's a quick review of the company’s performance leading up to its second-quarter earnings.
What Could Shape Labcorp's Q2 Results?In the second quarter of 2026, Diagnostics Laboratories’ (Dx) performance is likely to have continued to witness strong organic contribution. Labcorp's ongoing expansion through health system partnerships and acquisitions is expected to have supported testing volumes by broadening its patient and provider network. During the quarter, the company announced a nationwide strategic collaboration with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to expand access to advanced diagnostics for pediatric patients.
In May, Labcorp launched an expanded DPYD Genotyping test to identify cancer patients at risk for severe chemotherapy side effects. Earlier in March, it acquired the select assets of Crouse Health's Laboratory Alliance of Central New York and executed an agreement to manage Crouse Health’s inpatient laboratories. All these developments are expected to have favorably boosted the quarter’s top line.
The company’s expanding specialty testing portfolio likely remained another tailwind. These tests are focused in the areas spanning oncology, women's health, neurology and autoimmune disease, which are projected to far outpace the broader diagnostics market. In second-quarter 2026, Oncology results are likely to have benefited from the launch of several liquid biopsy tests and expanded access to molecular residual disease (MRD) solutions.
Labcorp further strengthened the portfolio by launching Agilent Technologies' FDA-approved companion diagnostic to identify patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who may be eligible for Merck's KEYTRUDA. The company’s market-leading Alzheimer's testing portfolio may have boosted Neurology revenues.
Beyond the core testing, the company also introduced the first FDA-cleared rapid fentanyl test of its kind made in the United States, delivering results in just 10 minutes. The Labcorp OnDemand platform is also expected to have favorably supported revenues, driven by strong demand across its expanding menu of consumer health tests.
Labcorp may have also benefited from its ongoing use of advanced technologies, including AI and robotics, to enhance customer experiences and productivity. In April, the company expanded its collaboration with Epic, making its full test menu available through the Aura platform. Other recent initiatives include the development of an AI-powered real-world data platform with Amazon Web Services and Datavant to accelerate Alzheimer's research and a strategic collaboration with Optum.ai to streamline laboratory operations. Collectively, all these factors are expected to have positively impacted Labcorp’s second-quarter revenues.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate expects Dx revenues to grow 6.1% year over year.
Within the Biopharma Laboratory Services (“BLS”) segment,Labcorp has likely benefited from the solid performance of Central Laboratories. The company may have also progressed with its strategic actions to streamline the Early Development business, which may have limited overall growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate suggests that BLS revenues will grow 2.7% year over year.
Earnings Whispers for LabcorpPer our proven model, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), along with a positive Earnings ESP, have a higher chance of beating estimates, which is exactly the case here, as you can see below:
Earnings ESP: Labcorp has an Earnings ESP of +0.71%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Other Key MedTech PicksHere are some other medical stocks worth considering, as these also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this time:
CVS Health (CVS - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.42% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5.
CVS’ earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.79%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate expects the company’s second-quarter EPS to increase 3.3% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.
Henry Schein (HSIC - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.41% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release second-quarter 2026 results soon.
HSIC’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion, the average surprise being 3.74%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter EPS calls for a rise of 10.9% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.
Alcon (ALC - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.13% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 10.
ALC’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion, the average surprise being 3.66%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate anticipates the company’s second-quarter EPS to increase 1.3% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.
It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.
The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.
Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.
VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.
Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) Santa Clara, CA-based Arista Networks, Inc. is engaged in providing cloud networking solutions for data centers and cloud computingenvironments. The company offers 10/25/40/50/100 Gigabit Ethernet switches and routers optimized for next-generation data center networks. Arista uses multiple silicon architectures across its products. At the core of the company’s cloud networking solutions is the Linux-based Extensible Operating System (EOS), which was architected to be fully programmable and highly modular.
ANET is a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.
Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. ANET has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 22.2% for the current fiscal year.
For fiscal 2026, two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.03 to $3.64 per share. ANET boasts an average earnings surprise of +8.3%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, ANET should be on investors' short list.
Penske Automotive (PAG - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis auto dealership chain is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.38 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -10.6%.
Revenues are expected to be $7.93 billion, up 3.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.21% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Penske?For Penske, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.74%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Penske will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Penske would post earnings of $2.91 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.05, delivering a surprise of +4.81%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Penske doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when ArcBest (ARCB - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis freight transportation and logistics company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.18 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +60.3%.
Revenues are expected to be $1.19 billion, up 16.8% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 8.96% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for ArcBest?For ArcBest, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +9.76%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #1.
So, this combination indicates that ArcBest will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that ArcBest would post earnings of $0.27 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.32, delivering a surprise of +18.52%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
ArcBest appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerWerner Enterprises (WERN - Free Report) , another stock in the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $0.22 for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate points to a year-over-year change of +100%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $932.4 million, up 23.8% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Werner has been revised 6.6% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of +4.35%, reflecting a higher Most Accurate Estimate.
When combined with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), this Earnings ESP indicates that Werner will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
The market expects Eagle Materials (EXP - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis maker of gypsum wallboard and cement is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.26 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -13.3%.
Revenues are expected to be $628.6 million, down 1% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.19% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Eagle Materials?For Eagle Materials, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -4.29%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Eagle Materials will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Eagle Materials would post earnings of $1.47 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.91, delivering a surprise of +29.93%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Eagle Materials doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Analysts on Wall Street project that Valley National (VLY - Free Report) will announce quarterly earnings of $0.31 per share in its forthcoming report, representing an increase of 34.8% year over year. Revenues are projected to reach $552.02 million, increasing 11.2% from the same quarter last year.
The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has undergone an upward revision of 0.6% in the past 30 days, bringing it to its present level. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reassessed their initial estimates during this timeframe.
Before a company announces its earnings, it is essential to take into account any changes made to earnings estimates. This is a valuable factor in predicting the potential reactions of investors toward the stock. Empirical research has consistently shown a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to gauge how the business may have fared during the quarter, examining analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics often helps gain a deeper insight.
Given this perspective, it's time to examine the average forecasts of specific Valley National metrics that are routinely monitored and predicted by Wall Street analysts.
Analysts forecast 'Efficiency Ratio' to reach 52.7%. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 55.2% in the same quarter of the previous year.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Average Balance - Total interest earning assets' should come in at $60.69 billion. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $57.55 billion in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts expect 'Net Interest Margin' to come in at 3.2%. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 3.0% in the same quarter last year.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Total non-accrual loans' reaching $430.49 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $354.36 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
The consensus estimate for 'Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio' stands at 11.6%. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 11.6% in the same quarter of the previous year.
The average prediction of analysts places 'Total Non-performing Assets' at $437.47 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $360.78 million.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Total risk-based capital ratio' will reach 13.6%. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 13.7%.
Analysts predict that the 'Total non-interest Income' will reach $70.09 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $62.60 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Insurance commissions' of $3.31 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $3.43 million in the same quarter last year.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Bank owned life insurance' should arrive at $5.31 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $6.02 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Wealth management and trust fees' will reach $16.27 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $14.06 million in the same quarter last year.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Service charges on deposit accounts' will likely reach $18.12 million. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $14.71 million.
View all Key Company Metrics for Valley National here>>>
Shares of Valley National have demonstrated returns of +2.1% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), VLY is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2026) - National plaintiffs' law firm Berger Montague PC announces a class action lawsuit against AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) ("AeroVironment" or the "Company") on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired AeroVironment common stock during the period from June 25, 2025 through March 10, 2026 (the "Class Period").
Investor Deadline: Investors who purchased or acquired AeroVironment common stock during the Class Period may, no later than July 27, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. To learn your rights, CLICK HERE.
AeroVironment, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a leading American defense technology company that designs and manufactures autonomous systems, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), loitering munitions, and space and directed-energy technologies in support of the U.S. Department of Defense, allied governments, and commercial clients worldwide.
According to the complaint, Defendants concealed that: (i) the Company faced a far greater risk of near-term competition from rival vendors for its work under the U.S. Space Force's Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource ("SCAR") program than it had disclosed, particularly given the Space Force's broader push to modernize the Satellite Control Network ("SCN"); and (ii) in light of this undisclosed competitive exposure, Defendants had painted an unrealistically optimistic picture of AeroVironment's business and financial trajectory.
The truth began to emerge on January 20, 2026, when AeroVironment announced that the U.S. government had issued a stop work order on the Company's agreement to deliver BADGER systems to the SCAR program. On this news, AeroVironment's stock price fell $61.97 per share, or 15.77%, to close at $330.89 per share on January 20, 2026.
Further disclosures followed on March 2, 2026, when Space News published a report revealing that the Space Force had reopened the SCAR program and was actively reconsidering its path forward. The report included remarks from Colonel Owen Stevens, the director of contracting at the Space Rapid Capabilities Office - the office responsible for overseeing SCAR - who indicated that the Space Force had been engaging with senior acquisition leadership and would be pursuing a new acquisition strategy for the program. On this news, AeroVironment's stock price fell $43.93 per share, or 17.42%, to close at $208.32 per share on March 2, 2026.
Then, on March 10, 2026, AeroVironment announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2026. Among other items, AeroVironment reported an operating loss of $179.0 million, compared to an operating loss of $3.1 million for the same period in fiscal year 2025 - a deterioration driven in significant part by a $151.3 million goodwill impairment in the Company's space division following the stop work order on its BADGER systems. AeroVironment further disclosed that the Space Force had terminated the Company's SCAR contract, requiring AeroVironment to "recompete" for the program. On this news, AeroVironment's stock price fell $13.84 per share, or 6.24%, to close at $207.73 per share on March 11, 2026.
If you are an AeroVironment investor and would like to learn more about this action, CLICK HERE or please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at [email protected] or (215) 875-3015, or Caitlin Adorni at [email protected] or (267) 764-4865.
About Berger Montague
Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. With more than $2.4 billion in 2025 post-trial judgments alone, the Firm is a leader in the fields of complex litigation, antitrust, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For over 55 years, Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago; Malvern, PA; Minneapolis; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/306035
Source: Berger Montague
Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In AeroVironment To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options
If you purchased or acquired securities in AeroVironment between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
[You may also click here for additional information]
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2026) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against AeroVironment, Inc. ("AeroVironment" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: AVAV) and reminds investors of the July 27, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) AeroVironment understated the likelihood that it would imminently face competition from other vendors for the work it performed in connection with the SCAR program and the U.S. Space Force's ongoing efforts to modernize the SCN; (2) accordingly, Defendants overstated AeroVironment's business and financial prospects; and (3) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding AeroVironment's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
To learn more about the AeroVironment class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/AVAV or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Investors Regarding the AeroVironment Securities Class Action Lawsuit:
What is the AeroVironment securities fraud lawsuit about?
The AeroVironment securities fraud lawsuit is a federal securities class action alleging that AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) and its executives made false and misleading statements to investors by concealing that the Company faced imminent competition for its SCAR program contracts and overstating its business and financial prospects. As the truth emerged through a series of disclosures - including a U.S. government stop work order on January 20, 2026, a Space Force announcement that it was reopening the SCAR program on March 2, 2026, and AeroVironment's disclosure of a $151.3 million goodwill impairment and contract termination on March 10, 2026 - AVAV's stock price dropped sharply, causing significant losses for investors.
Who may be eligible to participate in the lawsuit?
Investors who purchased or acquired AeroVironment (AVAV) stock between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026 - the Class Period - and suffered financial losses may be eligible to participate in the AeroVironment securities class action. Participation as a class member does not require taking any affirmative legal action; eligible investors may recover losses simply by remaining members of the class. Whistleblowers, former AeroVironment employees, and others with relevant information about the Company's conduct are also encouraged to come forward.
What is a lead plaintiff, and how can I seek appointment?
A lead plaintiff in the AeroVironment class action is a court-appointed investor - typically the one with the largest financial interest in the case - who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of all class members. Any AeroVironment investor who purchased AVAV stock during the Class Period may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice. The deadline to seek lead plaintiff appointment is July 27, 2026. Importantly, choosing not to seek the lead plaintiff role does not affect an investor's ability to share in any recovery obtained for the class.
What should investors do if they purchased AeroVironment stock during the Class Period?
Investors who purchased AeroVironment (AVAV) stock between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026 and suffered losses should contact Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP immediately to discuss their legal rights. The deadline to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the AeroVironment securities class action is July 27, 2026. To speak directly with securities litigation partner Josh Wilson, call 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310), or visit www.faruqilaw.com/AVAV for more information.
Why should investors contact Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP?
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP has represented investors in securities litigation for decades and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders. Investors who purchased AeroVironment securities during the Class Period may contact the firm to discuss their legal rights, potential claims, and the lead plaintiff process at no cost or obligation.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/305979
Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP
Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2026) - Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against AeroVironment, Inc. ("AeroVironment" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: AVAV) on behalf of investors that purchased or otherwise acquired AeroVironment securities between June 25, 2025 and June 18, 2026 (the "Class Period").
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CASE
If you are an investor in AeroVironment and have suffered losses, you may CLICK HERE to contact us. You may also contact Kaplan Fox by emailing [email protected] or by calling (646) 315-9003.
DEADLINE REMINDER: If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than July 27, 2026 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. If you have losses we encourage you to contact us to learn more about the lead plaintiff process. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery.
On January 20, 2026, before markets opened, the Company reported in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that "upon mutual agreement" of AeroVironment and the U.S. Government, "the U.S. Government issued a stop work order on the Company's Other Transaction Agreement for the delivery of BADGER phased array antenna systems to support the Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource ("SCAR") program." According to the filing, "[t]he stop work order allows for the parties to negotiate an amended agreement for the future of the SCAR program under new requirements for the program, which amendment is expected to be a firm-fixed price agreement. The Company expects to continue to deliver capabilities and products for the SCAR program."
Following this news, the price of AeroVironment stock declined $61.97 per share, or 15.77%, to close at $330.89 per share on January 20, 2026.
On March 10, 2026, after market, AeroVironment issued a press release, announcing third quarter 2026 financial results. The Company reported "operating loss of $179.0 million, compared to an operating loss of $3.1 million for the same period in fiscal year 2025." According to the complaint, "[t]hese financial results reflected the impact of a $151.3 million goodwill impairment in the Company's space division after the stop work order on the Company's BADGER systems built for the SCAR program." Additionally, according to the complaint "AeroVironment also reported that the U.S. Space Force had terminated the Company's contract concerning the SCAR program, and as a result, it would have to 'recompete' for the SCAR program."
Following this news, the price of AeroVironment stock fell $13.84 per share, or 6.24%, to close at $207.73 per share on March 11, 2026.
The complaint alleges, among other things, that throughout the Class Period, "Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) AeroVironment understated the likelihood that it would imminently face competition from other vendors for the work it performed in connection with the SCAR program and the U.S. Space Force's ongoing efforts to modernize the SCN; (ii) accordingly, Defendants overstated AeroVironment's business and financial prospects; and (iii) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times."
WHY CONTACT KAPLAN FOX?
Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP is a nationally recognized law firm focused on complex litigation, with offices in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Jersey. Founded in 1956, the firm has spent more than 50 years prosecuting securities, antitrust, and consumer protection actions in federal and state courts nationwide, recovering more than $10 billion for clients and the classes it has represented.
Kaplan Fox is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier plaintiffs' securities litigation firms and has received recognition from Chambers and Partners, Benchmark Litigation, Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon. Serving as lead or co-lead counsel in many landmark cases, the firm has secured some of the largest recoveries in the history of securities litigation, including a $2.425 billion recovery on behalf of Bank of America shareholders in In re Bank of America—the largest recovery ever obtained for claims under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act—$800 million recovered for the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System and other pension funds in ATRS v. Allianz Global Investors, and a $475 million settlement in In re Merrill Lynch.
For decades, Kaplan Fox has represented public pension funds, institutional investors, businesses, and individuals in high-stakes litigation. Through its successful advocacy and precedent-setting victories, the firm has helped shape important areas of securities and corporate law while advancing accountability and protecting investor interests.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
If you have any questions about this Notice, your rights, or your interests, please contact:
Contacting or submitting information to Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor an obligation on the part of Kaplan Fox to retain you as a client.
Executive Accountability: Mary Clum Named as Defendant in AeroVironment Securities Action for Allegedly Misrepresenting SCAR Program Readiness While the Space Force Was Reassessing Its Acquisition Strategy
, /PRNewswire/ -- Levi & Korsinsky, LLP notifies investors that Mary Clum, President of AeroVironment, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AVAV) Space, Cyber & Directed Energy business segment, is named as a defendant in a securities class action filed on behalf of shareholders who purchased AVAV securities between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026. Find out if you qualify to recover losses from the AVAV securities action. You may also contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. at [email protected] or (212) 363-7500.
AVAV shares fell from a pre-drop price of $392.86 to $207.73 over the course of three corrective disclosures. The lead plaintiff deadline is July 27, 2026.
Mary Clum's Role During the Class Period
The complaint identifies Clum as President of AeroVironment's Space, Cyber & Directed Energy segment from October 2025 through the end of the Class Period. Before that, Clum served as President of BlueHalo's Product and Space Systems portfolio, the business unit that originally secured the $1.4 billion SCAR contract (later increased to $1.7 billion) prior to AeroVironment's $4.1 billion acquisition of BlueHalo.
Clum's position gave her direct operational oversight of the BADGER phased array antenna systems at the center of the SCAR program, the lawsuit contends.
What Mary Clum Allegedly Told Investors
At the September 30, 2025 Investor Open House, Clum made specific public representations about the SCAR program's trajectory, as alleged in the complaint:
Stated that AeroVironment's team was working "shoulder to shoulder" with the U.S. Space Force customer Described SCAR as having an "awarded value of $1.7 billion, extending all the way through 2030" Characterized the SCAR contract as occupying "a very high barrier to entry market" Told investors the customer was "asking for more" BADGER systems Declared that AeroVironment was "ready to scale" and "ready to build more" Reported that manufacturing was "underway" with "first deliveries this year" Within four months of these statements, the U.S. Space Force issued a stop work order. Within six months, the contract was terminated for convenience and the Space Force announced it would diversify suppliers and pursue commercial off-the-shelf alternatives.
Section 20(a) Context for Mary Clum
The action asserts that Clum, as a senior officer of the Company, possessed the power and authority to control the contents of AeroVironment's public communications regarding the SCAR program. As named in the complaint, Clum had access to material nonpublic information about the Space Force's reassessment of its single-vendor acquisition strategy. The complaint charges that her public assurances of program momentum were materially misleading given what was known internally about emerging competitive risks.
"Individual officers who sign SEC certifications bear personal responsibility for the accuracy of corporate disclosures. When segment leaders make specific representations about contract status and customer demand, investors are entitled to rely on those statements reflecting the actual state of affairs," stated Joseph E. Levi, Esq.
Speak with an attorney about whether you can recover AVAV investment losses or call (212) 363-7500.
LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: July 27, 2026
ABOUT LEVI & KORSINSKY, LLP
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP, Top 50 securities litigation firm (ISS, seven consecutive years). Over 70 professionals. Hundreds of millions recovered for investors.
Frequently Asked Questions About the AVAV Lawsuit
Q: Who are the defendants named in the AVAV lawsuit? A: The complaint names AeroVironment, Inc. and individual defendants including CEO Wahid Nawabi, CFO Kevin P. McDonnell, and Mary Clum, President of the Space, Cyber & Directed Energy segment, who signed SEC filings, made public statements, or had direct oversight of the SCAR program operations at issue.
Q: What is the AVAV class action lawsuit about? A: A securities class action has been filed against AeroVironment alleging materially false and misleading statements between June 25, 2025 and March 10, 2026. Shares fell approximately 47% after corrective disclosures revealed the U.S. Space Force was terminating the Company's $1.7 billion SCAR contract and shifting to a multi-vendor acquisition strategy.
Q: What if I already sold my AVAV shares -- can I still recover losses? A: Yes. Eligibility is based on when you purchased, not whether you still hold the shares. Investors who bought during the class period and sold at a loss may still participate.
Q: What does it cost me to participate? A: Nothing. Securities class actions are handled on a pure contingency basis. No upfront fees, no retainer, no out-of-pocket costs.
Q: What do AVAV investors need to do right now? A: Gather brokerage records including purchase dates, share quantities, and prices paid. Contact Levi & Korsinsky for a free, no-obligation evaluation at [email protected] or (212) 363-7500. No immediate action is required to remain eligible as a class member.
Q: How long will the lawsuit take to resolve? A: Securities class actions typically take two to four years from initial filing to resolution.
NEW YORK, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against AeroVironment, Inc. (“AeroVironment” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) on behalf of investors that purchased or otherwise acquired AeroVironment securities between June 25, 2025 and June 18, 2026 (the “Class Period”).
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CASE
If you are an investor in AeroVironment and have suffered losses, you may CLICK HERE to contact us. You may also contact Kaplan Fox by emailing [email protected] or by calling (646) 315-9003.
DEADLINE REMINDER: If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than July 27, 2026 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. If you have losses we encourage you to contact us to learn more about the lead plaintiff process. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery.
On January 20, 2026, before markets opened, the Company reported in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that “upon mutual agreement” of AeroVironment and the U.S. Government, “the U.S. Government issued a stop work order on the Company’s Other Transaction Agreement for the delivery of BADGER phased array antenna systems to support the Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource (“SCAR”) program.” According to the filing, “[t]he stop work order allows for the parties to negotiate an amended agreement for the future of the SCAR program under new requirements for the program, which amendment is expected to be a firm-fixed price agreement. The Company expects to continue to deliver capabilities and products for the SCAR program.”
Following this news, the price of AeroVironment stock declined $61.97 per share, or 15.77%, to close at $330.89 per share on January 20, 2026.
On March 10, 2026, after market, AeroVironment issued a press release, announcing third quarter 2026 financial results. The Company reported “operating loss of $179.0 million, compared to an operating loss of $3.1 million for the same period in fiscal year 2025.” According to the complaint, “[t]hese financial results reflected the impact of a $151.3 million goodwill impairment in the Company’s space division after the stop work order on the Company’s BADGER systems built for the SCAR program.” Additionally, according to the complaint “AeroVironment also reported that the U.S. Space Force had terminated the Company’s contract concerning the SCAR program, and as a result, it would have to ‘recompete’ for the SCAR program.”
Following this news, the price of AeroVironment stock fell $13.84 per share, or 6.24%, to close at $207.73 per share on March 11, 2026.
The complaint alleges, among other things, that throughout the Class Period, “Defendants
made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) AeroVironment understated the likelihood that it would imminently face competition from other vendors for the work it performed in connection with the SCAR program and the U.S. Space Force’s ongoing efforts to modernize the SCN; (ii) accordingly, Defendants overstated AeroVironment’s business and financial prospects; and (iii) as a result, Defendants’ public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.”
WHY CONTACT KAPLAN FOX?
Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP is a nationally recognized law firm focused on complex litigation, with offices in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Jersey. Founded in 1956, the firm has spent more than 50 years prosecuting securities, antitrust, and consumer protection actions in federal and state courts nationwide, recovering more than $10 billion for clients and the classes it has represented.
Kaplan Fox is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier plaintiffs' securities litigation firms and has received recognition from Chambers and Partners, Benchmark Litigation, Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon. Serving as lead or co-lead counsel in many landmark cases, the firm has secured some of the largest recoveries in the history of securities litigation, including a $2.425 billion recovery on behalf of Bank of America shareholders in In re Bank of America—the largest recovery ever obtained for claims under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act—$800 million recovered for the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System and other pension funds in ATRS v. Allianz Global Investors, and a $475 million settlement in In re Merrill Lynch.
For decades, Kaplan Fox has represented public pension funds, institutional investors, businesses, and individuals in high-stakes litigation. Through its successful advocacy and precedent-setting victories, the firm has helped shape important areas of securities and corporate law while advancing accountability and protecting investor interests.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
If you have any questions about this Notice, your rights, or your interests, please contact:
CONTACT:
Pamela A. Mayer
KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP
800 Third Avenue, 38th Floor
New York, New York 10022
(646) 315-9003 [email protected]
Laurence D. King
KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1501
Oakland, California 94612
(415) 772-4704 [email protected]
Contacting or submitting information to Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor an obligation on the part of Kaplan Fox to retain you as a client.
Part II of The New Talent Equation research series finds workforce confidence, leadership capability, and employee trust are determining which organizations realize value from AI and which fall behind.
, /PRNewswire/ -- As organizations accelerate investments in artificial intelligence, ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions today released new research finding the biggest barrier to AI transformation is no longer technology adoption. It is workforce readiness and leaders' ability to guide people through change. Only 3% of organizations say their leaders are highly prepared to manage AI-enabled ways of working, even as 78% report employee concern about how AI will affect their jobs.
"The New Talent Equation: Activating Workforce Confidence at Scale," a new report commissioned by Talent Solutions and developed with Everest Group, is the second report in a two-part research series examining how organizations can turn AI investment into business impact.
Only 3% of organizations say their leaders are highly prepared to manage AI-enabled ways of working,
34% of organizations report their greatest productivity improvements in AI-augmented roles, where people and AI collaborate through redesigned workflows, compared with just 8% reporting their strongest gains from fully automated roles.
The New Talent Equation: Activating Workforce Confidence at Scale, a new report commissioned by Talent Solutions and developed with Everest Group, is the second report in a two-part research series examining how organizations can turn AI investment into business impact. Building on the first report's focus on fragmented talent systems, this edition explores the human side of transformation, finding that leadership capability, employee trust, and workforce adaptability increasingly determine which organizations realize AI's full value.
"The conversation around AI has fundamentally changed," said Caroline Pfeiffer Marinho, Global Business Leader, Talent Solutions RPO & Right Management. "Most organizations have made significant progress deploying AI. What we're seeing now is that technology is no longer the primary challenge. Leaders are asking how to build workforce confidence, prepare managers, and help people adapt as work changes. The organizations creating lasting advantage are investing in both system transformation and workforce transformation."
"The first phase of Al transformation has been defined by adoption. The next phase is likely to be defined by adaptation," Sailesh Hota, Vice President, Everest Group, said. "As Al becomes embedded across talent processes and workforce systems, the ability to redesign how work is organized may become a more important determinant of success than technology deployment alone."
The research draws on a survey of 80 C-suite, CHRO, and senior talent acquisition leaders across the United States and United Kingdom, spanning healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, and technology.
Key Findings
Workforce Readiness Is Falling Behind AI Adoption
Organizations are deploying AI faster than they are preparing people to use it. Only 17% of organizations report advanced or transformational workforce readiness, where AI capability is deeply embedded into workflows and linked to measurable business outcomes. Leadership Readiness Has Become AI's Biggest Bottleneck
Just 3% of organizations describe their leaders as highly prepared to manage AI-enabled ways of working, while nearly half say their leaders are only moderately prepared. The findings suggest leadership capability may now be a greater barrier to transformation than technology itself. Trust Is Becoming a Business Performance Issue
Nearly 78% of organizations report employee fear of job displacement, while 63% report workforce resistance to adopting AI tools after deployment. Workforce confidence now influences adoption, engagement, and how quickly organizations realize value from AI. Without employee trust, organizations will struggle to scale AI, regardless of the technology they deploy. AI Is Reshaping Jobs, Not Eliminating Them
Despite widespread concern about job displacement, organizations are responding to AI by redesigning work rather than reducing headcount. Nearly 63% identify reskilling and redeployment as the most common outcome for employees whose roles are significantly impacted by AI, while 86% rank AI-focused upskilling and reskilling among their top workforce priorities over the next 12 to 18 months. The Best Results Come from Human and AI Collaboration
Organizations achieve their greatest productivity gains when AI augments human work rather than fully automating it. Thirty-four percent of organizations report their greatest productivity improvements in AI-augmented roles, where people and AI collaborate through redesigned workflows, compared with just 8% reporting their strongest gains from fully automated roles. Together, the two reports point to two equally important priorities for organizations navigating AI transformation. Organizations must build integrated talent systems that enable AI while also building the workforce confidence, leadership capability, and trust needed to sustain change. The next phase of AI transformation will be defined less by how quickly organizations deploy AI and more by how effectively they prepare people to work, adapt, and succeed alongside it.
The New Talent Equation: Activating Workforce Confidence at Scale is available now at mpgtalentsolutions.com/the-new-talent-equation, along with the first report in the series, The New Talent Equation: Building Better Talent Decisions.
ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP TALENT SOLUTIONS
Talent Solutions combines RPO, TAPFIN-MSP, and Right Management to deliver end-to-end, data-driven capabilities across the talent lifecycle. Drawing on deep industry expertise and a genuine understanding of what talent wants, we help organizations address complex workforce needs, from attraction and acquisition to upskilling, development, and retention. Through seamless delivery, best-in-class technology, and extensive workforce insights, we serve clients across multiple countries and at scale. Talent Solutions is part of the ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) family of brands, which also includes Manpower and Experis.
For more information, visit www.mpgtalentsolutions.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Hayward Holdings, Inc. (HAYW - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.25 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +4.2%.
Revenues are expected to be $315.5 million, up 5.3% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Hayward Holdings?For Hayward Holdings, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.35%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Hayward Holdings will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Hayward Holdings would post earnings of $0.11 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.13, delivering a surprise of +18.18%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Hayward Holdings doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAnother stock from the Zacks Electronics - Miscellaneous Products industry, Teradyne (TER - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $2.04 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +257.9%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $1.22 billion, up 86.4% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for Teradyne has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. However, a higher Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +0.59%.
This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), suggests that Teradyne will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment insights and market data, today introduced the Morningstar US Capital Allocation Leaders Index, a research-driven index designed to identify companies whose management teams have been assessed by Morningstar's equity research team as having an established a track record of shareholder-friendly capital allocation decisions. The new index combines Morningstar's independent, forward-looking equ.
[url="]Morningstar, Inc.[/url] (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment insights and market data, today introduced the [url="]Morningstar U