Market Signal Briefing

February 02, 2026 11:30 ET  | Source: Lamar Advertising Company

BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lamar Advertising Company (Nasdaq: LAMR) (“Lamar” or the “Company”), a leading owner and operator of outdoor advertising assets, announced today that it had acquired the assets of Cleveland Outdoor Advertising for cash.

The transaction adds 31 high-profile bulletin faces and more than 40 junior bulletin faces to Lamar's Cleveland portfolio.

COA was founded 47 years ago by Debra Abdalian-Thompson and Stephen Thompson as a junior poster plant and grew to include numerous premium bulletin locations in the Cleveland metro area. 

"Debbie has been a pioneer in the OOH industry, and we are honored that she and Steve trust Lamar to build upon the strong foundation that they have established," said Ross Reilly, president of Lamar's outdoor division.

Abdalian-Thompson, who served as president of COA, is a long-time director of the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (the “OAAA”) and of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Ohio. She is a 2017 inductee into the OAAA Hall of Fame.

“We are deeply grateful to everyone who believed in us, worked alongside us, and contributed to our success. This industry has given us so much, and we will always appreciate the opportunities, challenges and connections it brought into our lives,” Abdalian-Thompson said. “I have long admired Lamar and the Reilly family, and I can’t think of a better company to carry COA’s legacy forward.”

Company Contact:Buster Kantrow
(225) 926-1000
[email protected]  

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MRNFF, CVE either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Disclosure: I am not an investment advisor, and this article is not meant to be a recommendation of the purchase or sale of stock. Investors are advised to review all company documents and press releases to see if the company fits their own investment qualifications. I may start an initial position in Total without further notice.

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Key Takeaways MAA reports Q4 and full-year results on Feb. 4, following a quarter of softer same-store revenues.MAA faces an elevated Sun Belt supply that pressured rent growth, new lease rates and kept concessions high.Mid-America Apartment Communities saw low turnover and renewal rates of 4.5%-4.9%. Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA - Free Report) — commonly known as MAA — is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on owning, operating and acquiring apartment communities throughout the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The company is slated to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 4, after market close.

In the last reported quarter, this Germantown, TN-based residential REIT reported core FFO per share of $2.16, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.17. Results reflected a fall in same-store revenues, with average effective rent per unit declining year over year. However, the REIT witnessed low levels of resident turnover.

Over the trailing four quarters, MAA surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate on two occasions for as many misses, the average beat being 0.35%. This is depicted in the chart below:

Let’s see how things have shaped up before this announcement.

US Apartment Market in Q4Apartment REIT fundamentals softened in the fourth quarter of 2025 as the sector normalized from the exceptional demand of recent years. According to the RealPage report, the market recorded net move-outs of about 40,400 units during the quarter, marking the first seasonal pullback in three years. Full-year absorption totaled just more than 365,900 units, signaling a return toward long-term leasing trends rather than a demand collapse.

Supply remains the primary pressure point. Approximately 409,500 units were delivered in 2025, including about 89,400 in the fourth quarter, keeping competition elevated despite a sequential slowdown in completions. As a result, occupancy slipped to 94.8%, while effective asking rents declined 1.7% quarter over quarter. Rents dropped 0.6% in the calendar year 2025, extending the year-over-year downturn for a second consecutive quarter. Concessions expanded meaningfully, with more than 23% of units offering incentives averaging 7%, reflecting REITs’ focus on protecting occupancy and cash flow.

Market performance remains uneven. Supply-heavy Sun Belt markets such as Austin, Phoenix and Denver experienced the steepest rent pressure, while coastal and tech-oriented metros, including New York and San Francisco, continued to post rent growth due to tighter supply.

Factors to Consider Ahead of MAA’s Upcoming ResultsMAA has broad exposure to the Sunbelt region, which has been benefiting from strong rental demand across its markets. The region's pro-business environment, attractive tax structure and relatively lower urban density support job creation and population inflows, contributing to sustained leasing momentum. The company is also expected to have gained from its portfolio revamp efforts.

However, MAA is not likely to have been spared from the current market backdrop. Although the market is witnessing early signs of recovery with better lease-over-lease rates on renewals, the struggle to lure renters is expected to have persisted in the fourth quarter, as supply volumes remained elevated in several Sunbelt markets. This is expected to have put pressure on rent growth, affected new lease rates and kept concession levels elevated.

In an investor relations update released in December, MAA noted that the accepted rate for renewals through December remained in the 4.5%-4.9% range. Historic low turnover has helped occupancy, with the company experiencing strong November QTD occupancy of 95.7% vs. 95.5% for the same period in the prior year.

Projections for MAAThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $557.62 million. This suggests a 1.42% rise from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

For the fourth quarter, we project an average physical occupancy of 95.7%, up 10 basis points from the prior quarter. However, we expect same-store property net operating income to fall 1.7% year over year. Our estimate indicates a 3.8% year-over-year increase in the company’s interest expenses.

MAA projected fourth-quarter 2025 core FFO per share in the band of $2.17-$2.29, with $2.23 at the midpoint. Before the fourth-quarter earnings release, the company’s activities were not adequate to gain analysts’ confidence. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarterly core FFO per share has been revised a cent south to $2.22 in the past month. This also suggests a year-over-year decline of 0.45%.

For full-year 2025, MAA expected core FFO per share in the range of $8.68-$8.80, with the midpoint at $8.74. For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for core FFO per share has been revised a cent south over the past month to $8.72. The figure indicates a 1.80% decrease year over year in revenues of $2.21 billion.

For 2025, management anticipated same-store property revenue growth of -0.25% to 0.15%, with the midpoint being -0.05%. Operating expense growth is expected in the range of 1.80%-2.60%, with the midpoint of 2.20%. As a result, the same-store NOI is anticipated to decrease between 1.85% and 0.85%, with the midpoint reflecting a drop of 1.35%.

Here Is What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for MAAOur proven model does not conclusively predict a surprise in terms of FFO per share for MAA this season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an FFO beat, which is not the case here.

MAA currently carries a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) and has an Earnings ESP of -0.29%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks That Warrant a LookHere are two stocks from the residential REIT sector — Equity Residential (EQR - Free Report) and UDR Inc. (UDR - Free Report) — that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a surprise this quarter.

Equity Residential, scheduled to report quarterly numbers on Feb. 5, has an Earnings ESP of +0.64% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

UDR is slated to report quarterly numbers on Feb. 9. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.74% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO) — a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

ToplineRare earth stocks rose quickly after markets opened on Monday morning after Bloomberg reported the Trump administration’s plans to create a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile for American firms to reduce reliance on Chinese imports.

The Trump administration is planning to build a stockpile for critical minerals, according to a report from Bloomberg.

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Key FactsThe new initiative, reportedly called “Project Vault,” would provide rare earth minerals and critical metals like cobalt for U.S. civilian tech companies, automakers and other firms to purchase

The funds for the stockpile would come from about $1.67 in private capital and an $11 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, according to the report.

The two rare earth firms the Trump administration took stakes in rose rapidly on Monday morning—MP Materials was up 3.5% by 11:10 a.m. EST, while USA Rare Earth Inc. climbed 10%.

Other rare earth stocks posted gains, including Critical Metals, which rose 2.9%, and Niocorp Developments rose 8.4%.

The White House has not officially confirmed the plans for the stockpile.

Key BackgroundThe Trump administration has been pursuing new ways to reduce supply chain reliance on China, according to the Bloomberg report. China is widely regarded as the largest producer of rare earth minerals in the world, which are needed for components in a variety of American tech products like smartphones and batteries. Trade tensions with China have sent shockwaves into the rare earth market in the past year. The U.S. already has a stockpile of critical minerals for defense and industrial purposes, but does not have one available for civilian purposes.

Further ReadingForbesUSA Rare Earth Surges 13% After Trump Administration Invests $1.6 BillionBy Ty Roush

ForbesU.S. Becomes Largest Shareholder In MP Materials—Rare Earth Miner—To Counter ChinaBy Sara Dorn

Key Takeaways AbbVie reports Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings Feb. 4, with sales expected above $16.3B and EPS near $2.66.ABBV's newer immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq are expected to fuel growth as Humira sales keep declining.AbbVie stock trades below industry P/E, driven by a growing pipeline and diversification across franchises. AbbVie (ABBV - Free Report) is set to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings on Feb. 4, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter’s sales and earnings is pegged at $16.36 billion and $2.66 per share, respectively.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS has declined from $10.64 to $9.95, while that for 2026 has fallen from $14.41 to $14.32 over the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ABBV’s Earnings Surprise HistoryAbbVie’s performance has been impressive, with its earnings exceeding expectations in each of the trailing four quarters. It delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 3.05%. In the last reported quarter, the pharma giant delivered an earnings surprise of 5.08%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What Our Model Predicts for ABBVPer our proven model, companies with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) have a good chance of delivering an earnings beat. This is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

AbbVie currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factors Likely to Have Shaped AbbVie’s Upcoming ResultsFor the fourth quarter of 2025, AbbVie expects adjusted earnings to be in the range of $2.61-$2.65 per share. The company expects net revenues of more than $16.3 billion. Currency is expected to have a positive impact of around 1% on sales.

AbbVie’s top-line growth in the quarter is likely to have been driven by higher sales of newer immunology drugs, Skyrizi and Rinvoq. Approvals in new indications are expected to have driven strong revenues for these drugs. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Skyrizi sales is pegged at $4.91 billion, while the same for Rinvoq is pinned at $2.39 billion.

Sales of the company’s flagship drug Humira are likely to have continued their downward trend due to biosimilar erosion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the drug’s sales is pegged at $949 million.

In the oncology franchise, we expect J&J (JNJ - Free Report) -partnered Imbruvica sales to have declined due to competition from novel oral therapies. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the J&J-partnered drug’s sales is pegged at $715 million.

Roche (RHHBY - Free Report) -partnered Venclexta sales are likely to have risen as new patient starts might have improved, driven by strong demand for both CLL and AML indications. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the Roche-partnered drug’s sales is pegged at $725 million.

Sales of the neuroscience franchise have shown strong growth in recent quarters. Growth is likely to have been driven by higher sales of Botox Therapeutic, depression drug Vraylar and new migraine drugs — Ubrelvy and Qulipta. We also expect the Parkinson’s disease drug Vyalev to have contributed to the franchise’s growth during the quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for neuroscience product sales is pegged at about $3.00 billion.

In the aesthetics franchise, we expect overall sales to have started recovering from the sluggish sales of Botox and Juvederm fillers, as experienced in the past few quarters. The improvement is likely driven by stabilizing demand for the facial injectable market in the United States and easing macroeconomic pressures, which is expected to have improved consumer sentiment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for aesthetics product sales is pegged at $1.28 billion.

Nonetheless, a single quarter’s results are not so important for long-term investors. Let us delve deeper to understand whether to buy, sell or hold the stock at present.

ABBV Stock's Price Performance & ValuationShares of AbbVie have underperformed the industry in the past year, as seen in the chart below.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, AbbVie is trading at a discount to the industry. Based on the price/earnings (P/E) ratio, shares currently trade at 15.38 times forward earnings, lower than the industry’s average of 18.42. The stock is also trading above its five-year mean of 13.61.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Our Investment Thesis on ABBV StockAbbVie has faced its biggest challenge — Humira biosimilar erosion — quite well through the successful launches of Skyrizi and Rinvoq. Driven by the performance of these two drugs, the company expects to return to robust revenue growth in 2025, just the second year following the U.S. Humira LOE, with a projected high single-digit revenue CAGR through 2029.

While competitive pressure on Imbruvica and declining filler sales pose some headwinds, sales growth from drugs like Venclexta, Vraylar, Ubrelvy, Elahere, Epkinly and Qulipta helps more than offset these losses. These therapies, though smaller in scale than the immunology medications, provide valuable diversification and steady growth that support AbbVie’s overall performance.

In addition, AbbVie continues to invest in its future pipeline through strategic collaborations and partnerships across multiple therapeutic areas. The company recently signed a licensing deal with China-based biopharmaceutical company RemeGen for the latter’s PD-1xVEGF targeting bispecific antibody candidate, RC148.

Stay Invested in ABBV StockA decent valuation, expectations for continued strong earnings growth and a robust pipeline are good enough reasons to stay invested in AbbVie stock. Any major decline in the company’s share price could be an opportunity for long-term investors to add the stock to their portfolio.

Here at Zacks, we offer our members many different opportunities to take full advantage of the stock market, as well as how to invest in ways that lead to long-term success.

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Breaking Down the Zacks Focus ListIf you could get access to a curated list of stocks to kickstart your investment portfolio, wouldn't you jump at the chance to take a peek?

That's what the Zacks Focus List, a portfolio of 50 stocks, offers investors. Not only does it serve as a starting point for long-term investors, but all stocks included in the list are poised to outperform the market over the next 12 months.

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Focus List MethodologyWhen stocks are picked for the Focus List, it reflects our enduring reliance on the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Earnings estimates, or expectations of growth and profitability, come from brokerage analysts who track publicly traded companies; these analysts work together with company management to analyze every aspect that may affect future earnings, like interest rates, the economy, and sector and industry optimism.

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Harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions is where the Zacks Rank comes in. The Zacks Rank is a unique, proprietary stock-rating model that utilizes changes to a company's quarterly earnings expectations to help investors build a winning portfolio.

The Zacks Rank consists of four main pillars: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise. Each one is given a raw score, which is recalculated every night and compiled into the Rank. Then, stocks are classified into five groups, ranging from "Strong Buy" to "Strong Sell," using this data.

The Focus List is comprised of stocks hand-picked from a long list of #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) ranked companies, meaning that each new addition boasts a bullish earnings consensus among analysts.

It can be very profitable to buy stocks with rising earnings estimates, as stock prices respond to revisions. By adding Focus List stocks, there's a great chance you'll be getting into companies whose future earnings estimates will be raised, which can lead to price momentum.

Focus List Spotlight: HCA Healthcare (HCA - Free Report) Headquartered in Nashville, TN, HCA Healthcare is the largest non-governmental operator of acute care hospitals in the United States. At the end of 2025, the company operated 190 hospitals and approximately 2,400 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics, in 19 American states and the United Kingdom.

Since being added to the Focus List on January 7, 2019 at $123.39 per share, shares of HCA have increased 295.71% to $488.27. The stock is currently a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank.

For fiscal 2026, four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.19 to $29.88. HCA boasts an average earnings surprise of 13.6%.

Moreover, analysts are expecting HCA's earnings to grow 5.9% for the current fiscal year.

Reveal Winning StocksUnlock all of our powerful research, tools and analysis, including the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research Reports, Zacks Earnings ESP Filter, Premium Screener and more, as part of Zacks Premium. You'll quickly identify which stocks to buy, hold and sell, and target today's hottest industries, to help improve the performance of your portfolio. Gain full access now >>

Idexx Laboratories (IDXX - Free Report) reported $1.09 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 14.3%. EPS of $3.08 for the same period compares to $2.62 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.07 billion, representing a surprise of +1.86%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +5.17%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.93.

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 Idexx performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Percent of Revenue- Gross Profit - CAG: 60.5% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 60.2%.Percent of Revenue- Gross Profit - Other: 29.4% compared to the 29.8% average estimate based on two analysts.Percent of Revenue- Gross Profit - LPD: 50.6% versus 50.1% estimated by two analysts on average.Percent of Revenue- Gross Profit - Water: 66.6% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 71.7%.Revenue- Companion Animal Group(CAG)- United States: $642.66 million compared to the $637.61 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +11.9% year over year.Revenue- Companion Animal Group(CAG)- International: $355.82 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $344.39 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +20.1%.Revenue- LPD- International: $30.45 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $31.74 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +8.2%.Revenue- Water- International: $26.88 million compared to the $25.82 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.2% year over year.Revenue- Companion Animal Group (CAG): $998.47 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $981.34 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +14.7%.Revenue- Other: $4.09 million versus $4.19 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -0.4% change.Revenue- Livestock and poultry diagnostics (LPD): $37.49 million compared to the $37.26 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +8.5% year over year.Revenue- Water: $50.53 million compared to the $48.65 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +11.9% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Idexx here>>>

Shares of Idexx have returned +0.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% 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.

For the quarter ended December 2025, Air Products and Chemicals (APD - Free Report) reported revenue of $3.1 billion, up 5.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.16, compared to $2.86 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.9% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.04 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $3.04, the EPS surprise was +3.91%.

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.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Air Products and Chemicals performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Revenue- Middle East and India: $30.3 million compared to the $34.29 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -7.6% year over year.Revenue- Americas: $1.34 billion compared to the $1.33 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.2% year over year.Revenue- Europe: $782 million compared to the $745.62 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +12.2% year over year.Revenue- Asia: $831.5 million compared to the $811.06 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.8% year over year.Revenue- Corporate and other: $117 million compared to the $96.8 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +20.9% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Air Products and Chemicals here>>>

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals have returned +8.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% 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.

Here at Zacks, we offer our members many different opportunities to take full advantage of the stock market, as well as how to invest in ways that lead to long-term success.

The Zacks Premium service makes this easier. It features 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 like the Earnings ESP filter. All of these can help you quickly identify what stocks to buy, what to sell, and what are today's hottest industries.

The service also includes the Focus List, which is a long-term portfolio of top stocks that boast a winning, market-beating combination of growth and momentum qualities.

Breaking Down the Zacks Focus ListIf you could, wouldn't you jump at the chance for access to a curated list of stocks to kickstart your investing journey?

That's what the Zacks Focus List offers. It's a portfolio of 50 stocks that serve as a starting point for long-term investors to build their individual portfolios. The stocks included in the list are set to outperform the market over the next 12 months.

Additionally, each selection is accompanied by a full Zacks Analyst Report, something that makes the Focus List even more valuable. The report explains in detail why each stock was picked and why we believe it's good for the long-term.

The portfolio's past performance only solidifies why investors should consider it as a starting point. For 2020, the Focus List gained 13.85% on an annualized basis compared to the S&P 500's return of 9.38%. Cumulatively, the portfolio has returned 2,519.23% while the S&P returned 854.95%. Returns are for the period of February 1, 1996 to March 31, 2021.

Focus List MethodologyWhen stocks are picked for the Focus List, it reflects our enduring reliance on the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Earnings estimates are expectations of growth and profitability, and are determined by brokerage analysts. Together with company management, these analysts examine every aspect that may affect future earnings, like interest rates, the economy, and sector and industry optimism.

Investors also need to look at what a company will earn down the road. This is why earnings estimate revisions are so important.

Stocks that receive upward earnings estimate revisions are more likely to receive even more upward changes in the future. For example, if an analyst raised their estimates last month, they're more likely to do it again this month, and other analysts are likely to do the same.

Harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions is where the Zacks Rank comes in. The Zacks Rank, which is a unique, proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions to make it easier to build a winning portfolio.

There are four main factors behind the Zacks Rank: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise. Each one of these features is then given a raw score that's recalculated every night and compiled into the Rank. Using this data, stocks are classified into five groups, ranging from "Strong Buy" to "Strong Sell."

The Focus List is comprised of stocks hand-picked from a long list of #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) ranked companies, meaning that each new addition boasts a bullish earnings consensus among analysts.

Since stock prices respond to revisions, it can be very profitable to buy stocks with rising earnings estimates. By buying Focus List stocks, then, you're likely getting into companies whose future earnings estimates will be raised, potentially leading to price momentum.

Focus List Spotlight: Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) Alphabet is one of the most innovative companies in the modern technological age. Over the last few years, the company has evolved from primarily a search-engine provider to cloud computing, ad-based video and music streaming, autonomous vehicles, healthcare and others. In the online search arena, Google has a monopoly with roughly 90% of the online search volume and market. Over the years, the company has witnessed increase in search queries, resulting from ongoing growth in user adoption and usage, primarily on mobile devices, continued growth in advertiser activity, and improvements in ad formats.

On May 19, 2025, GOOGL was added to the Focus List at $166.19 per share. Shares have increased 103.38% to $338 since then, and the company is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2025. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased to $10.57. GOOGL boasts an average earnings surprise of 18.7%.

Additionally, GOOGL's earnings are expected to grow 31.5% for the current fiscal year.

Reveal Winning StocksUnlock all of our powerful research, tools and analysis, including the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research Reports, Zacks Earnings ESP Filter, Premium Screener and more, as part of Zacks Premium. You'll quickly identify which stocks to buy, hold and sell, and target today's hottest industries, to help improve the performance of your portfolio. Gain full access now >>

After reaching an important support level, Whirlpool (WHR - Free Report) could be a good stock pick from a technical perspective. WHR surpassed resistance at the 50-day moving average, suggesting a short-term bullish trend.

The 50-day simple moving average is a widely used technical indicator that helps determine support or resistance levels for different types of securities. It's one of three major moving averages, but takes precedent because it's the first sign of an up or down trend.

WHR could be on the verge of another rally after moving 7.4% higher over the last four weeks. Plus, the company is currently a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock.

Once investors consider WHR's positive earnings estimate revisions, the bullish case only solidifies. No estimate has gone lower in the past two months for the current fiscal year, compared to 2 higher, and the consensus estimate has increased as well.

Given this move in earnings estimate revisions and the positive technical factor, investors may want to keep their eye on WHR for more gains in the near future.

Revvity (RVTY - Free Report) reported $772.06 million in revenue for the quarter ended December 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 5.9%. EPS of $1.70 for the same period compares to $1.42 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.02% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $771.9 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.63, the EPS surprise was +4.29%.

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.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Revvity performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Organic revenue growth - Total: 4% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 2.4%.Organic revenue growth - Life Sciences: 0% versus 1% estimated by three analysts on average.Organic revenue growth - Diagnostics: 7% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 3.6%.Net Sales- Life Sciences: $381.99 million compared to the $376.21 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +13.6% year over year.Net Sales- Diagnostics: $390.07 million versus $385.54 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -0.8% change.View all Key Company Metrics for Revvity here>>>

Shares of Revvity have returned +10.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% 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.

Here at Zacks, we offer our members many different opportunities to take full advantage of the stock market, as well as how to invest in ways that lead to long-term success.

The Zacks Premium service, which provides 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 like the Earnings ESP filter, makes these more manageable goals. All of the features can help you identify what stocks to buy, what to sell, and what are today's hottest industries.

Also included in Zacks Premium is the Focus List. This is a long-term portfolio of top stocks that have all the traits to beat the market.

Breaking Down the Zacks Focus ListBuilding an investment portfolio from scratch can be difficult, so if you could, wouldn't you take a peek at a curated list of top stocks?

Enter the Zacks Focus List. It's a portfolio made up of 50 stocks that are set to beat the market over the next 12 months; each company selected serves as a foundation for long-term investors looking to create an individual portfolio.

One thing that makes the Focus List even more advantageous is that each pick comes with a full Zacks Analyst Report. This helps explain why each stock was selected and why we believe it's a good pick for the long-term.

The portfolio's past performance only solidifies why investors should consider it as a starting point. For 2020, the Focus List gained 13.85% on an annualized basis compared to the S&P 500's return of 9.38%. Cumulatively, the portfolio has returned 2,519.23% while the S&P returned 854.95%. Returns are for the period of February 1, 1996 to March 31, 2021.

Focus List MethodologyWhen stocks are picked for the Focus List, it reflects our enduring reliance on the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Earnings estimates, or expectations of growth and profitability, come from brokerage analysts who track publicly traded companies; these analysts work together with company management to analyze every aspect that may affect future earnings, like interest rates, the economy, and sector and industry optimism.

Investors also need to look at what a company will earn down the road. This is why earnings estimate revisions are so important.

The stocks that receive positive changes to earnings estimates are more likely to receive even more upward changes in the future. Take this example: if an analyst raised their estimates last month, they'll probably do so again this month, and other analysts will follow.

Utilizing the power of earnings estimate revisions is when the Zacks Rank joins the party. A unique, proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank uses changes to quarterly earnings expectations to help investors create a winning portfolio.

There are four main factors behind the Zacks Rank: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise. Each one of these features is then given a raw score that's recalculated every night and compiled into the Rank. Using this data, stocks are classified into five groups, ranging from "Strong Buy" to "Strong Sell."

The Focus List is comprised of stocks hand-picked from a long list of #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) ranked companies, meaning that each new addition boasts a bullish earnings consensus among analysts.

It can be very profitable to buy stocks with rising earnings estimates, as stock prices respond to revisions. By adding Focus List stocks, there's a great chance you'll be getting into companies whose future earnings estimates will be raised, which can lead to price momentum.

Focus List Spotlight: Walt Disney (DIS - Free Report) Burbank, CA-based Walt Disney Company has assets that span movies, television shows and theme parks. Revenues were $94.4 billion in fiscal 2025.

Since being added to the Focus List on March 23, 2020 at $85.98 per share, shares of DIS have increased 31.19% to $112.8. The stock is currently a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank.

Three analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.01 to $6.58. DIS also boasts an average earnings surprise of 15.8%.

Additionally, DIS's earnings are expected to grow 11% for the current fiscal year.

Reveal Winning StocksUnlock all of our powerful research, tools and analysis, including the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research Reports, Zacks Earnings ESP Filter, Premium Screener and more, as part of Zacks Premium. You'll quickly identify which stocks to buy, hold and sell, and target today's hottest industries, to help improve the performance of your portfolio. Gain full access now >>

From a technical perspective, Deckers (DECK - Free Report) is looking like an interesting pick, as it just reached a key level of support. DECK recently overtook the 200-day moving average, and this suggests a long-term bullish trend.

The 200-day simple moving average is a useful tool for traders and analysts, establishing market trends for stocks, commodities, indexes, and other financial instruments over the long term. The marker moves higher or lower along with longer-term price moves, and serves as a support or resistance level.

DECK has rallied 11.8% over the past four weeks, and the company is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at the moment. This combination suggests DECK could be on the verge of another move higher.

Looking at DECK's earnings estimate revisions, investors will be even more convinced of the bullish uptrend. There have been 5 higher compared to none lower for the current fiscal year, and the consensus estimate has moved up as well.

Investors may want to watch DECK for more gains in the near future given the company's key technical level and positive earnings estimate revisions.

Key Takeaways Eaton is expected to post Q4 EPS of $3.33, implying a 17.7% increase from the year-ago quarter.ETN continues to see strong order wins, supported by a solid backlog and a book-to-bill ratio above 1.Eaton benefits from megatrends, AI data center demand, R&D investments and ongoing share repurchases. Eaton Corporation (ETN - Free Report) is expected to report an improvement in both top and bottom lines when it reports fourth-quarter 2025 results on Feb. 3, before market open. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is currently pegged at $3.33 per share on revenues of $7.11 billion.

Fourth-quarter earnings estimates have gone down 0.6% over the past 60 days. The bottom-line projection indicates 17.67% increase from the year-ago quarter’s number. ETN expects its earnings to be in the range of $3.23 to $3.43 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.87%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ETN Stock’s Earnings Surprise HistoryEaton’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 0.70%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What the Zacks Model UnveilsOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Eaton this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. That is not the case here, as you can see below.

You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

ETN’s Earnings ESP: Eaton has an Earnings ESP of -0.13%.

ETN’s Zacks Rank: Eaton currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Here are some stocks in the same sector that, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the quarter to be reported.

Mueller Water Products (MWA - Free Report) , Trimble Inc. (TRMB - Free Report) and Watts Water Technologies (WTS - Free Report) carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each at present. Currently, the Earnings ESP of MWA, TRMB and WTS are +5.00%, +1.91% and +0.59%, respectively.

Factors Likely to Have Driven ETN’s Q4 Earnings PerformanceEaton’s broad product portfolio and improvement in end market conditions continue to drive strong order wins, steadily increasing. Its strong backlog offers a reliable pipeline of future revenues, contributing to the company’s solid performance. A book-to-bill ratio of more than 1 on a rolling 12-month basis indicates a stable demand for Eaton’s products, which continues to support its earnings.

Electrification, global megatrends, the energy transition and reindustrialization have been driving growth across nearly 75% of Eaton’s end markets and are expected to support strong fourth-quarter results. Surging demand from power-intensive AI data centers has been creating new opportunities and further bolstering earnings.

Eaton’s ongoing investment in research and development has strengthened the quality of its existing products while supporting the development of new solutions for customers. This steady stream of innovation enables ETN to secure more orders and expand its market footprint, ultimately driving earnings growth. For the fourth quarter, the company expects organic revenues to increase 8.5-9.5%.

The ongoing repurchase of shares, through free cash flow, is also likely to have had a positive impact on the fourth-quarter earnings of the company.

ETN Stock Returns Better Than Its IndustryEaton’s trailing 12-month return on equity (“ROE”) is 24.36%, ahead of the industry average of 19.27%. ROE is a financial ratio that measures how well a company uses its shareholders’ equity to generate profits. The company's current ROE indicates that it is using shareholders’ funds more efficiently than peers.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Eaton’s Shares Trading at a PremiumThe company is currently valued at a premium compared with its industry on a forward 12-month P/E basis. Eaton is trading at 25.61X compared with its industry’s 23.03X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AppFolio (APPF - Free Report) has been on a downward spiral lately with significant selling pressure. After declining 17.6% over the past four weeks, the stock looks well positioned for a trend reversal as it is now in oversold territory and there is strong agreement among Wall Street analysts that the company will report better earnings than they predicted earlier.

We use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Usually, a stock is considered oversold when its RSI reading falls below 30.

Technically, every stock oscillates between being overbought and oversold irrespective of the quality of their fundamentals. And the beauty of RSI is that it helps you quickly and easily check if a stock's price is reaching a point of reversal.

So, by this measure, if a stock has gotten too far below its fair value just because of unwarranted selling pressure, investors may start looking for entry opportunities in the stock for benefiting from the inevitable rebound.

However, like every investing tool, RSI has its limitations, and should not be used alone for making an investment decision.

Why a Trend Reversal is Due for APPFThe heavy selling of APPF shares appears to be in the process of exhausting itself, as indicated by its RSI reading of 24.6. So, the trend for the stock could reverse soon for reaching the old equilibrium of supply and demand.

This technical indicator is not the only factor that calls for a potential rebound for the stock. There is a fundamental indicator as well. A strong agreement among sell-side analysts covering APPF in raising earnings estimates for the current year has led to an increase in the consensus EPS estimate by 0.8% over the last 30 days. And an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.

Moreover, APPF currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on trends in earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises. This is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential turnaround in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Commvault Systems (CVLT - Free Report) has been on a downward spiral lately with significant selling pressure. After declining 31% over the past four weeks, the stock looks well positioned for a trend reversal as it is now in oversold territory and there is strong agreement among Wall Street analysts that the company will report better earnings than they predicted earlier.

We use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Usually, a stock is considered oversold when its RSI reading falls below 30.

Technically, every stock oscillates between being overbought and oversold irrespective of the quality of their fundamentals. And the beauty of RSI is that it helps you quickly and easily check if a stock's price is reaching a point of reversal.

So, by this measure, if a stock has gotten too far below its fair value just because of unwarranted selling pressure, investors may start looking for entry opportunities in the stock for benefiting from the inevitable rebound.

However, like every investing tool, RSI has its limitations, and should not be used alone for making an investment decision.

Here's Why CVLT Could Experience a TurnaroundThe RSI reading of 22.89 for CVLT is an indication that the heavy selling could be in the process of exhausting itself, so the stock could bounce back in a quest for reaching the old equilibrium of supply and demand.

The RSI value is not the only factor that indicates a potential turnaround for the stock in the near term. On the fundamental side, there has been strong agreement among the sell-side analysts covering the stock in raising earnings estimates for the current year. Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for CVLT has increased 24.9%. And an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.

Moreover, CVLT 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. This is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential turnaround in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (SLNO - Free Report) has been beaten down lately with too much selling pressure. While the stock has lost 18.3% over the past four weeks, there is light at the end of the tunnel as it is now in oversold territory and Wall Street analysts expect the company to report better earnings than they predicted earlier.

We use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Usually, a stock is considered oversold when its RSI reading falls below 30.

Technically, every stock oscillates between being overbought and oversold irrespective of the quality of their fundamentals. And the beauty of RSI is that it helps you quickly and easily check if a stock's price is reaching a point of reversal.

So, by this measure, if a stock has gotten too far below its fair value just because of unwarranted selling pressure, investors may start looking for entry opportunities in the stock for benefiting from the inevitable rebound.

However, like every investing tool, RSI has its limitations, and should not be used alone for making an investment decision.

Why a Trend Reversal is Due for SLNOThe heavy selling of SLNO shares appears to be in the process of exhausting itself, as indicated by its RSI reading of 28.79. So, the trend for the stock could reverse soon for reaching the old equilibrium of supply and demand.

The RSI value is not the only factor that indicates a potential turnaround for the stock in the near term. On the fundamental side, there has been strong agreement among the sell-side analysts covering the stock in raising earnings estimates for the current year. Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for SLNO has increased 7.8%. And an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.

Moreover, SLNO 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. This is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential turnaround in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Brazilian telecoms operator TIM SA is negotiating to repurchase a 51% interest in a fibre-network company it once controlled in a deal that could be worth about $170 million, two people familiar with the matter said.

If institutional investors win out, the move would represent a strategic about-face for the company, which sold the stake four years ago amid a broader industry trend toward divesting infrastructure-related assets.

In 2021, a 51% stake in I-Systems, then known as FiberCo, was sold by TIM’s majority owner, Telecom Italia, to independent communications infrastructure firm IHS Towers.

According to Reuters, the sale came amid a global trend among telecom operators to cash in on towers and fibre networks to generate cash and spread the costs of the massive investment needed to build out communications infrastructure.

Neutral fibre model under pressure Copy link to section

Globally, telecom companies have been using asset-light methods more and more over the last ten years, spinning off or selling infrastructure to specialised operators.

These neutral-host arrangements were developed to attract various tenants and produce scale efficiencies. However, IHS Towers and other operators in Brazil have had difficulty reaching the client scale required to maintain a stand-alone fibre company.

Like competing neutral fibre providers in the nation, IHS Towers has had trouble developing a sizable enough clientele for I-Systems.

As a result, the economics of the model have come under pressure, requiring reassessment of ownership structures. TIM Brasil would once again have complete operational control of I-Systems as a result of the proposed deal.

The share in the fibre unit may be worth around 900 million reais, or roughly $171 million, according to those involved with the discussions. The sources declined to be named because the negotiations are not public.

Copy link to section

Last month, Telecom Italia, which holds a 67% stake in TIM SA, ordered the Brazilian operator to proceed with negotiations to buy back the stake, the sources said. Rothschild was appointed an adviser on the potential deal as part of that process.

The transaction could be approved by TIM SA as early as February 10, when its board meets to discuss full-year results.

However, they warned that talks could stretch beyond that date due to the intricacies of the negotiations and the need to agree on terms that would be acceptable to both parties.

Telecom Italia, Rothschild, and TIM SA representatives declined to comment on the issue. IHS Towers was unavailable for comment right away.

Parallels with rival strategy Copy link to section

A repurchase of IHS Towers’ interest in I-Systems would be similar to a recent action taken by Vivo, a competitor of TIM SA.

Last year, Vivo reclaimed full ownership of FiBrasil, the fibre joint venture it started in 2020, reversing a prior shared-ownership structure.

The parallel underscores a broader reappraisal among Brazilian telecom providers of the balance between infrastructure sharing and direct control.

According to statistics on its website, I-Systems currently operates in 41 Brazilian cities and has a fibre network that covers areas with over 9.3 million homes.

As competition in Brazil’s broadband market heats up, the network’s size makes it a strategically significant asset for TIM.

The current structure of joint ventures Copy link to section

I-Systems is in charge of developing new fibre infrastructure for TIM and overseeing its upkeep and operation under the terms of the current joint venture agreement.

TIM, in turn, serves as the anchor tenant under a long-term master services agreement, providing a baseline level of demand for the network.

Regaining complete ownership would enable TIM to better integrate the fibre business into its larger operations, possibly streamlining decision-making and coordinating investment objectives.

The possible agreement highlights how changing market conditions are forcing telecom companies to reevaluate tactics used during the height of infrastructure divestitures, even though negotiations are still underway.

HIGHLIGHTS

Sigma Lithium announces the resumption of mining activities at its Mine 1 in Vale do Jequitinhonha in Brazil, as scheduled.

This step successfully concludes the restructuring of mining operations aimed at increasing safety and operating efficiency, with the Company's technical leadership managing mining activities and planning, while incorporating a larger off-road mining fleet to match the increased production capacity achieved by the Greentech Industrial Plant.

The restructuring was financed in part by the commercial success of Sigma Lithium's high-purity low-grade lithium oxide concentrate fines, which can potentially generate equivalent proceeds to those of selling approximately 70,000t of Sigma Lithium's high grade lithium oxide concentrate product.

The new mining operational structure is expected to fully support the increase in production scale planned within the next 12 months, with the resumption of construction and subsequent commissioning of the Phase 2 Greentech Industrial Plant.

Demonstrating how Sigma Lithium's low costs can enable the generation of robust cash flows under any production scenario for Phase 1, we provided an illustrative annual guidance for cash flow generation utilizing two different historical scenarios for Phase 1's ongoing production (220,000tpy and 240,000tpy) and for Phase 2 (520,000tpy); (see Table 1 below). The Company will provide guidance for the full year 2026 output once production resumption reaches a "steady state" during 1Q26.

São Paulo, Brazil--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - Sigma Lithium Corporation (TSXV: SGML) (NASDAQ: SGML) (BVMF: S2GM34) ("Sigma Lithium" or "the Company"), a leading global lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric batteries with socially and environmentally sustainable lithium concentrate, announces that it has resumed mining activities at the Company's Mine 1 in Vale do Jequitinhonha in Brazil, as scheduled.

The resumption successfully concluded the restructuring of the Sigma Lithium's mining operations that occurred during 4Q25, with the Company's technical leadership directing and managing all mining restructuring activities and planning and leading subcontractors providing equipment, including blasting and drilling services, as well a regional workforce of mining personnel (drivers and machine operators). In addition to increasing safety and operating efficiency, this restructuring had the objective of tripling previous earth moving capabilities through the incorporation of a larger "off road" equipment fleet to match the increased production capacity of the Company's Greentech Industrial Plant while providing the cadence of ore delivery it required.

The restructuring was financed in part by the commercial success of Sigma Lithium's high-purity low-grade lithium oxide concentrate fines ("Fines"), produced by the Greentech Industrial Plant (dry stacked). The sale of Fines started generating meaningful gross proceeds. Illustratively, applying the price of US$140/t (last sale) to the inventory available of 950,000t (at year end), this can potentially generate equivalent proceeds to selling approximately 70,000t of Sigma Lithium's high-grade lithium oxide concentrate at US$1,800/t (3 months of the Greentech Industrial Plant's main product output). Additionally, Sigma Lithium was able to benefit from the financial support of its large global clients and financiers, which have continuously been providing contractual collateral and working capital lines against future production (70.5kt, as previously announced), replacing additional third-party capital that would have been required. The new mining operational structure is expected to fully support the increase in production scale planned within the next 12 months, with the resumption of construction and subsequent commissioning of the Phase 2 Greentech Industrial Plant, designed to meet the fast-growing demand for lithium battery materials.

The mining restart is being structured according to a staged equipment deployment plan, with third-party equipment deployed on site, followed by leased equipment, in alignment with mine sequencing and site safety protocols. This approach ensures a controlled ramp-up process within 1Q26, resulting in the delivery of gradually increasing volumes of ore to Sigma Lithium's Greentech Industrial Plant, which has continued to operate by processing strategic stockpiles of dry-stacked tailings and previously mined ore (OSP-mixed with higher quantities of host rock).

The Company will provide guidance for the full year 2026 output once production resumption reaches a "steady state" during 1Q26, once all equipment is mobilized and mining activities are running at full capacity. The table below illustrates Sigma Lithium's potential cash flow generation utilizing two different historical scenarios for Phase 1 ongoing production and for Phase 2 and demonstrates how the Company's low costs can enable the generation of robust cash flows under various production scenarios for Phase 1 and in different lithium price environments, demonstrating the operational resilience to withstand the volatility of lithium markets.

Table 1

Guidance for Production Volumes and Costs per Tonne (US$/t)Estimated 12 Month Period
(Phase 1 Only)*Estimated
FY2027E
(Phases
1 & 2)Production Volumes220,000270,000520,000CIF China Cash Cost (440)(440)(440)Maintenance Capex + Other Expenses(12)(12)(12)ESG, G&A Expenses(80)(80)(32)Interest Expenses(67)(67)(27)All-In Sustaining Cost(599)(599)(511)Cash Flow Forecasts at Various Realized Prices (US$ M)**

Cash Flow @ US$1,000/t$78$96$225Cash Flow @ US$1,400/t$156$191$408Cash Flow @ US$1,800/t$233$286$592*Annualized production following the end of ramp-up period using the historical annualized monthly low and high outputs.
**Prices used to calculate cash flow are grade adjusted.Sigma Lithium's unique business model, which is focused on maximizing operating margins and enhancing its low-cost position, has turned the Company into a pillar of the global battery supply chain and consolidated the Sigma Lithium as leading lithium producer. This is demonstrated by the steadfast commitment of its large clients to financially supporting Sigma Lithium's successful resumption of mining activities.

Ana Cabral, Ceo and Co-Chairperson of Sigma Lithium, said:

"The restructuring of our mining operations underscores Sigma Lithium's commitment to safety-first, as well as disciplined execution during the downcycle and intense price volatility of 2025. This operational approach highlights our focus on efficiency and continuous pursuit of higher margins and cash generation. The upgrading our mining operations will enable us to fully benefit from the substantial capacity improvements executed in the Greentech Industrial Plant."

"The resumption of mining activities on schedule was the result of the relentlessness focus of our team of 600 people at Vale do Jequitinhonha - synchronized with our financial and commercial teams traveling globally. We are honored to have a core group of clients and financiers who have been steadfast in their commitment to support Sigma Lithium. We are grateful to our regulators at Brazil's National Mining Agency (ANM) and Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), as well as the Minas Gerais State Government, who have demonstrated their focus on maintaining the prosperity wave brought to over 19,000 people in Vale do Jequitinhonha."

QUALIFIED PERSONS

The qualified person (QP) for the Grota do Cirilo reserve estimate is Mr. Alexandre Rodrigues Cabral, P. Eng., member of the Ordre des Ingenieurs du Quebec (OIQ, membership number 105796), who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Cabral is not considered an independent QP under NI 43-101 as he is a Sigma Lithium Director and Chair of the Company's Technical Committee.

ABOUT SIGMA LITHIUM

Sigma Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ: SGML) (TSXV: SGML) (BVMF: S2GM34), ("Sigma Lithium" or "the Company"), is a leading global lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric batteries with socially and environmentally sustainable lithium oxide concentrate.

The Company operates one of the world's largest lithium production sites-the fifth-largest industrial-mineral complex for lithium oxide concentrate-at its Grota do Cirilo operation in Brazil. Sigma Lithium is at the forefront of environmental and social sustainability in the electric battery materials supply chain, producing Quintuple Zero Green Lithium: zero coal power, zero tailings dams, zero utilization of potable water, zero use of hazardous chemicals and zero accidents.

Sigma Lithium currently has a nameplate capacity to produce 270,000 tonnes of lithium oxide concentrate on an annualized basis (approximately 38,000-40,000 tonnes of LCE) at its mine and state-of-the-art Greentech Industrial Plant. The Company is now constructing a second plant to double its production capacity.

For more information about Sigma Lithium, visit our website

Please refer to the Company's National Instrument 43-101 technical report titled "Grota do Cirilo Lithium Project Araçuaí and Itinga Regions, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Amended and Restated Technical Report" issued March 19, 2024, which was prepared for Sigma Lithium by Homero Delboni Jr., MAusIMM, Promon Engenharia; Marc-Antoine Laporte, P.Geo, SGS Canada Inc; Jarrett Quinn, P.Eng., Primero Group Americas; Porfirio Cabaleiro Rodriguez, (MEng), FAIG, GE21 Consultoria Mineral; and William van Breugel, P.Eng (the "Updated Technical Report"). The Updated Technical Report is filed on SEDAR and is also available on the Company's website.

Sigma Lithium
LinkedIn: Sigma Lithium
Instagram: @sigmalithium
X: @SigmaLithium

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including but not limited to statements relating to timing and costs related to the general business and operational outlook of the Company, the environmental footprint of tailings and positive ecosystem impact relating thereto, donation and upcycling of tailings, timing and quantities relating to tailings and Green Lithium, achievements and projections relating to the Zero Tailings strategy, achievement of ramp-up volumes, production estimates and the operational status of the Grota do Cirilo Project, and other forward-looking information. All statements that address future plans, activities, events, estimates, expectations or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur is forward-looking information, including statements regarding the potential development of mineral resources and mineral reserves which may or may not occur. Forward-looking information contained herein is based on certain assumptions regarding, among other things: general economic and political conditions; the stable and supportive legislative, regulatory and community environment in Brazil; demand for lithium, including that such demand is supported by growth in the electric vehicle market; the Company's market position and future financial and operating performance; the Company's estimates of mineral resources and mineral reserves, including whether mineral resources will ever be developed into mineral reserves; and the Company's ability to operate its mineral projects including that the Company will not experience any materials or equipment shortages, any labour or service provider outages or delays or any technical issues. Although management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information inherently involves and is subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to that the market prices for lithium may not remain at current levels; and the market for electric vehicles and other large format batteries currently has limited market share and no assurances can be given for the rate at which this market will develop, if at all, which could affect the success of the Company and its ability to develop lithium operations. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ from current expectations, please refer to the current annual information form of the Company and other public filings available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282369

Source: Sigma Lithium Corporation

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Trust Stamp Inc (NASDAQ:IDAI, ISE:AIID) provided a business update on Monday, with CEO Gareth Genner outlining recent corporate activity, product development progress, and expansion initiatives.

Genner wrote that the company completed a financing round in the fourth quarter of 2025 using market stock placements and a warrant inducement agreement to provide working capital for growth initiatives in 2026, including acquisitions, customer expansion, and service development.

He wrote that in January the company agreed to terms under non-binding letters of intent for two mergers and acquisitions transactions involving companies from the UK National Cyber Security Centre’s startup program. One transaction would involve an outright acquisition and the other a 50% ownership stake, with both targeted to close before the end of February. Genner added that the transactions involve no cash consideration and proposed dilution of less than 2.5% of current share capital.

Genner also highlighted that Trust Stamp delivered a minimum viable product for its stablecoin-focused Wallet of Wallets platform at the end of December 2025 and signed a letter of intent with a Nasdaq-listed company for an initial deployment. He said the company plans launch activities for StableKey and Wallet of Wallets in the first and second quarters of 2026.

The CEO also noted the company’s progress in Africa, including receiving its first purchase order from a telecommunications company operating across multiple African and Middle Eastern markets for its Irreversibly Transformed Identity Token technology. Genner wrote that the customer is expected to generate seven-figure annual recurring revenue once transaction volumes mature and that discussions are ongoing with another telecom provider. He also wrote that the company’s first African nation-state project is progressing. “We anticipate announcing specific revenue commitments in Q3 2026,” Genner said.

Genner wrote that enrollment on the Orchestration Layer platform in the United States reached 112 institutions, with overall transaction volumes up about 20% year-over-year and FIS-related transactions up roughly 200%. He said the company plans to add sales support staff and increase industry engagement to accelerate implementation. He also wrote that the company’s relationship with an S&P 500 bank was extended and is estimated to generate $2.4 million to $2.7 million in gross annualized revenue in 2026.

He wrote that Trust Stamp is expanding its driver’s license and identity document authentication service as a stand-alone offering and pursuing banking opportunities in the United Kingdom and European Union, as well as age-verification market opportunities in the UK. He also wrote that the company has commercial healthcare deployments in the European Union and is in discussions with additional healthcare providers.

Genner wrote that commercialization of the Tap-in-Band project has been delayed by US federal budget constraints, but that the company is pursuing partnerships in the UK and Africa. He also wrote that a channel partnership with a national security services company has generated a pipeline of prospects across multiple sectors.

Genner identified five revenue focus areas: banking and financial services, stablecoin and cryptocurrency, African nation-state and telecom projects, healthcare technology, and Tap-in-Band and security services. “The majority of those areas are now post-revenue and have proven product-market fit and we believe that the product areas that are not yet post-revenue have very substantial potential,” he said.

He wrote that Trust Stamp continues to invest in intellectual property development, including recent patent issuances and filings related to multifactor authentication and zero-knowledge proof technologies. “We believe that this sustained investment in intellectual property differentiates us from many larger competitors that are farming legacy technology,” Genner wrote.

MIAMI, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wrap Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WRAP) (“Wrap” or, the “Company”), a global leader in non-lethal response solutions, today announced that it entered into a securities purchase agreement for a $5 million private placement. The capital raise is expected to enable the Company to restart domestic manufacturing, advance validated R&D programs into commercialization, and responsibly accelerate early growth initiatives aligned with rising demand for non-lethal response capabilities.

Market Opportunity

Wrap’s market opportunity extends beyond a single-device business model to an integrated response platform that combines technology, training, and policy. This is expected to expand the Company’s addressable market by positioning Wrap as a Non-Lethal Response provider, delivering system-level capabilities rather than standalone tools across state, local, and federal agencies, as well as select private-sector and commercial security environments where non-lethal, low-risk response solutions are increasingly required.

As part of this transition, the Company is reengaging select manufacturers and key suppliers to support resumed production, future innovation, and supporting management’s outlook.

Manufacturing Restart and Quality Controls

Wrap is restarting domestic manufacturing with a renewed focus on rigorous quality control standards for its Non-Lethal Response technologies. This is expected to include the return of experienced quality and production personnel who were integral to earlier high-reliability manufacturing runs, as well as the reimplementation of proven inspection, testing, and process controls. These efforts reflect the Company’s emphasis on precision, durability, and consistency as it prepares for expanded deployments across domestic and federal markets.

Training Expansion and Operational Readiness

In parallel, Wrap is increasing domestic training capacity to support broader adoption of Non-Lethal Response programs. Training is expected to be delivered through a tiered model that includes lead instructors, train-the-trainer certification, and hybrid delivery combining in-person and digital instruction for all operators of its expanded Non-Lethal Response technologies. The training expansion is expected to focus on operational integration, lawful control, and scenario-based readiness, ensuring agencies may have the opportunity to deploy non-lethal tools effectively and safely in real-world conditions.

Research and Development and Product Commercialization

Many of Wrap’s recent R&D initiatives have progressed through testing and are now entering final validation stages. Additional capital is required to bring these capabilities to market, including next-generation multi-shot systems, drone-enabled non-lethal delivery concepts, and other supporting technologies designed to provide low-collateral, non-lethal options across a wider range of operational environments.

Federal and International Expansion

These investments are expected to support the continued expansion of Wrap Federal, the Company’s federal and international business segment focused on U.S. government agencies and allied operations requiring non-lethal, low-collateral solutions. Wrap sees growing opportunity across federal, defense-adjacent, and international use cases where early, non-lethal intervention may improve outcomes while preserving mission readiness.

Leadership Commentary

“Our focus is on adding the resources required to accelerate growth, particularly across manufacturing, quality control, marketing, and R&D,” said Scot Cohen, CEO of Wrap. “This capital may allow us to take proven concepts, finalize validation, and responsibly bring them to market, while restoring manufacturing excellence and expanding training to meet real operational demand.”

Private Placement

Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, the Company agreed to issue 2,500,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $2.00 per share of common stock (or per pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof) and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate amount of 2,500,000 shares of common stock in a private placement. The common warrants issued in private placement will be immediately exercisable at an initial exercise price of $2.30 per share and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The private placement is expected to close on or about February 3, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be $5 million, prior to deducting offering expenses payable by the Company.

For a full description of the terms of the financing, please see the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K that is expected to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

The securities in the offering were offered and sold in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to the exemption for transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D of the Securities Act and in reliance on similar exemptions under applicable state laws. Accordingly, the securities issued in the private placement and shares of common stock underlying the warrants may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws. Pursuant to a registration rights agreement, the Company has agreed to file one or more registration statements with the SEC covering the resale of the shares of common stock and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants and common warrants.

This press release is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Wrap Technologies, Inc.

Wrap Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WRAP) a global leader in innovative public safety technologies and non-lethal tools, delivering cutting-edge technology with exceptional people to address the complex, modern day challenges facing public safety organizations.

Wrap's complete public safety portfolio includes the non-lethal BolaWrap® 150 device, WrapReality™ immersive training platform, WrapVision™ body-worn camera system, WrapTactics™ training programs, and next-generation CUAS solutions like PAN-DA and the 1KC Kinetic Anti-Drone Cassette, all of which supports the Company's mission to provide safer, scalable, and cost-effective technologies for public safety, defense, and critical infrastructure markets. Wrap's BolaWrap® 150 solution leads in pre-escalation intended to provide law enforcement with a safer choice for nearly every phase of a critical incident. This innovative, patented device deploys a multi-sensory, cognitive disruption that leverages sight, sound and sensation to expand the pre-escalation period and gives officers the advantage and critical time to manage non-compliant subjects before resorting to higher-force options. The BolaWrap® 150 is not pain-based compliance. It does not shoot, strike, shock, or incapacitate, instead, it helps officers strategically operate pre-escalation on the force continuum, reducing the risk of injury to both officers and subjects. Used by over 1,000 agencies across the U.S. and in 60 countries, BolaWrap® is backed by training certified by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), reinforcing Wrap's commitment to public safety through cutting-edge technology and expert training.

WrapReality™ VR is a fully immersive training simulator to enhance decision-making under pressure.

As a comprehensive public safety training platform, it provides first responders with realistic, interactive scenarios that reflect the evolving challenges of modern law enforcement. By offering a growing library of real-world situations, WrapReality™ is intended to equip officers with the skills and confidence to navigate high-stakes encounters effectively, which we believe leads to safer outcomes for both responders and the communities they serve.

WrapVision is an all-new body-worn camera and evidence management system built for efficiency.

Designed for efficiency, security, and transparency to meet the rigorous demands of modern law enforcement, WrapVision captures, stores, and helps manage digital evidence, ensuring operational security, regulatory compliance, and enhanced video picture quality and field of view.

The WrapVision camera, powered by IONODES, boasts streamlined cloud integration and final North American assembly, with country-of-origin (COO) United States. This track helps ensure data integrity and helps eliminate critical concerns over unauthorized access or foreign surveillance risks.

Trademark Information

Wrap, the Wrap logo, BolaWrap®, WrapReality™ and Wrap Training Academy are trademarks of Wrap Technologies, Inc., some of which are registered in the U.S. and abroad. All other trade names used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective holders.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements - Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "should", "believe", "target", "project", "goals", "estimate", "potential", "predict", "may", "will", "could", "intend", and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Moreover, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company's control and include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the completion of the offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering and the intended use of proceeds therefrom, Wrap's planned future products, technologies, integration, intended product designs and expected benefits therefrom, expected market opportunities and outcomes related to Wrap's products to increase officer and public safety. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the Company's ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market's listing standards; the Company's ability to successfully implement training programs for the use of its products; the Company's ability to manufacture and produce products for its customers; the Company's ability to develop sales for its products; the market acceptance of existing and future products; the availability of funding to continue to finance operations; the complexity, expense and time associated with sales to law enforcement and government entities; the lengthy evaluation and sales cycle for the Company's product solutions; product defects; litigation risks from alleged product-related injuries; risks of government regulations; the impact resulting from geopolitical conflicts and any resulting sanctions; the ability to obtain export licenses for counties outside of the United States; the ability to obtain patents and defend intellectual property against competitors; the impact of competitive products and solutions; and the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors mentioned in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations.

Investor Relations Contact:

(800) 583-2652
[email protected]

Twist Bioscience (TWST - Free Report) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.5 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.48. This compares to a loss of $0.53 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -5.26%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this maker of synthetic DNA for the biotechnology industry would post a loss of $0.4 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.45, delivering a surprise of -12.5%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.

Twist Bioscience, which belongs to the Zacks Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, posted revenues of $103.7 million for the quarter ended December 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.05%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $88.71 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three 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.

Twist Bioscience shares have added about 29.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 1.4%.

What's Next for Twist Bioscience?While Twist Bioscience 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 Twist Bioscience 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 -$0.46 on $104.74 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$1.64 on $435.41 million 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, Medical - Biomedical and Genetics is currently in the top 39% 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.

Another stock from the same industry, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended December 2025.

This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.99 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +20.2%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $11.85 million, down 7.9% from the year-ago quarter.

Aftermath Silver Ltd (TSX-V:AAG, OTCQX:AAGFF, FRA:FLM1) has appointed mining executive Danny Keating as chief operating officer as the Canada-listed explorer advances technical work at its Berenguela silver-copper-manganese project in Peru.

Keating, a mining engineer with three decades of experience in mine development, processing and project execution, most recently served as chief executive of TSX Venture Exchange-listed Giyani Metals. He has also held senior roles at Alufer Mining, Dynamic Mining and Australia-listed Lindian Resources, and earlier worked at Anglo American and Gold Fields. He later moved into investment banking and corporate finance roles at Collins Stewart and ABN AMRO.

Michael Parker, Aftermath’s current COO and a director of the company, will transition to the role of technical director, leading the Peruvian team and overseeing exploration and development activities at the company’s projects in Chile.

Aftermath is advancing engineering studies at Berenguela following infill drilling and a recently updated resource estimate, as well as testing new exploration targets near the project. The company is also drilling at its Challacollo silver project in northern Chile.

“Danny’s appointment as chief operating officer enhances our ability to effectively execute our planned engineering studies,” Aftermath CEO Ralph Rushton said in a statement. “His experience in project evaluation, mine development and EV battery-related metals positions Aftermath extremely well as we advance the engineering work, further de-risk Berenguela and demonstrate the project economics.”

Separately, the company said it had adopted a 10% fixed stock option plan, allowing it to grant up to 33.8 million stock options to eligible participants. The plan is the company’s only security-based compensation program.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (CSE: PHRM) (OTCQB: PHRRF) (the "Company" or "PharmaTher"), a specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced a new strategic initiative to pursue Health Canada approval for generic semaglutide in Canada and, subject to regulatory approval, its commercialization. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic® and Wegovy®. The initiative builds on PharmaTher's demonstrated regulatory and partnering execution, including its U.S. FDA approval of ketamine and the monetization of U.S. rights with potential proceeds exceeding US$25 million.

Canada Opens as an Early Major Market for Generic Semaglutide

In January 2026, regulatory exclusivity for semaglutide in Canada expired, creating a pathway for regulated generic competition and drawing global attention to Canada as an early major market for generic semaglutide.

Ozempic® was estimated to have generated approximately C$2.9 billion in Canadian sales in 2025 (Source: IQVIA Canada). Industry estimates suggest the broader GLP-1 receptor agonist opportunity in Canada could grow to approximately US$6.5 billion by 2033 (Source: Grand View Research), reflecting increasing demand and broader adoption.

PharmaTher's Plan: Speed-to-Market, Reliable Supply, Broad Dose Coverage

PharmaTher's initiative is designed to position the Company among the early suppliers of generic semaglutide in Canada following regulatory approval, supported by:

Clear near-term milestone: pursuing Health Canada approval in 2026Broad dose coverage across the treatment journey (0.25 mg to 2.4 mg)Sterile injectable manufacturing strategy: leveraging a cost-effective, high-quality commercial sterile injectable manufacturer with facilities audited by regulatory health authoritiesPlatform-building focus: scaling injectable capabilities to support long-term semaglutide supply reliability and enable future global partnering opportunities"Canada's semaglutide market is entering a pivotal transition: demand is growing, and affordable access and reliable supply will matter," said Fabio Chianelli, Founder, Chairman and CEO of PharmaTher. "We've already proven we can execute on FDA approval of injectable drugs and structure a meaningful pharma partnership in ketamine. We are now applying that same execution playbook to pursue Health Canada approval for generic semaglutide and build a scalable sterile injectable platform for the obesity and diabetes market."

Ozempic® and Wegovy® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Use of these trademarks is for identification purposes only and does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement.

About PharmaTher Holdings Ltd.

PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (CSE: PHRM) (OTCQB: PHRRF) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, acquiring, and commercializing pharmaceutical products and enabling technologies. For more information, visit PharmaTher.com.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Forward-looking information may include statements regarding, among other things: the timing and outcome of regulatory submissions and reviews (including potential Health Canada approval and the timing of any commercial launch); the Company's ability to secure, maintain and scale manufacturing, supply, logistics and distribution arrangements; anticipated market size, pricing dynamics and demand and broader adoption for semaglutide products in Canada; and the Company's ability to enter into or realize the benefits of strategic partnerships, collaborations or other transactions. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including risks related to regulatory processes and timelines, manufacturing and supply constraints, competition, market acceptance, pricing and reimbursement, and general economic and market conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, PharmaTher undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Other risk factors are described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three and six months ended November 30, 2025, dated January 29, 2026, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise such information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282371

Source: PharmaTher Holdings Ltd.

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New survey highlights the growing risks that fraudulent transactions can reap on dealerships, impacting profitability and the overall customer experience

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With fraud continuing to emerge as a growing operational challenge for the automotive industry, new research from Experian, a global data and technology leader, reveals how significant fraud is becoming. Based on a survey of automotive dealers, nearly nine-in-10 are concerned about fraud. The findings also show 70% of dealers believe fraudulent transactions are on the rise, signaling upward momentum.

A closer look at the study highlights the financial influence fraudulent transactions can have on a dealership’s bottom line. On average, over the last 12 months, dealers reported approximately four fraudulent deals were completed prior to detection. Additionally, 45% report that a single fraudulent transaction typically results in an estimated financial loss of $10,000 to $20,000, while 31% indicate their losses exceed that range. Dealers are bearing a substantial share of fraud related losses, with 64% reporting that insurance covers less than half of these costs. While some receive partial relief from lenders, 67% estimate that lenders cover under 50% of the losses and 10% say lenders provide no coverage at all.

“When one fraudulent transaction can wipe out tens of thousands of dollars in profit, it’s simply too big to ignore,” said Jim Maguire, Experian’s senior director for automotive. “These losses will eventually cut directly into a dealer’s margin and put serious strain on their operations, making it harder to stay profitable.”

Beyond direct losses, fraud is reshaping daily dealership operations and influencing customer experience. In fact, three-in-four dealers say auto-finance fraud affects their business operations. Furthermore, 53% cite balancing fraud prevention with a smooth and fast customer experience as their biggest challenge, while 46% say verification steps slow down the deal and frustrate customers.

The emerging fraud schemes fueling today’s transactions

Dealers reported automotive fraud can be classified into three primary categories: income, vehicle, and identity. The most common fraud schemes fall in the income-related category. Sixty-two percent of dealers say they encounter forged income documents and 50% see fabricated income claims.

While income-related fraud schemes are the most common, identity-related fraud has become one of the fastest growing risks dealers are facing. In fact, 44% of dealers express having to navigate synthetic identity attempts and 43% have seen both third-party and straw borrower fraud in the last 12 months.

Despite the prevalence of identity- and income-related fraud, nearly half (46%) of dealers only validate income when something seems “off”. Manual verification remains common, with 67% of dealers capturing ID via driver’s license scanners and 63% via photocopying. These methods will likely increase friction and create more vulnerabilities to sophisticated document manipulation.

“Fraud is no longer just a risk problem for dealers, it’s a profit leak and a customer experience problem all at once,” Maguire continued. “The best defense is simple: confirm identities upfront using multiple data sources, verify income and employment early, validate trade-in vehicle details so clean deals move quickly, and flag anything that doesn’t add up. Dealers who take the time to leverage advanced fraud-detection tools to assess shoppers’ incomes and identities are best positioned to avoid major losses and reduce friction during the car buying process.”

For more information, visit the Experian booth (4613W) during the National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas, Nev. from February 3-6. To view a copy of the report, visit www.experianauto.com/dealer-fraud-report.

About Experian

Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We help to redefine lending practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all using our unique combination of data, analytics and software. We also assist millions of people to realize their financial goals and help them to save time and money.

We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agrifinance, insurance, and many more industry segments.

We invest in talented people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data and to innovate. A FTSE 100 Index company listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN), we have a team of 25,200 people across 33 countries. Our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at experianplc.com.