Qualcomm (QCOM - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Shares of this chipmaker have returned -16.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. The Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry, to which Qualcomm belongs, has lost 11.4% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Qualcomm is expected to post earnings of $2.22 per share, indicating a change of -19.9% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -1% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $10.78 points to a change of -10.4% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -0.1%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $10.88 indicates a change of +1% from what Qualcomm is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +1%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Qualcomm is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For Qualcomm, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $9.71 billion indicates a year-over-year change of -6.3%. For the current and next fiscal years, $42.69 billion and $44.01 billion estimates indicate -3.3% and +3.1% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryQualcomm reported revenues of $10.6 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -2.2%. EPS of $2.65 for the same period compares with $2.85 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.62 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -0.19%. The EPS surprise was +3.11%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates just once over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Qualcomm is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Qualcomm. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) on Thursday reported better-than-expected second-quarter financial results.
Intel posted second-quarter revenue of $16.13 billion, beating analyst estimates of $14.42 billion. The company reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of 42 cents per share, doubling estimates of 21 cents per share, according to Benzinga Pro.
"AI is driving unprecedented demand for compute, and as we continue to execute, Intel is well-positioned to capture sustainable growth across our CPU franchise, ASICs, advanced packaging and vast wafer foundry network," said Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel.
Intel expects third-quarter revenue to be in the range of $15.8 billion to $16.8 billion versus estimates of $15.01 billion. The company anticipates third-quarter adjusted earnings of 38 cents per share versus estimates of 24 cents per share.
Intel shares gained 1.7% to $103.00 in pre-market trading.
These analysts made changes to their price targets on Intel following earnings announcement.
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh maintained the stock with a Neutral and lowered the price target from $135 to $109. Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers maintained the stock with an Equal-Weight rating and raised the price target from $110 to $120. Considering buying INTC stock? Here’s what analysts think:
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Intel sits at 100.23 after sliding from the 133.00 area, holding the shaded 100 support zone. Source: TradingView The market for Intel is positive early during the session. It looks like it’s going to jump pretty significantly, maybe about $4 or roughly 4% from the close, and if that’s going to be the case, one would have to say that’s pretty healthy. The 50-day EMA sits at the $107 region, $108 or so, and this is a market that will, more likely than not, pay close attention to it based on recent market memory and the way it’s behaved around this indicator.
Regardless, the $100 level, I think, is going to remain important as well from a psychological standpoint. This looks like a market that’s trying to turn things around, but it is worth noting that the last couple of days have seen shots higher that have been faded pretty significantly later in the session.
Intel stock was rallying into Friday after the chipmaker reported blowout earnings supported by strong demand for hardware used in artificial intelligence. With the shares coming off a rough patch, this could be a buying opportunity as Wall Street sees more gains ahead.
The Data Center and AI (DCAI) division generated $2.5 billion in operating income, while Intel Foundry posted a $2.1 billion operating loss. Put side by side, the foundry loss equaled 84% of the operating profit generated by Intel’s fastest-growing major division.
INTC stock is moving after earnings. See the chart and price action here. Chips Business Fires on All CylindersDCAI revenue reached $6.3 billion, up 59% year-over-year from $3.9 billion, as hyperscalers and enterprises kept buying server processors for AI workloads. Operating margin expanded from 16.1% a year ago to 39.5%.
CFO Dave Zinsner said the jump reflected higher revenue, improved product margins and lower operating expenses, calling the roughly $1 billion sequential gain in operating profit meaningfully ahead of expectations.
The Client Computing and Physical AI Group added $8.9 billion in revenue, up 13% to 15%, at a 26% operating margin, giving Intel’s two product segments a combined $4.8 billion of operating profit.
Foundry Narrows the Gap, But Stays RedIntel Foundry revenue climbed to $5.8 billion, up 31% year-over-year, driven by stronger fab volumes on the Intel 18A process, which ran roughly 25% above target and more than 50% higher quarter-over-quarter.
The operating loss narrowed to $2.1 billion from $3.2 billion a year earlier, an improvement of $348 million sequentially. Zinsner credited stronger yields, faster cycle times, and increased factory scale across Intel 43 and 18A for the improved wafer costs.
Tension in Intel’s ComebackTotal revenue hit $16.1 billion, up 25% year-over-year, the fastest growth rate since 2011, and non-GAAP earnings per share of 42 cents doubled the 21 cents consensus estimate, per Benzinga Pro. Shares jumped as much as 12% in after-hours trading following the report.
AI-related server demand is reviving Intel’s most profitable franchise, but the cost of rebuilding manufacturing competitiveness continues to consume most of that operating contribution.
At the current run rate, Intel Foundry is losing roughly $8 billion annually with no confirmed break-even date, even as management touts narrowing losses and rising external interest as proof the turnaround under CEO Lip-Bu Tan is gaining traction.
INTC Stock Price Activity: Intel stock was up 3.15% at $103.39 during premarket trading Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Over the past month, INTC has declined about 22.3% versus a 0.4% rise in the S&P 500 and is up roughly 174% year-to-date compared to the index’s 7.7% gain.
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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Intel (NASDAQ:INTC | INTC Price Prediction) shares rose 3% Friday morning to $103.05, extending a striking turnaround after a blowout Q2 2026 report delivered Thursday after the close. The chipmaker carries a market value of $503.76 billion, and Intel stock is up 178% year to date (YTD).
The move looks idiosyncratic. Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) stock is down 1% at $390.41, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) shares are up 1% at $546.20, and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) stock sits flat at $208.20. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX), a concentrated fund holding all four names, trades flat at $549.68.
Traders are treating Intel’s report as a single-name earnings reaction rather than a broad chip-sector catalyst. The NASDAQ 100 is essentially unchanged as well.
Earnings Beat and Upbeat Q3 Guide Drive the Pop Intel reported Q2 revenue of $16.13 billion, up 25% year over year (YoY), topping the $14.45 billion consensus by 12%. The company’s non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.42, nearly double the $0.2166 estimate, swinging from a $0.10 loss a year earlier.
Intel’s segment strength was broad. Data Center and AI revenue surged 59% to $6.26 billion, Client Computing rose 13% to $8.88 billion, and Intel Foundry climbed 31% to $5.77 billion. Management guided Q3 revenue to $15.8 billion to $16.8 billion, above the $15.06 billion consensus, with non-GAAP EPS of $0.38.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, driving the ongoing turnaround, stated that “Our Q2 results represent our strongest revenue growth in more than fifteen years, enabled by greater speed, accountability, and customer focus.” He added that “AI is driving unprecedented demand for compute.”
Foundry Wins and Analyst Response Foundry momentum is fueling the response. Alphabet‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google reportedly ordered 3 million custom TPUs from Intel’s foundry, per The Information, while NVIDIA is said to be weighing Intel as a backup manufacturer given Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing‘s (NYSE:TSM) capacity constraints serving NVIDIA, Advanced Micro Devices, and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Intel also raised its full-year capex to $20 billion from $18 billion, signaling confidence in foundry and product demand. Wall Street is following through: at least six analysts raised their price targets on Intel stock, and the median target sits 9% above the last close, per LSEG.
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The execution numbers back the enthusiasm. Intel’s non-GAAP operating margin swung from -4% a year ago to 17%, and operating cash flow jumped 242% YoY to $7.01 billion. Panther Lake began high-volume manufacturing, and Xeon 6+ launched as the first server-class product on Intel 18A.
The Caveats Behind the Beat Foundry losses remain a drag. Intel Foundry ran a $2.1 billion operating loss in Q2 despite the revenue jump, and GAAP results reflected an $11 billion net loss tied to a $12.53 billion non-cash CHIPS Act escrow charge. The turnaround is real; Intel’s manufacturing arm still needs to prove sustained profitability.
Data center layoffs announced earlier this week also linger as a workforce question. However, with AI capex from hyperscalers still ramping (Alphabet reported strong quarterly capex and NVIDIA guided to strong Q2 revenue), near-term product demand remains supportive for Intel and its foundry pipeline.
What to Watch Traders may want to watch for whether Intel stock holds above $100 into the close and whether analyst target hikes broaden into rating upgrades next week. Execution on the Intel 18A-P ramp, Panther Lake shipments, and additional foundry customer signings could shape the next leg of the story.
Intel’s foundry narrative is a major swing factor. Confirmation of the Google engagement and any incremental customer wins, particularly with NVIDIA reportedly evaluating Intel as a backup, would validate the 18A investment case and help offset the ongoing Intel Foundry losses.
The sector context also matters. If AI capex momentum from Alphabet, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) continues to accelerate into second-half prints, Intel’s DCAI franchise and foundry pipeline should stay supported even as peers like NVIDIA, Broadcom, and AMD trade flat on the day.
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The 10-year yield is near a 12-month high as the U.S.-Iran war continues to serve as an overhang for equities. Kevin Hincks offers his thoughts on the volatility as crude oil prices remain elevated and tariff developments add more questions to the macro picture.
Just three months after warning that its next-generation 14A manufacturing process could be delayed—or even abandoned—without enough customer demand, Intel has officially committed to high-volume production in 2028.
The decision removes one of the biggest questions hanging over Intel Foundry. It also starts a new countdown. After committing billions of dollars to the technology, Intel now has roughly two years to prove customers will place enough orders to justify the investment.
Three Months Changed EverythingEarlier this year, Intel made it clear that 14A wasn’t guaranteed.
In its first-quarter filing, the company said future investments in 14A and factory expansion would depend on securing meaningful external customer commitments and achieving acceptable returns on capital.
This quarter, that language changed materially.
CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Intel has “made the decision in Q2 to fully commit to high volume ramps in 2028,” citing stronger customer engagement, rising demand from Intel’s own product roadmap and encouraging technical progress across the node.
“We remain on track for 14A risk production for our internal products in the second half of 2027,” Tan said, adding that the company is seeing “increasing momentum on customer engagements” and growing confidence that 14A will be competitive on performance, power, density, cost and schedule.
CFO Dave Zinsner echoed that message, saying Intel increased investments during the quarter to prepare for 14A risk production in 2027 while committing to high-volume manufacturing the following year.
The Countdown Has StartedThe commitment doesn’t mean Intel’s foundry turnaround is complete.
Far from it.
Intel still reported a $2.1 billion operating loss in its Foundry business during the quarter, although operating margin improved to negative 36.2% from negative 71.7% a year earlier as revenue climbed to $5.8 billion, according to the earnings presentation.
The company also entered risk production for 18A-P, while the next major milestone for 14A—the 0.9 Process Design Kit (PDK)—remains on track for October, giving prospective customers another opportunity to evaluate the technology before committing future chip designs.
The company’s latest Form 10-Q also makes clear that the investment case now hinges on converting technical momentum into commercial success. Intel said it intends to accelerate manufacturing expansion projects for 14A, but “the scale and pace” of those investments will ultimately depend on demand from Intel’s own products and design wins from major external foundry customers.
For investors, the story is no longer whether Intel will build 14A.
It’s whether, by 2028, enough customers will be waiting for it.
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Key Takeaways INTC beats earnings and revenue estimates as Q2 2026 revenues rose 25% year over year.INTC witnessed growth from Xeon CPUs, AI PCs, Intel 18A output, pricing and advanced packaging.Intel expects Q3 2026 revenues of $15.8B-$16.8B and non-GAAP EPS of about 38 cents. Intel Corporation (INTC - Free Report) reported strong second-quarter 2026 results, with both adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
The company reported 25% year-over-year revenue growth, supported by strong demand for Xeon server CPUs and AI PCs, higher Intel 18A output, improving yields and cycle times, favorable product mix and pricing, and continued momentum in purpose-built silicon application-specific integrated circuit products and advanced packaging.
Net IncomeThe company reported a GAAP loss of $11.03 billion or a loss of $2.16 per share compared with a net loss of $2.92 billion or a loss of 67 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Despite higher revenues, GAAP earnings declined sharply due to higher interest and other expenses during the quarter.
Excluding non-recurring items, non-GAAP earnings in the reported quarter were $2.2 billion or 42 cents per share against a net loss of $0.44 billion or a loss of 10 cents per share a year ago. The bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 21 cents.
RevenuesGAAP revenues increased to $16.13 billion from $12.86 billion in the year-ago quarter. The company witnessed solid growth in its total Products and Foundry business segments. The top line beat the consensus estimate of $14.41 billion.
Segment Performance Client Computing and Physical AI Group revenues increased to $8.88 billion from $7.87 billion, driven by strong demand for client CPUs, growing adoption of AI PCs, the launch of Intel Core Ultra Series 3 and Intel Core Series 3 processors, and a favorable product mix with higher average selling prices.
Datacenter and AI Group revenues improved to $6.26 billion from $3.94 billion, driven by strong demand from hyperscale and enterprise customers, robust adoption of Xeon 6 processors for AI infrastructure, continued growth in purpose-built silicon products, and additional strategic customer wins and long-term agreements.
While total Intel Products revenues were up to $15.14 billion from $11.81 billion, Intel Foundry revenues increased to $5.77 billion from $4.42 billion, owing to higher fab volumes, strong growth in Intel 18A output, improving yields, better cycle times, and increasing wafer starts across Intel 7, Intel 3, and Intel 18A. All Other revenues, which include Altera, Mobileye and other businesses, were $0.7 billion.
Other DetailsNon-GAAP gross profit was $6.74 billion compared with $3.81 billion in the year-ago quarter, with respective margins of 41.8% and 29.7%. Non-GAAP research and development and marketing, general and administrative expenses totaled $3.97 billion compared with $4.32 billion in the year-ago period. Non-GAAP operating income was $2.77 billion against an operating loss of $0.5 billion in the year-ago quarter, with respective margins of 17.2% and a negative 3.9%.
Cash Flow & LiquidityAs of June 27, 2026, Intel had cash and cash equivalents of $12.87 billion and long-term debt of $48.55 billion. In the first six months of 2026, the company generated $8.1 billion in cash compared with $2.86 billion in the year-ago period. In the second quarter of 2026, Intel generated $7.01 billion of cash from operating activities compared with $2.05 billion in the year-ago quarter.
OutlookFor the third quarter of 2026, Intel expects GAAP revenues to be in the range of $15.8-$16.8 billion. Non-GAAP gross margin is expected to be 42%. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be around 38 cents per share. Non-GAAP tax rate is anticipated to be 11%.
Zacks RankIntel currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Upcoming ReleasesArista Networks Inc. (ANET - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 89 cents per share, suggesting growth of 21.92% from the year-ago reported figure.
Arista has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 19.86%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 8.31% in the last four reported quarters.
Amphenol Corporation (APH - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.19 per share, implying growth of 46.91% from the year-ago reported figure.
Amphenol has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 24.01%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 14.08% in the last four reported quarters.
Corning Incorporated (GLW - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 28. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 76 cents per share, implying growth of 26.67% from the year-ago reported figure.
Corning has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 23.89%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 2.41% in the last four reported quarters.
Adobe Systems (ADBE - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Shares of this software maker have returned +9.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. The Zacks Computer - Software industry, to which Adobe belongs, has lost 2.5% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Adobe is expected to post earnings of $6.08 per share, indicating a change of +14.5% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.1% over the last 30 days.
The consensus earnings estimate of $24.31 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +16.1%. This estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $27.4 indicates a change of +12.7% from what Adobe is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +0.6%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Adobe is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For Adobe, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $6.69 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +11.8%. For the current and next fiscal years, $26.56 billion and $28.92 billion estimates indicate +11.7% and +8.9% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAdobe reported revenues of $6.62 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +12.7%. EPS of $5.96 for the same period compares with $5.06 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.46 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +2.5%. The EPS surprise was +2.23%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Adobe is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Adobe. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
HomeIndustriesBusiness/Consumer ServicesEarnings ResultsEarnings ResultsCardholder perks are resonating, an executive says. ‘It’s really about access.’Updated July 24, 2026, 8:11 a.m. ET
American Express customers just registered their highest spending growth in three years — and the company is seeing particularly strong interest in its Platinum cards.
The credit-card giant has been investing in premium customers, with the Platinum card portfolio now the fastest-growing franchise in the broader business. The card comes with an annual fee of $895, and Amex AXP recently refreshed its array of perks, which now include things like a quarterly Lululemon credit and $200 annually toward an Oura Ring.
While crude oil prices stay elevated near $90 and inflation keeps investors wary, Alex Coffey makes the case that the current environment isn't as dire as some may believe. However, that depends on the U.S.-Iran war and yields.
Stock futures are higher this morning as investors look to recover from yesterday's punishing sell-off sparked by AI spending fears and soaring oil prices; Intel stock rose after the chipmaker's earnings blew past estimates; shares of SpaceX fell after it delayed a test flight of its next-generation Starship for the second time in a week; mega-cap tech stocks stabilized after suffering one of their worst sell-offs in over a year; shares of American Express slid after the credit card provider's mixed quarterly earnings report. Here's what you need to know today.
American Express (AXP - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $4.53 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.41 per share. This compares to earnings of $4.08 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +2.72%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this credit card issuer and global payments company would post earnings of $4.03 per share when it actually produced earnings of $4.28, delivering a surprise of +6.2%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
American Express, which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, posted revenues of $19.64 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.01%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $17.86 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
American Express shares have lost about 7.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.2%.
What's Next for American Express?While American Express has underperformed 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 American Express was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $4.64 on $20.07 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $17.67 on $79.3 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Miscellaneous Services is currently in the bottom 27% 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, Qfin Holdings Inc. - Sponsored ADR (QFIN - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.
This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.99 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -44.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.5% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.
Qfin Holdings Inc. - Sponsored ADR's revenues are expected to be $520.01 million, down 28.6% from the year-ago quarter.
American Express Company (NYSE:AXP, XETRA:AEC1) shares fell about 6% on Friday after the company reported second-quarter revenue that came in slightly below Wall Street expectations, despite beating profit estimates.
The company reported earnings per share of $4.53 for the quarter ended June 30, ahead of the consensus estimate of $4.40. Revenue, net of interest expense, increased 10% year over year to $19.64 billion, slightly below analyst expectations of approximately $19.69 billion.
Net income rose 8% to $3.11 billion from $2.89 billion a year earlier, while diluted earnings per share increased 11% from $4.08. Total billed business, a measure of card spending, rose 9% year over year to $455.8 billion.
American Express raised its full-year 2026 revenue growth guidance to 10% from its prior range of 9% to 10%, while maintaining its earnings per share outlook of $17.30 to $17.90.
For the first six months of 2026, revenue, net of interest expense, increased 11% to $38.54 billion, while net income rose 11% to $6.08 billion. Earnings per share for the period climbed 14% to $8.81.
American Express CEO Stephen Squeri highlighted the company's stronger-than-expected first-half performance, noting that revenue grew 10%, earnings per share reached $4.53, and card member spending increased 9%, marking "the highest rate we've seen in three years on an FX-adjusted basis."
Squeri said that the stronger first-half results prompted the company to raise its full-year revenue growth guidance to 10%, while maintaining its earnings per share outlook of $17.30 to $17.90.
He added that American Express plans to reinvest the outperformance into growth initiatives "given the significant opportunities we see ahead."
He also highlighted accelerating spend and revenue growth driven by investments in the company's value proposition, growth in its US Consumer Platinum portfolio, strengthening credit performance, and continued customer acquisition, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z consumers.
American Express (NYSE:AXP | AXP Price Prediction) stock is sliding Friday morning, trading at $320.55 and down 6% after the card issuer reported a Q2 2026 beat that traders opted to fade. The reaction hit within an hour of the 8:30 a.m. ET 8-K Form, pulling American Express stock down from a prior close of $340.84.
The drop extends a rough stretch for shareholders. American Express stock entered the release already 7% lower year to date (YTD), and today’s move deepens that underperformance versus the broader market.
American Express’s payments-sector peers are barely budging. Visa (NYSE:V) stock and Mastercard (NYSE:MA) stock are both holding steady in early trading, signaling the reaction is company-specific rather than a payments-segment rotation.
Beat Headline, Cautious Follow-Through American Express posted Q2 EPS of $4.53, topping the $4.40 consensus estimate, while revenue net of interest expense of $19.6 billion came in just below estimates. Net income landed at $3.11 billion.
Billed business climbed 9% to $455.8 billion, the strongest Card Member spending growth in three years on an FX-adjusted basis. American Express’s management raised its full-year revenue growth guidance to 10%, yet held FY 2026 EPS guidance unchanged at $17.30 to $17.90.
That combination is the friction point for American Express. Better top-line trajectory is being funneled back into growth spending rather than dropping to the bottom line. American Express CEO Stephen Squeri expressed his confidence:
Based on our better-than-expected performance in the first half of the year, we are raising our full-year revenue growth guidance to 10 percent and plan to reinvest this outperformance in growth initiatives given the significant opportunities we see ahead.
However, cost trends compound the concerns for American Express. The company’s consolidated expenses grew 12% to $14.5 billion, outpacing revenue growth, and the effective tax rate jumped to 24% from 19% a year ago.
Credit was a bright spot, though. Provisions of $1.1 billion came in well below the $1.4 billion booked a year ago, and the company’s net write-off rate held flat at 2%. American Express also disclosed a proposed acquisition of TheFork, a European restaurant booking platform with 50,000 restaurants across 11 countries, adding to the reinvestment narrative reshaping expectations.
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Peers Hold Firm as the Move Stays Idiosyncratic Visa stock is essentially flat at $352.40, and Mastercard stock is holding at $532.29. That divergence undercuts any read-through to broader payments weakness on the day.
Zooming out, Visa stock is up 1% YTD, while Mastercard stock sits down 7% YTD. Both networks have posted clean beats in their most recent quarters, keeping their sentiment backdrop intact heading into Visa’s upcoming report.
The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLF), which holds all three names, is trading flat at $55.78. The XLF ETF‘s stability reinforces the idiosyncratic framing, since American Express carries a meaningful weighting inside the fund but isn’t dragging the entire sector down with it today.
The historical pattern matters here too. Four of the last five American Express earnings beats produced negative same-day reactions, so the fade itself follows a familiar script. The magnitude of today’s drop is notably larger than the recent five-quarter average day-of change on beats.
What to Watch Now The next signal is whether American Express stock stabilizes above $320. A hold there could suggest the reinvestment message has been absorbed, while a break lower may invite analyst target trims into next week.
Traders can watch for follow-through in Visa stock and Mastercard stock as Visa’s own report approaches, which could test whether the payments group stays resilient. Sell-side notes focused on American Express expense growth and Platinum Card refresh economics are the likely catalysts for the next leg.
The read for now is straightforward: American Express delivered strong spending and revenue trends, then chose to spend the upside rather than book it. That posture may prove defensible over the long term, but it explains why a clear beat isn’t translating into an AXP stock rally today.
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Willing and Abel: Berkshire's New CEO Makes Huge Portfolio Changes in Q1American Express NYSE: AXP reported second-quarter results that extended its recent growth momentum, with revenue rising 10% and earnings per share reaching $4.53. The company raised its full-year revenue-growth outlook to 10% while maintaining its EPS forecast of $17.30 to $17.90, saying it plans to reinvest stronger-than-expected revenue performance into customer acquisition, technology and other growth initiatives.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Squeri said the company chose to prioritize investment over directing the outperformance entirely to the bottom line or additional share repurchases. “We can either drop the overperformance to the bottom line and buy back more shares, or we can invest to grow the business further,” Squeri said, adding that management believes reinvestment creates more long-term shareholder value.
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Premium Products Drive Spending and Fee Growth Capital One’s Big Bet Faces Rising Credit RiskThe company’s U.S. Platinum Card refresh, launched in September of last year, was a key contributor to higher customer engagement and spending, according to management. Squeri said the Platinum portfolio has become the fastest-growing portfolio within American Express’ U.S. consumer business.
Chief Financial Officer Christophe Le Caillec said overall spending increased 9.4% on an FX-adjusted basis, accelerating from the first quarter. Goods and services spending grew 9%, while travel and entertainment spending rose 10%. Retail spending increased 13%, restaurant spending rose 10%, and airline spending also advanced 10%.
3 Sectors to Buy While They're Down and 1 to Walk Away FromGlobal American Express Travel bookings increased 22% year over year during the quarter. U.S. consumer spending rose 11%, which Le Caillec described as the strongest growth rate since the first quarter of 2018, excluding pandemic-related periods. Millennials and Gen Z consumers remained the company’s fastest-growing cohorts and represented the largest share of U.S. consumer spending.
American Express acquired 3 million new cards during the quarter. More than 70% of new accounts acquired year to date were on fee-based products, while 75% of new accounts in the second quarter came through fee-paying products, the highest level since the company increased its focus on premium offerings.
Net card fees rose 15.4%, reaching record levels and remaining the company’s fastest-growing revenue line. Le Caillec said card-fee growth is expected to accelerate in the third quarter and exit the year in the high teens, reflecting the gradual recognition of higher Platinum Card fees as customers are repriced and those fees are amortized over 12 months.
Credit Performance Remains Strong Total balances increased 9% year over year on an FX-adjusted basis, generally keeping pace with spending growth. Management said delinquency and write-off rates remained below 2019 levels, with delinquency rates holding between 1.2% and 1.3% for more than three years.
Provision expense was $1.1 billion and included a $191 million reserve release, primarily reflecting improved portfolio credit performance. The second-quarter write-off rate was flat from the prior quarter, while the delinquency rate declined.
Squeri and Le Caillec attributed the credit performance to the company’s strategy of attracting high-credit-quality, premium customers. The company said 65% of new consumer accounts came from Millennial and Gen Z customers, and about 70% of new consumer Platinum accounts outside the United States came from those generations.
International spending rose 12% on an FX-adjusted basis, with four of the company’s five largest international countries reporting double-digit growth. International Platinum Card spending grew 20% on an FX-adjusted basis after American Express refreshed the card in approximately 80% of the countries where it is issued.
Investment Plans Include Technology, Dining and Customer Acquisition American Express said it will increase investment in customer acquisition and technology during the second half of 2026. Marketing expense is expected to rise about 10% year over year in the second half, while operating expenses are projected to increase in the mid-single digits for the full year.
The company also expects to invest in its proposed acquisition of TheFork, a European online restaurant-booking platform with 50,000 restaurants across 11 countries. Squeri said the transaction would support American Express’ dining strategy and complement its existing Resy and Tock platforms.
Management said it does not view the dining platforms primarily as standalone profit centers. Instead, it sees them as components of the broader card-member value proposition that can support retention, customer acquisition, merchant relationships and spending. Resy and Tock are expected to come together from a front-end user-experience perspective, while TheFork is expected to remain a standalone European-focused entity.
The company also highlighted new and expanded partnerships, including a global partnership with ALL Accor, as well as sports-related relationships with the NFL and Fanatics. Squeri said these partnerships are intended to provide card members with access to events, experiences, merchandise and other benefits.
Portfolio Sales Create Revenue-Line Effects, Not Material Earnings Impact American Express said sales of two small-business co-brand portfolios will affect reported spending and net interest income growth during the remainder of the year. One portfolio, Lowe’s, transferred in April, while the Amazon portfolio is expected to transfer in the third quarter.
Starting in the fourth quarter, management expects the portfolio sales to reduce quarterly spending growth by about 1 percentage point and net interest income growth by about 2.5 percentage points until the company laps the sales. The combined effect on total revenue is expected to be about 1 percentage point.
Le Caillec said the sales will have a negligible impact on pretax income and were already included in the company’s full-year guidance.
American Express returned $2.9 billion of capital to shareholders during the quarter, including $600 million in dividends and $2.2 billion in share repurchases. The company reported a 36% return on equity for the quarter.
For the first half of 2026, American Express reported 11% revenue growth and 14% EPS growth. Management said it expects spending momentum to continue through the second half, though portfolio transfers will create a modest headwind to reported billing growth.
About American Express (NYSE:AXP)American Express is a global financial services company primarily known for its payment card products, travel services and merchant network. Founded in 1850 as an express mail business, the company evolved through the 20th century into a payments and travel-focused organization. Its core activities include issuing consumer and commercial charge and credit cards, operating a global card acceptance and processing network, and providing travel-related services and customer loyalty programs.
American Express issues a range of products for individuals, small businesses and large corporations, including personal cards, business and corporate cards, and co‑brand partnerships with airlines, hotels and retailers.
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Jeetu Patel, Cisco president and chief product officer, talks about an upcoming AI tool named '"Antares" that will be used to hunt down software bugs and protect sensitive customer data. He also talks about the recent security breach at Hugging Face by OpenAI models and how companies can protect themselves.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this largest U.S. health insurer have returned +1.9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. During this period, the Zacks Medical - HMOs industry, which UnitedHealth falls in, has gained 3.5%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, UnitedHealth is expected to post earnings of $3.93 per share, indicating a change of +34.6% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +8.9% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $19.48 points to a change of +19.1% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed +7.5%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $22.17 indicates a change of +13.8% from what UnitedHealth is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +6.8%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, UnitedHealth is rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For UnitedHealth, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $111.36 billion indicates a year-over-year change of -1.6%. For the current and next fiscal years, $446.04 billion and $457.22 billion estimates indicate -0.3% and +2.5% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryUnitedHealth reported revenues of $112.03 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +0.4%. EPS of $6.38 for the same period compares with $4.08 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $110.12 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.74%. The EPS surprise was +29.15%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
UnitedHealth is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about UnitedHealth. However, its Zacks Rank #1 does suggest that it may outperform the broader market in the near term.
Charter Communications on Friday reported steeper-than-expected losses in its quarterly broadband customer base, as traditional cable internet faces stiff competition from telecom rivals that have doubled down on promotional offers.
Charter Communications (CHTR - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $10.66 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.96 per share. This compares to earnings of $9.18 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.03%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this cable provider would post earnings of $9.97 per share when it actually produced earnings of $9.17, delivering a surprise of -8.02%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.
Charter, which belongs to the Zacks Cable Television industry, posted revenues of $13.53 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.06%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $13.77 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Charter shares have lost about 39.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.2%.
What's Next for Charter?While Charter has underperformed 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 Charter was unfavorable. 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 #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform 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 $9.98 on $13.55 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $41.29 on $54.3 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Cable Television is currently in the bottom 21% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, Cable One (CABO - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.
This telecommunications company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $9.20 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +184.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Cable One's revenues are expected to be $348.64 million, down 8.5% from the year-ago quarter.
HomeIndustriesTelecommunicationsEarnings ResultsEarnings ResultsThe company lost more broadband subscribers than expected, although it hauled in more than 400,000 new mobile linesJuly 24, 2026, 9:30 a.m. ET
Charter Communications’ latest earnings results highlight the increasingly competitive broadband market, which has proved challenging for established cable providers.
The company posted further broadband subscriber declines in the second quarter. It shed a net of 172,000 internet accounts, more than the 116,000 it lost in the same period a year before.
Comcast’s NBCUniversal Split Puts Broadband Back in FocusCharter Communications NASDAQ: CHTR reported a larger internet customer loss in the second quarter as competitive pressure continued to weigh on new customer additions, while mobile line growth remained strong and video losses improved substantially.
The company lost 172,000 internet customers during the quarter, compared with a smaller loss a year earlier. President and CEO Chris Winfrey said weaker gross additions, rather than increased churn, remained the primary reason for the broadband performance. He said expanded fixed-wireless competition, fiber overlap and softer activity among low-income consumers have affected customer acquisition.
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SpaceX Achieves Escape Velocity With Nasdaq Fast-Track“Internet customer growth is taking longer to reverse,” Winfrey said, adding that Charter expects competitive expansion to eventually subside. The company expects to return to broadband growth over time through its converged internet and mobile offerings, improved network capabilities and better customer satisfaction scores.
Second-Quarter Results Charter’s consolidated revenue declined 1.7% year over year in the second quarter. Adjusted EBITDA fell 4.3%, or 3.2% excluding $65 million of transition expenses associated with the pending Cox Communications transaction.
Disney: How the Fubo Sports Deal Became a Game ChangerChief Financial Officer Jessica Fischer said residential revenue declined 3.5%, though the decline was 1.8% excluding the effect of programmer streaming-app costs allocated to video revenue. Residential revenue per customer relationship also declined 1.8%, but was essentially flat excluding that app-allocation effect.
Commercial revenue increased 1.5%, including 2.8% growth in mid-market and large-business revenue. Advertising revenue rose 12.3%, helped by political advertising. Excluding political revenue, advertising revenue declined 4.6%.
Charter generated $1.3 billion in net income attributable to shareholders, essentially unchanged from the prior-year quarter. Lower EBITDA was offset by a gain on debt extinguishment related to open-market debt repurchases.
For the full year, Fischer said Charter now expects standalone EBITDA, excluding transition costs, to decline by approximately 1%. The second half is expected to benefit from political advertising, internet cost pass-throughs and efficiency initiatives. Management said it is pursuing additional expense-reduction measures, including benefit-plan changes, overhead simplification and other cost actions.
Mobile Growth and Video Improvement Spectrum Mobile added 406,000 lines in the quarter, bringing Charter’s mobile base to more than 12.5 million lines. Winfrey said the company added 1.7 million lines over the past 12 months, representing 16% growth.
Management emphasized mobile’s role in customer retention. Winfrey said internet customers with Spectrum Mobile churn nearly 40% less than customers without mobile service, while customers who also take video churn more than 40% less.
Charter’s video customer loss narrowed to 21,000 from 80,000 in the second quarter of 2025. Fischer attributed the improvement to fewer downgrades, lower churn and more upgrades, supported by the company’s programmer-app inclusion packages and pricing changes introduced late in 2024. New connects to its fully featured video package also improved, with some benefit from the World Cup, she said.
In subsidized rural markets, Charter added 47,000 net customer relationships during the quarter. Subsidized rural passings increased by 127,000 in the quarter and 487,000 over the past 12 months.
Charter said it is making pricing adjustments that include speed upgrades for most affected customers. Fischer said the changes did not affect second-quarter results but should support residential revenue in the second half. Broadband average revenue per user is expected to improve sequentially in the third quarter, aided by the normalization of earlier retention offers and the new cost pass-through.
Cox Transaction and Integration Plans Charter said it now expects its acquisition of Cox Communications to close in mid-to-late August. Winfrey said Charter plans to introduce Spectrum pricing and packaging in Cox markets shortly after closing, aiming to improve internet customer performance and expand penetration of mobile and video services.
The company continues to expect at least $800 million in annual run-rate transaction expense synergies and said that estimate could rise to $1 billion after closing. The synergy estimate excludes potential operating and capital-expenditure benefits.
Charter is recruiting more than 1,000 residential and business sales employees in Cox territories. It also plans over the next year to onshore and insource Cox call-center activity, moving service coverage in those markets to a 24/7 platform. Winfrey said Charter expects to absorb most or all of the work currently handled by Cox’s offshore contractors through Spectrum’s operating efficiencies and digital capabilities.
Management said Cox’s customer and revenue trends have been “a couple clicks lower” than Spectrum’s, but said there has been no major change in the company’s integration strategy. Charter expects the combined company to have approximately 70 million passings, 37 million customers, roughly $67 billion in revenue and about $28 billion in EBITDA.
Capital Spending, Debt and Capital Returns Second-quarter capital expenditures totaled $2.9 billion, nearly flat from a year earlier. Charter maintained its expectation for approximately $11.4 billion in standalone capital expenditures in 2026. Looking beyond 2026, Fischer said annual standalone capital spending is expected to decline to less than $8 billion after network evolution and expansion initiatives are completed.
Free cash flow was $1 billion in the second quarter, down about $75 million from a year earlier, reflecting lower EBITDA and less favorable working-capital changes.
Charter ended the quarter with $94 billion of debt principal, a weighted average debt maturity of 11.7 years and a weighted average cost of debt of 5.2%. The company repurchased $1.2 billion of its debt in the open market for $1 billion in cash during the quarter, capturing about $250 million of discount.
The company also repurchased 4 million shares for $838 million, at an average price of $210 per share. However, it has paused buybacks through the end of the third quarter because of the pending Cox closing, related financing and liability-management efforts. Charter expects repurchases to resume in the fourth quarter.
Management lowered its post-transaction leverage target to 3.5 times net debt to adjusted EBITDA and expects to reach that level within three years of the Cox and Liberty Broadband transactions closing. Fischer said Charter expects leverage to be just above 3.9 times at the end of the third quarter, assuming the transactions close and its newly announced debt exchange offer succeeds.
About Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR)Charter Communications, Inc is a U.S.-based telecommunications and mass media company that provides broadband communications and video services to residential and business customers. Operating primarily under the Spectrum brand, the company offers high-speed internet, cable television, digital voice (phone) and wireless services, as well as managed and enterprise networking solutions for commercial customers. Charter's service portfolio targets both consumer and business markets with bundled and standalone offerings designed to meet streaming, connectivity and communications needs.
The company's consumer-facing products include Spectrum Internet, Spectrum TV and Spectrum Voice, while Spectrum Mobile provides wireless service through arrangements with national wireless carriers.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Ocean Power Technologies Inc (NYSE-A:OPTT) announced that it has acquired strategic subsea developmental technology assets from Columbia Power Technologies, expanding its operational infrastructure portfolio to include capabilities designed for underwater operations.
The acquisition extends the company's offerings from the ocean surface to the seabed, adding intellectual property and engineering assets focused on subsea power technology. Ocean Power Technologies said the transaction strengthens its position as a provider of infrastructure supporting autonomous maritime operations.
According to the company, the acquired portfolio complements its existing offshore power, autonomous surface vehicle, maritime sensing, communications and AI-enabled software capabilities. The addition of subsea power technology is intended to support persistent underwater operations, creating a broader operational infrastructure platform for maritime missions.
"The future of maritime operations will depend on resilient, persistent operational infrastructure that supports autonomous systems above and below the surface," Ocean Power Technologies CEO Philipp Stratmann said in a statement.
"This acquisition expands our technology portfolio with an innovative subsea capability that complements our existing solutions and reinforces our strategy to deliver operational infrastructure across the maritime domain for defense, security and commercial customers."
Ocean Power Technologies said the acquisition could expand its ability to support applications including resident autonomous systems, subsea sensing, distributed communications, underwater vehicle support and long-duration maritime missions. The company added that the technology provides a foundation for addressing future requirements in both defense and commercial maritime markets.
The transaction was structured as an asset acquisition, securing ownership of strategic intellectual property and technical capabilities while preserving financial flexibility, the company said.
Ocean Power Technologies also noted that the acquisition includes developmental work and early customer engagement that it believes could accelerate commercialization, reduce development risk and shorten the path to market for future subsea solutions.
American Resources Corp (NASDAQ:AREC) announced on Friday that its board of directors has approved a special cash dividend of $0.0431 per share as the company returns capital to shareholders while continuing to invest in its critical minerals business.
The dividend will be paid on August 25, 2026, to shareholders of record as of August 15, 2026.
The company stated that the special dividend reflects its financial position, capital allocation strategy and confidence in its ability to fund future growth opportunities while returning capital to long-term shareholders.
American Resources also noted that its board believes the company's current market valuation does not fully reflect the value of its cash position, strategic investments and ownership interests, as well as opportunities across its critical minerals platform.
American Resources CEO Mark Jensen highlighted the company's balance sheet, its minority ownership interest in ReElement Technologies, majority ownership of Electrified Materials, ongoing negotiations with the US Department of Energy related to coal-based critical mineral byproduct initiatives, and its pipeline of rare earth and critical mineral feedstock sourcing opportunities.
Jensen also noted that the company has repositioned its business over the past two years to focus on supplying feedstocks and owning critical mineral assets while leveraging ReElement Technologies' refining platform.
"This special dividend, together with our recently authorized share repurchase program, reflects our commitment to disciplined capital allocation,” Jensen said.
“We believe we have the financial flexibility to continue investing in attractive growth opportunities while simultaneously returning capital to shareholders when we believe the market does not fully recognize the intrinsic value of our business."
American Resources said it has transformed its business in recent years through the separation and repositioning of ReElement Technologies, strengthening its balance sheet, expanding Electrified Materials Corp.'s feedstock aggregation platform and advancing domestic critical mineral initiatives. The company stated that these efforts have created a portfolio of strategic assets while maintaining flexibility to pursue additional investments.
Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM, TSX:NGT, ASX:NEM, XETRA:NMM) reported mixed results for the second quarter, with revenue falling short of expectations as the company generated record free cash flow and maintained its full-year production guidance.
The gold miner reported adjusted earnings of $2.10 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, ahead of the consensus estimate of $2.05.
Revenue rose 15.1% year over year to $6.12 billion but missed analyst expectations of approximately $6.35 billion.
Net income totaled $2.2 billion, while adjusted EBITDA reached $3.8 billion. The company generated $2.9 billion in operating cash flow, excluding working capital impacts of $90 million, and reported record quarterly free cash flow of $2.2 billion.
Newmont produced approximately 1.3 million attributable gold ounces during the quarter, along with 7 million ounces of silver and 17,000 tonnes of copper, keeping the company on track to meet its full-year production guidance of 5.3 million attributable gold ounces.
Gold costs applicable to sales were $1,043 per ounce, while all-in sustaining costs were $1,621 per ounce. The company noted that year-to-date costs remain below its full-year cost guidance.
During the quarter, the company also received key regulatory approvals from the Province of British Columbia for the Red Chris Block Cave project, including an amended Environmental Assessment Certificate and an amended Mines Act permit, advancing the project toward a final investment decision.
"Newmont delivered another quarter of strong operational and financial performance, producing approximately 1.3 million attributable gold ounces and generating record second quarter free cash flow of $2.2 billion, while remaining on track to achieve our full-year 2026 guidance,” Newmont CEO Natascha Viljoen said in a statement.
Newmont’s shares were set to open about 1.5% higher at about $95 on Friday.
Key Takeaways Newmont beat Q2 adjusted earnings estimates despite revenue missing expectations. NEM's higher realized gold prices offset lower gold sales volumes, lifting quarterly revenue. Newmont reaffirmed 2026 guidance for gold production, CAS and AISC. Newmont Corporation (NEM - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of $2.06 per share compared with $1.85 in the year-ago quarter.
Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings were $2.10 per share, up 46.9% from $1.43 reported in the prior-year quarter. The figure topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.05.
Newmont’s revenues for the second quarter were roughly $6.12 billion, up 15.1% from the prior-year quarter. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.35 billion. The year-over-year improvement in the top line was primarily driven by higher realized gold prices, partly offset by lower gold sales volumes.
Newmont Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseOperational HighlightsNewmont’s attributable gold production in the second quarter was roughly 1.29 million ounces, down 12.5% year over year. The figure surpassed our estimate of 1.23 million.
The average realized price of gold rose around 33% year over year to $4,414 per ounce. The figure lagged our estimate of $4,913 per ounce.
The company’s CAS for gold on a co-product basis was $1,463 per ounce, up 20.4% year over year. The figure outpaced our estimate of $1,228.8 per ounce.
AISC for gold on a co-product basis increased around 21.7% year over year to $1,938 per ounce. The figure beat our estimate of $1,881 per ounce.
FinancialsThe company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of roughly $9 billion, up 45.7% year over year. At the end of the quarter, Newmont had debt of around $5.08 billion, down 28.7% year over year.
Net cash provided by operating activities amounted to $2.92 billion in the reported quarter, up 22.7% from $2.38 billion in the year-ago quarter. Free cash flow increased to $2.21 billion from $1.71 billion a year earlier.
OutlookNewmont remains on track to achieve its previously announced 2026 guidance. The company expects attributable gold production of approximately 5.26 million ounces. It also projects gold by-product CAS of $1,055 per ounce and gold by-product AISC of $1,680 per ounce.
General and administrative expenses for 2026 are expected to be around $375 million. Reclamation and remediation accretion is projected at approximately $385 million, while exploration and advanced-project expenses are anticipated to total $525 million.
NEM’s Price PerformanceShares of Newmont have gained 44% over the past year compared with a 39.2% rise in its industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NEM’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksNEM currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are CSW Industrials, Inc. (CSW - Free Report) , Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS - Free Report) and Ternium S.A. (TX - Free Report) .
CSW Industrials is expected to report second-quarter results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CSW’s second-quarter earnings is pegged at $3.66 per share. It carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CRS is slated to report second-quarter results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $3.03 per share. CRS has a Zacks Rank #1 at present.
Ternium is scheduled to report second-quarter results on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TX’s second-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.06 per share. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
SummaryNewmont Corporation remains a buy, trading at under 10x normalized EPS with a compelling valuation despite technical weakness.NEM delivered record free cash flow and strong operational results, but faces headwinds from lower gold prices and a bearish technical setup.Management reaffirmed 2026 targets, projecting $8.5 billion in FCF and robust EPS growth, supported by aggressive share buybacks.Key NEM risks include further declines in precious metals, rising energy costs, and geopolitical tensions impacting operations and costs. showcake/iStock via Getty Images
Newmont Corporation (NEM) reported mixed earnings on Thursday, July 23. Shares rose by the following morning, however, as the volatility in the gold market continues to cause wide swings in the gold mining company’s stock price. Record
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Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM, TSX:NGT, ASX:NEM, XETRA:NMM) reported mixed results for the second quarter, with revenue falling short of expectations as the company generated record free cash flow and maintained its full-year production guidance.
The gold miner reported adjusted earnings of $2.10 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, ahead of the consensus estimate of $2.05.
Revenue rose 15.1% year over year to $6.12 billion but missed analyst expectations of approximately $6.35 billion.
Net income totaled $2.2 billion, while adjusted EBITDA reached $3.8 billion. The company generated $2.9 billion in operating cash flow, excluding working capital impacts of $90 million, and reported record quarterly free cash flow of $2.2 billion.
Newmont produced approximately 1.3 million attributable gold ounces during the quarter, along with 7 million ounces of silver and 17,000 tonnes of copper, keeping the company on track to meet its full-year production guidance of 5.3 million attributable gold ounces.
Gold costs applicable to sales were $1,043 per ounce, while all-in sustaining costs were $1,621 per ounce. The company noted that year-to-date costs remain below its full-year cost guidance.
During the quarter, the company also received key regulatory approvals from the Province of British Columbia for the Red Chris Block Cave project, including an amended Environmental Assessment Certificate and an amended Mines Act permit, advancing the project toward a final investment decision.
"Newmont delivered another quarter of strong operational and financial performance, producing approximately 1.3 million attributable gold ounces and generating record second quarter free cash flow of $2.2 billion, while remaining on track to achieve our full-year 2026 guidance,” Newmont CEO Natascha Viljoen said in a statement.
Newmont’s shares were set to open about 1.5% higher at about $95 on Friday.
Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF, FRA:SCP) saw its shares drop 27% this week, but the movement obscures the real story, which is a largely positive one for investors.
It may take the market a while to process some transformational changes that will see the oncology research specialist fully funded and headed for a US listing.
The mechanism is a reverse takeover, which sounds more dramatic than it is.
In plain terms, Scancell is merging with a smaller American company, Neuphoria Therapeutics, and inheriting its Nasdaq quotation, so the buyer effectively steps into the seller's listing rather than queuing up for a fresh flotation of its own.
Scancell shareholders keep 85.5% of the enlarged group, and the Scancell name stays over the door.
The prize is access to a market that understands biotechnology far better than AIM currently does. American investors are more comfortable funding long clinical timelines, the pools of capital are deeper, and comparable cancer immunotherapy companies routinely trade on valuations that London has never come close to awarding.
Add up to $89 million of new funding to take its lead melanoma treatment through a phase III trial, and the dilution starts to look like a small price to pay.
AIM's shrinking pool
After starting the month on the back foot, the AIM All-Share was in recovery mode, rising 1% over the week to 768.74. It outperformed the FTSE 100, which edged up 0.7%.
The week's biggest loser was Celsius Resources Ltd (ASX:CLA, AIM:CLA, FRA:FX8), which tumbled 96% after a lender moved to seize and auction its 40% stake in the Makilala copper-gold project in the Philippines.
Equinaire, a subsidiary of India's Kiri Industries, issued notices of default, foreclosure and disposition, having acquired the loan from the Philippine sovereign wealth fund last month. Kiri wants preferential copper supply for a plant it is building. Celsius disputes the default and says it will defend its interests fully.
CPP Group's (LSE:CPP) shares were cancelled from trading on AIM on Friday at the company's own request, marking another departure from London's junior market and leaving shareholders without a public venue to trade the stock.
The number of companies on AIM has collapsed to just 612, down from a peak of 1,694 in 2007, according to research from UHY Hacker Young. The concern is that the pool of quality companies is thinning fast, with too few flotations to make up the numbers.
The week's winners
The week's biggest gainer was IQE PLC (AIM:IQE), which jumped 34% after guiding to full-year revenue growth above 30%, with first-half sales of at least £64 million on strong demand for indium phosphide used in AI and data centre applications. The compound semiconductor maker ended June debt-free with £41.6 million of cash.
Sunrise Resources PLC (AIM:SRES) rose 30% after picking up the Lake copper-silver-gold project in Nevada, where historical drilling returned 50 metres grading 0.73% copper, 31 grams per tonne of silver and 0.2 grams gold from surface. Geophysical surveying and follow-up drilling are planned.
Tooru PLC (AIM:TOO, FRA:73N), the functional foods specialist, advanced 28% without any obvious news to explain it. Worth noting, though, that the market barely blinked at a fairly upbeat trading update alongside the preliminary results at the end of last month. Perhaps the penny has finally dropped.
Hardide PLC (AIM:HDD) rose 27% after third-quarter revenue of £4.1 million took the year-to-date total to £8.9 million, prompting guidance that full-year results will land materially ahead of the £13.4 million previously expected. The coatings specialist is spending £4.5 million on three new reactors.
Blockchain with big ambitions
Finally, Valereum, which is building a regulated marketplace where traditional shares and bonds can be traded on blockchain rails, rose 12% on a pair of announcements.
The first concerns Quorium Global Photonics, a partner Valereum is in the middle of doing a deal with. Quorium has launched a stablecoin, simply a digital token pegged to a fixed value, usually a dollar, so it can be used to move money around without the wild price swings associated with cryptocurrencies. Valereum says it gives the partner's ecosystem something to trade with, and takes the pair a step closer to completing their agreement.
Valereum holds 20,000 Quorium notes it values at $10,000 apiece, a sum that dwarfs the company's own market value, and it openly admits that putting a price on tokens like these is an uncertain business.
The second announcement is a tie-up with Blockchain Digital Assets, aimed at Africa and the Indian Ocean. The idea is tokenisation: ownership of a physical asset such as a gold or lithium deposit is represented by a digital token that can be bought and sold far more easily than the thing itself. Throw in a mobile payments app, and it is an ambitious plan for a company of this size.
Euro area 1-year CPI expectations have fallen to 3% from an estimated 3.2%, according to a report by First Squawk. This decline in expectations could suggest a cooler short-term inflation outlook, particularly as the European Central Bank (ECB) had noted higher inflation expectations earlier in the year. The ECB’s June 2026 projections had forecasted average headline inflation at 3.0% for 2026. The actual headline HICP inflation for June was 2.8%, a decrease from May’s 3.2%, indicating a potential alignment with the ECB’s inflation targets over time.
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Key Takeaways The 1-year CPI expectations drop to 3% appears consistent with a potential easing of inflation pressures in the euro area. June’s HICP inflation of 2.8%, below May’s 3.2%, suggests alignment with ECB’s projections. Market pricing appears to support a decrease in the likelihood of higher Core CPI MoM outcomes for July 2026. What to Watch Observers will be keeping an eye on upcoming data releases to assess if these lowered CPI expectations impact broader economic forecasts. Key actors such as the ECB and economic forecasters like Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank could adjust their projections based on this development. Markets will look for further indications from official statements or data releases, such as those from the BLS, that could confirm or contradict the current inflation trajectory in the euro area.
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Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
SAP reported strong Q2 results, highlighted by a robust GAAP EPS beat and sustained >20% cloud revenue growth. I see the Q2 earnings season as a catalyst for capital rotation toward laggards, notably in software and consumer sectors. SAP remains in a deep bear market, with shares down approximately 40% year-to-date despite operational strength and expectations of revenue acceleration in 2027.
HomeIndustriesSoftwareEarnings ResultsEarnings ResultsThe stock has dropped 40% since the start of the year on concerns that artificial intelligence may entirely disrupt the software company’s business modelJuly 24, 2026, 9:43 a.m. ET
Shares of SAP rose on Friday after the company reported strong revenue growth in its cloud business, but analysts at Oppenheimer warn there are risks to its guidance.
The German software company said that its current cloud backlog — which is a key metric of the sales that management expects to achieve — grew 26% on a constant-currency basis to €22.93 billion (equivalent to $26.08 billion) in the second quarter, above analysts’ forecasts of 24%.
About the Author
Nora Redmond is a MarketWatch reporter based in London.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle") announced today that it has entered into a subscription agreement dated July 23, 2026 (the "Subscription Agreement") with Cadillac Mines Corporation ("Cadillac"), pursuant to which Agnico Eagle agreed to acquire 8,696,000 common shares of Cadillac ("Common Shares") at a price of C$6.90 per Common Share for total consideration of C$60,002,400.00(the "Private Placement"). The Private Placement is subject to certain closing conditions, including the closing of Cadillac's initial public offering of Common Shares (the "IPO") pursuant to Cadillac's final long form base PREP prospectus dated July 23, 2026. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about August 5, 2026.
Prior to entering into the Subscription Agreement, Agnico Eagle owned 22,821,028 Common Shares, representing approximately 9.70% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis. On closing of the Private Placement, Agnico Eagle is expected to own 31,517,028 Common Shares, representing approximately 11.09% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis after giving effect to the IPO (assuming the issuance of all Common Shares qualified thereunder) and all other security issuances completed by Cadillac concurrently with the Private Placement.
Pursuant to a subscription agreement dated July 25, 2023 between Agnico Eagle and Cadillac, Agnico Eagle is entitled to certain rights, including the right to participate in equity financings in order to maintain its pro rata ownership interest in Cadillac at the time of such financing.
On closing of the IPO, Agnico Eagle will enter into a lock-up agreement in favour of the underwriters of the IPO, pursuant to which it will agree that it will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the underwriters: (a) offer, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of any Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares (collectively, the "Locked-Up Securities"); (b) make any short sale, engage in any hedging or enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Locked-Up Securities; or (c) agree to or publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing, in each case, for a period of 180 days following the closing date of the IPO, subject to certain limited exceptions.
Agnico Eagle is acquiring the Common Shares as part of its strategy of acquiring strategic positions in prospective opportunities with high geological potential. Depending on market conditions, strategic priorities and other factors, Agnico Eagle may, from time to time, acquire additional Common Shares or other securities of Cadillac or dispose of some or all of the Common Shares or other securities of Cadillac that it owns at such time.
An early warning report will be filed by Agnico Eagle in accordance with applicable securities laws. To obtain a copy of the early warning report, please contact:
Investor Relations
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
145 King Street East, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7
Telephone: 416-947-1212
Email: [email protected]
Agnico Eagle's head office is located at 145 King Street East, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7. Cadillac's head office is located at 123 Front Street West, Suite 905, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2M2.
About Agnico Eagle
Canadian-based and led, Agnico Eagle is Canada's largest mining company and the second largest gold producer in the world, operating mines in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. Agnico Eagle is advancing a pipeline of high-quality development projects in these regions to support sustainable growth over the next decade. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading sustainability practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this news release has been prepared as at July 24, 2026. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will" or similar terms.
Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements relating to Agnico Eagle's acquisition of Common Shares pursuant to the Private Placement and expected ownership interest in Cadillac, the closing of the Private Placement and IPO and the agreements to be entered into in connection therewith, and Agnico Eagle's acquisition or disposition of securities of Cadillac in the future.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Agnico Eagle as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Other than as required by law, Agnico Eagle does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.
Key Takeaways Agnico Eagle and ORLA are advancing growth projects while benefiting from still-supportive gold prices. AEM generated strong cash flow and shareholder returns, while ORLA expanded through Musselwhite. Both miners face higher operating costs, but differ in valuation, ROE and 2026 growth expectations. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM - Free Report) and Orla Mining Ltd. (ORLA - Free Report) are two prominent players in the gold mining space with solid producing assets and expansion-focused operations. While gold prices have pulled back sharply from their January 2026 highs, they remain supportive.
Heightened geopolitical tensions, a weaker U.S. dollar, tariff-related worries and concerns surrounding the Federal Reserve’s independence had driven bullion to a record high of nearly $5,600 per ounce in late January. Since then, gold has pulled back sharply due to inflation concerns triggered by a surge in crude oil prices amid Middle East tensions, with prices falling to $4,500 per ounce around the end of May.
Bullion continued to retreat in June, with prices slipping below $4,000 per ounce to a near eight-month low amid rate-hike expectations and a stronger greenback, despite reduced inflation concerns following the interim agreement between the United States and Iran. Meanwhile, the Fed held interest rates steady in the latest policy meeting, but signaled a potential rate increase before the year's end. Aggressive profit-booking also contributed to the slump in gold prices.
Gold prices recouped some losses to climb above $4,100 per ounce recently, but have again eased toward $4,000 per ounce as a surge in oil prices has stoked renewed inflation fears, fueling a hawkish shift in interest rate expectations. Notwithstanding the pullback, bullion prices are still up roughly 20% year over year.
Let’s dive deep and closely compare the fundamentals of these two Canada-based gold miners to determine which one is a better investment now.
The Case for Agnico EagleAgnico Eagle is focused on executing projects that are expected to provide additional growth in production and cash flows. It is advancing its key value drivers and pipeline projects, including the Odyssey project in the Canadian Malartic Complex, Detour Lake, Hope Bay, Upper Beaver and San Nicolas.
AEM has a robust liquidity position and generates substantial cash flows, which enable it to maintain a strong exploration budget, finance a strong pipeline of growth projects, pay down debt and drive shareholder value. Its operating cash flow for full-year 2025 was a record $6.8 billion, driven by operational efficiencies. Operating cash flow was roughly $1.3 billion in the first quarter, up around 29% from the year-ago quarter.
AEM’s first-quarter free cash flow climbed 23% year over year to roughly $732 million. The upside was backed by higher realized gold prices and robust operational results. AEM also returned around $1.4 billion to its shareholders in 2025 and $375 million in the first quarter through dividends and share buybacks. It raised the quarterly dividend by 12.5% to 45 cents per share. AEM offers a dividend yield of 1.2% at the current stock price. It has a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 2.7%. AEM has a payout ratio of 18%.
Despite these positives, Agnico Eagle remains exposed to higher production costs. Its all-in-sustaining costs (“AISC”) — a critical cost metric for miners — were $1,483 per ounce in the first quarter, marking a roughly 26% year-over-year rise, impacted by higher total cash costs and an uptick in sustaining capital expenditures. Total cash costs per ounce for gold were $1,093, 22% higher than $895 a year ago. Total cash costs rose due to increased royalty costs and lower production.
AEM forecasts total cash costs per ounce in the range of $1,020 to $1,120 and AISC per ounce between $1,400 and $1,550 for 2026, suggesting a year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the respective ranges.
The Case for Orla MiningBased in Vancouver, Orla Mining has operations and development projects in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The company acquired the Musselwhite gold mine in February 2025, expanding its asset base. Orla Mining inked a deal with Equinox Gold Corp. (EQX - Free Report) on May 13, 2026, for an at-market combination to create a North American senior gold producer. Once completed, the combined company will operate as Equinox Gold.
ORLA shareholders will receive 1.00 Equinox Gold common share and a nominal cash payment of $0.0001 for each Orla Mining common share as part of the deal. The company is set to increase its annual production, aided by a highly complementary portfolio of six North American mines.
Orla Mining’s Musselwhite mine, combined with Equinox Gold’s Greenstone mine in Ontario and the Valentine mine in Newfoundland & Labrador, will have a cumulative production of 685,000 ounces of gold in Canada. Of this, Musselwhite is expected to contribute 235,000 ounces of gold or 34% of the total production in Canada. The proposed business combination has been approved by the shareholders of both companies.
ORLA recently provided a strong operational update for the second quarter of 2026. Orla Mining reported a second-quarter total gold production of 88,265 ounces and gold sales of 90,225 ounces, up roughly 13% and 14% year over year, respectively. For the first half of 2026, it produced 169,471 ounces of gold, up around 35% from the prior-year period, driven by strong performance at Musselwhite.
Gold production at the Musselwhite mine came in at 67,077 ounces in the second quarter, which marked a 27% increase from the prior-year quarter. Operations at the Camino Rojo mine in Mexico returned to normal after a brief interruption due to an illegal worker blockade. The mine produced 21,188 ounces of gold in the quarter. ORLA remains on course to achieve its 2026 gold production guidance of 340,000-360,000 ounces, suggesting year-over-year growth of 16% at the mid-point.
ORLA ended the second quarter with a cash position of $451 million. It made debt repayments of $35 million during the quarter. Also, $182.7 million of convertible debentures were converted to equity, reducing its outstanding debt to $132.3 million, resulting in a net cash position of $318.7 million. The company is slated to report its second-quarter financial results on Aug. 4, 2026.
However, Orla Mining has been facing headwinds from higher operating costs. Total cash costs per ounce surged 109% year over year to $1,251 in the first quarter. AISC per ounce of gold sold increased 97% to $1,668. Higher costs are also expected to weigh on the company’s performance in 2026. The company expects AISC of $1,550-$1,750 per ounce of gold sold for 2026, suggesting an increase from $1,458 per ounce in 2025.
AEM & ORLA: Price Performance, Valuation & Other ComparisonsAEM stock has gained 14% in the past year, while ORLA stock has lost 11.2% compared with the Zacks Mining – Gold industry’s increase of 39.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AEM is currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 11.68, which represents a roughly 19.4% premium when stacked up with the industry average of 9.78X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Orla Mining looks more attractively priced than Agnico Eagle. ORLA stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 6.1, below the industry average.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ORLA’s return on equity (ROE) of 66.8% is higher than AEM’s 21.1%. This reflects Orla Mining’s efficient use of shareholder funds in generating profits.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How Does Zacks Consensus Estimate Compare for AEM & ORLA?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEM’s 2026 sales and EPS implies a year-over-year rise of 36% and 46%, respectively. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending lower over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimate for ORLA’s 2026 sales and EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 62.2% and 77.8%, respectively. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending southward over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AEM or ORLA: Which Is a Better Pick?Both Agnico Eagle and Orla Mining are positioned to benefit from still-supportive gold prices and expansion initiatives, each demonstrating strong operating performance. However, both face headwinds from cost inflation. ORLA has a more attractive valuation, which gives it the edge over AEM. ORLA’s higher ROE also indicates that it is more effectively utilizing shareholder funds. In addition, Orla Mining’s higher earnings growth projections suggest that it may offer better investment prospects in the current market environment. Investors seeking exposure to the gold space might consider ORLA as the more favorable option at this time.
While AEM currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), ORLA has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) on Thursday reported mixed second-quarter results.
T-Mobile reported adjusted earnings of $2.99 per share, topping the analyst consensus estimate of $2.58, according to Benzinga Pro. Revenue increased to $22.79 billion from $21.13 billion a year earlier but missed the Street estimate of $22.94 billion.
T-Mobile reaffirmed its full-year outlook for postpaid net account additions of 950,000 to 1.05 million. The company continues to expect core adjusted EBITDA, which excludes lease revenues, of $37.1 billion to $37.5 billion.
T-Mobile raised its forecast for net cash provided by operating activities, including net payments related to the UScellular merger, to $28.4 billion to $28.8 billion, from its prior outlook of $28.1 billion to $28.7 billion.
T-Mobile shares rose 0.9% to $171.95 in pre-market trading.
These analysts made changes to their price targets on T-Mobile following earnings announcement.
Keybanc analyst Brandon Nispel maintained the stock with an Overweight rating and lowered the price target from $260 to $250. Benchmark analyst Matthew Harrigan maintained the stock with a Buy and lowered the price target from $295 to $280. Considering buying TMUS stock? Here’s what analysts think:
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US stocks opened mixed on Friday, recovering modestly after Wall Street's sharp selloff in the previous session, as investors assessed fresh corporate earnings, easing oil prices, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and new tariffs announced by the Trump administration.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 40 points, while the S&P 500 gained around 0.13%.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.13%, continuing from Thursday's losses.
The rebound came after the Dow fell more than 500 points, or around 1%, on Thursday, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posted their steepest one-day declines in a month.
The selloff was driven by concerns over rising artificial intelligence spending following earnings from Alphabet and Tesla, alongside a surge in oil prices amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Intel reported second-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations.
The chipmaker forecast quarterly revenue and profit above analyst estimates and outlined plans to increase spending over the next two years.
The company also reported revenue growth of 25%, marking its strongest quarterly revenue increase since the third quarter of 2011.
However, shares of Intel fell about 1.14% in trading.
The broader semiconductor sector remained subdued as investors continued to scrutinize AI-related spending across the technology industry.
Alphabet and Tesla's latest quarterly results have heightened concerns over increasing capital expenditures and cash burn among major technology companies.
The cautious mood comes ahead of earnings reports next week from Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms, which are expected to provide further insight into AI infrastructure spending.
Investors have become increasingly selective toward AI-related companies, rewarding operational execution while paying closer attention to profitability and returns on investment.
Oracle traded higher by 0.7% after the Pentagon announced a contract worth nearly $7 billion over as long as 10 years to consolidate the Defense Department's on-premises software licenses under a single cloud agreement.
Middle East tensions and tariffs remain key market driversMarkets continued to monitor geopolitical developments after President Donald Trump signaled that he is considering further military action against Iran following attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Oil prices, which climbed above $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since late May, eased on Friday. Brent crude traded near $97 per barrel, down roughly 3%, while US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped more than 2% to trade above $89 per barrel.
Although prices retreated, investors remain concerned that prolonged disruptions to global energy supplies could revive inflation pressures and complicate central bank policy decisions.
Separately, the Trump administration announced new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, citing concerns over enforcement of forced-labor bans.
The measures took effect after a temporary 10% global tariff expired.
Attention is now shifting toward next week's Federal Reserve policy meeting and the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the central bank's preferred inflation measure.
According to CME FedWatch data, markets are pricing in roughly a one-in-three probability of a Fed rate hike next week, compared with about a 12% chance a week earlier.
Despite Friday's rebound in futures, the major US indexes remain on track for weekly losses, with the Dow heading toward a third consecutive weekly decline and both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq poised for a second straight week in the red.
Miniatures of windmill, solar panel and electric pole are seen in front of NextEra Energy logo in this illustration taken January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
CompaniesJuly 24 (Reuters) - NextEra Energy (NEE.N), opens new tab beat Wall Street estimates for second-quarter profit on Friday, as robust demand for electricity from data centers continued to drive growth at its regulated utility and renewable energy businesses.
U.S. utilities are investing billions of dollars to expand power generation and transmission as technology companies race to secure electricity for data centers, and as more of the economy shifts to electricity from fossil fuels.
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The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects power demand, which reached a record for a second straight year in 2025, to continue rising through 2026 and 2027.
NextEra, one of the world's largest renewable energy developers, is among the companies positioning themselves for that growth.
In May, it agreed to buy Dominion Energy (D.N), opens new tab in a $66.8 billion deal that would create one of the world's largest electric utilities and broaden its regulated footprint across fast-growing U.S. markets.
The deal is under regulatory review after drawing opposition from U.S. Senator Angus King, who argued it would concentrate too much market power in one company.
Florida Power & Light, the company's regulated utility, posted a 10.2% rise in second-quarter net income to $1.41 billion, while regulatory capital employed increased about 9.3%.
NextEra said FPL continues to see strong interest from hyperscalers and other large electricity users, with about 21 gigawatts of large-load opportunities, including 12 GW in advanced discussions.
It expects to announce at least one agreement under its large-load tariff before year-end.
NextEra Energy Resources, its renewable energy unit, reported net income of $1.63 billion, up 66.2%, and added 3.6 GW of wind, solar and battery storage projects during the quarter, taking its development backlog to about 35.1 GW.
The company earned $1.15 per share on an adjusted basis in the quarter ended June 30, above analysts' average estimate of $1.11, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Reporting by Katha Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo
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NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.15 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.09 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.05 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +5.51%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this parent company of Florida Power & Light Co. would post earnings of $0.98 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.09, delivering a surprise of +11.22%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
NextEra, which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, posted revenues of $7.53 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.76%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $6.7 billion. The company has not been able to beat consensus revenue estimates 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.
NextEra shares have added about 11.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.2%.
What's Next for NextEra?While NextEra 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 NextEra was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.27 on $9.18 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.01 on $31.85 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Utility - Electric Power is currently in the bottom 33% 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.
Entergy (ETR - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 29.
This power company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.98 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -6.7%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 4.4% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.
Entergy's revenues are expected to be $3.56 billion, up 6.9% from the year-ago quarter.
COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Experian today announced that Fastly (NASDAQ: FSLY), a leading global edge cloud platform, has joined the growing Experian Agent Trust™ ecosystem. Together, the companies will help enterprises verify AI agents, authorize transactions, and make trust decisions in real time as autonomous commerce continues to grow. "Agentic commerce represents one of the most significant shifts in digital commerce since the rise of mobile," said Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovati.
Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.
The earnings figure itself is key, of course, but a beat or miss on the bottom line can sometimes be just as, if not more, important. Therefore, investors should consider paying close attention to these earnings surprises, as a big beat can help a stock climb and vice versa.
Hunting for 'earnings whispers' or companies poised to beat their quarterly earnings estimates is a somewhat common practice. But that doesn't make it easy. One way that has been proven to work is by using the Zacks Earnings ESP tool.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more information.
With this in mind, the Expected Surprise Prediction compares the Most Accurate Estimate (being the most recent) against the overall Zacks Consensus Estimate. The percentage difference provides the ESP figure. The system also utilizes our core Zacks Rank to provide a stronger system for identifying stocks that might beat their next quarterly earnings estimate and possibly see the stock price climb.
Bringing together a positive earnings ESP alongside a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better has helped stocks report a positive earnings surprise 70% of the time. Furthermore, by using these parameters, investors have seen 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Stocks with a ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market; Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Deere?Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Deere (DE - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $4.99 a share, just 27 days from its upcoming earnings release on August 20, 2026.
By taking the percentage difference between the $4.99 Most Accurate Estimate and the $4.85 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Deere has an Earnings ESP of +2.97%. Investors should also know that DE is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
DE is just one of a large group of Industrial Products stocks with a positive ESP figure. Caterpillar (CAT - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.
Caterpillar, which is readying to report earnings on August 4, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $6.56 a share, and CAT is 11 days out from its next earnings report.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Caterpillar is $6.25, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +4.96%.
DE and CAT's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
Oracle stock rose by 2% in the premarket session as the company reached a deal with the US government in a major win for Larry Ellison, a close friend of Donald Trump. Still, it remains near its lowest level since April 2025. It has fallen by 65% from its all-time high.
Oracle, a large database, software, and cloud computing company, has reached a big $7 billion deal with the Pentagon. This deal will see the company provide its software in ten years.
Oracle will provide it with its software in on-premises data centers for the military, intelligence community, and the Coast Guard. The government believes that the deal will help it save over $444 million.
Ellison has cultivated a relationship with President Trump. He contributed $45 million in his campaign and took part in a large data center project in collaboration with OpenAI and Softbank.
Trump also brokered a deal that allowed the company to own TikTok’s US business. It owns a 15% stake in the company, while Silver Lake, MGX, and ByteDance own 15%, 15%, and 19.9%, respectively.
Still, despite the deal, Oracle faces major challenges even as its revenue backlog jumped to over $638 billion. Its revenue jumped by 21% to $19.2 billion, while the earnings-per-share soared by 21% to $1.45. The net revenue jumped to over $4.5 billion.
Analysts expect the business to continue growing, with the average estimate for the last quarter being $19.12 billion. If this is correct, it will represent a 28% increase from the same period last year. Its annual revenue is expected to be $90 billion and $130 billion next year.
Still, the biggest challenge the company faces is its balance sheet as its debt jumps. The company’s short-term debt jumped to over $7.2 billion, while its long-term debt soared to over $122 billion. It also expects that it will raise over $40 billion in a combination of debt and equity.
This soaring debt, and its exposure to OpenAI, explain why the stock has plunged in the past few months.
On the positive side, the company has become highly undervalued. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio has dropped to 14.9, lower than the sector median of 23. Its five-year average was 22.
The company also has a highly positive rule-of-40 multiple. Its forward revenue growth is about 17%, while its net income margin jumped to 45%. This means that the company is prioritizing its growth and margins.
READ MORE: Oracle stock slips on AI spending concerns, why analysts still see upside
ORCL stock chart | Source: TradingView
The weekly chart shows that the ORCL stock has plunged in the past few months. It slumped below the important support level of $136, its lowest level in February and March this year. Moving below that level confirmed that bears are in control.
The stock has dropped below the 50-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA). at the same time, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has continued falling and is nearing the oversold level.
The RSI suggests that the stock will continue falling as it gets to the oversold level. If this happens, it may drop to the key support level of $100 and then bounce back.
Baby boomers heading into retirement face a specific math problem: They need income that grows faster than inflation, drawn from businesses stable enough to survive whatever the next decade throws at them. With the 10-Year Treasury yielding 4.56% as of July 10, 2026 and Core PCE inflation still climbing (index at 130.08 in May 2026, up 0.3% month over month), fixed-rate bonds alone will not preserve purchasing power over a 25-year retirement. Dividend Kings, companies with 50-plus years of consecutive dividend hikes, remain the workhorse solution.
Here are three durable-income names built for the long haul, each with a specific bull case and a risk worth respecting.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ | JNJ Price Prediction) is the healthcare anchor almost every retirement portfolio needs. The company just posted Q1 2026 revenue of $24.06 billion (up 9.9% year over year) and adjusted EPS of $2.70, both ahead of Street expectations, and management raised FY2026 guidance to revenue of $100.3 billion to $101.3 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.45 to $11.65.
The dividend track record is the headline. The board approved a 3.1% dividend increase to $1.34 per share quarterly, marking 64 consecutive years of dividend growth, verified by the payment record showing the Q2 2026 ex-dividend date of May 26, 2026 at $1.34 versus $1.30 the prior quarter. The annualized forward payout of $5.36 gives retirees a concrete income figure to plan around.
Growth is accelerating too. DARZALEX delivered $3.96 billion in the quarter (up 22.5%), TREMFYA grew 68.3%, and CARVYKTI expanded 62.1%. CEO Joaquin Duato called this “a strong start to 2026” delivering on the promise of “a year of accelerated growth and impact.” Shares reflect that momentum: JNJ is up around 52% over the past year and 23.23% year to date through July 22, with a beta of 0.235 that still qualifies as defensive.
Risk/caveat: STELARA biosimilar erosion hit hard, with sales down 59.7% to $656M, and the planned Orthopaedics separation carries execution risk. At a forward P/E near 22, this is no longer a bargain-bin buy.
Kimberly-Clark (KMB) Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) is the consumer-staples version of this trade: Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise and Depend all sit in cabinets that get restocked whether the economy is booming or contracting.
The Q1 2026 print was solid: adjusted EPS of $1.97, which beat the $1.93 estimate, on revenue of $4.16 billion. The company reaffirmed 2026 guidance for organic sales growth of ~2.5% and double-digit adjusted EPS growth on a constant-currency basis, with International Personal Care up 9.1% to $1.51 billion.
The dividend? The Q1 2026 quarterly rose to $1.28 from $1.26 in Q4 2025, extending a streak the data confirms has run every single year from 1999 through 2026. The 4.7% trailing yield is one of the highest available in blue-chip staples.
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Valuation looks reasonable too: forward P/E of 15 versus a trailing 22, with a beta of 0.279. CEO Mike Hsu framed the pending Kenvue acquisition as a “generational value creation opportunity.” For retirees hunting income, this is a Dividend King built to weather cycles.
If maximizing income across a full portfolio is the objective, 24/7 Wall St.’s 10 Dividend Kings research report drills into how these multi-decade compounders fit alongside other steady-payer names.
Risk/caveat: Reported net sales fell 14% year over year due to IFP discontinued operations and the US private label diaper exit, and the consumer tissue restructuring plus Kenvue integration risk are real. As of July 22, shares are down 15.52% over the past year — a reminder that even Kings have off years.
Genuine Parts Company (GPC) Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) owns NAPA Auto Parts and one of the strongest industrial distribution networks in North America. Q1 2026 delivered adjusted EPS of $1.77, revenue of $6.26B (up 6.8% YoY), and comparable sales up 2.4%. Management reaffirmed FY2026 guidance for sales growth of 3% to 5.5%, adjusted diluted EPS of $7.50 to $8 and free cash flow of $550 million to $700 million.
The dividend streak here is the longest of the three. Data confirms 70 consecutive years of dividend increases announced with Q4 2025, with the annual rate up 3.2% to $4.25 per share. Payment records verify the Q1 2026 quarterly at $1.0625 (up from $1.03 through 2025), annualized forward of $4.25, with the latest payment on July 2, 2026. The 3.53% yield gives income a running start, and the planned tax-free separation into Global Automotive and Global Industrial businesses is targeted for Q1 2027, which could unlock trapped value.
CEO Will Stengel noted the team “delivered first quarter results ahead of expectations” while progressing on the separation.
Risk/caveat: Q4 2025 posted a GAAP net loss of $609.5 million driven by a $742 million pension settlement charge and a $150.5 million First Brands supplier bankruptcy credit loss. Add tariff exposure, separation execution risk, and a Q1 2026 free cash flow deficit of $33.6 million and the near-term picture is choppier than the streak suggests.
The Bottom Line All three names are Dividend Kings in defensive sectors, and all three have raised payouts through recessions, wars, and rate cycles. For baby boomers building an income base to draw from for decades, that consistency is the point. The forward-looking question is whether each company can navigate its current transition (JNJ’s Orthopaedics spin, KMB’s Kenvue integration, and GPC’s separation) without disrupting cash flow to shareholders. History says the odds favor the Kings.
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Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In First Solar To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options
If you purchased or acquired securities in First Solar between February 26, 2025 and February 24, 2026 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
[You may also click here for additional information]
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 24, 2026) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against First Solar, Inc. ("First Solar" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FSLR) and reminds investors of the August 24, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Defendants had overstated First Solar's capacity to manage the impact of U.S. tariff policy on the Company's business; (2) Defendants understated the extent to which its responses to U.S. tariff policy, including the intentional underutilization of production facilities in Malaysia and Vietnam, and attempted relocation of production to the U.S., were likely to negatively impact First Solar's projected performance in the 2026 fiscal year; and (3) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
The truth began to emerge on January 7, 2026, when Jefferies downgraded First Solar to Hold from Buy, noting that during 2025, the Company had lowered guidance, faced significant de-bookings and experienced margin compression through 2025. Jefferies also flagged that "[international] facilities remain a pain point while tariffs exist" and "underutilization at [international] facilities remains a concern." The Jefferies analyst also predicted that First Solar's deployment opportunities were likely to be more limited in 2026.
On this news, First Solar's stock price fell $27.67 per share, or 10.29%, to close at $241.11 per share on January 7, 2026.
Then, on February 24, 2026, First Solar issued a press release "announc[ing] financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025." Among other items, First Solar announced earnings that missed expectations by a wide margin and issued lower-than-expected FY 2026 revenue guidance, citing customer headwinds such as permitting delays under the Trump administration. Following First Solar's announcement, Baird Research downgraded its stock to Neutral from Outperform, citing "several question marks in forward outlook".
On this news, First Solar's stock price fell $33.09 per share, or 13.61%, to close at $210.12 per share on February 25, 2026.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding First Solar's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
To learn more about the First Solar, Inc. class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/FSLR or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Investors Regarding the First Solar, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit:
What is the First Solar securities fraud lawsuit about?
The lawsuit alleges that First Solar, Inc. and certain executives violated federal securities laws by making false or misleading statements and failing to disclose material information regarding the impact of U.S. tariff policies, production facility utilization, and risks to the Company's projected 2026 financial performance.
Who may be eligible to participate in the lawsuit?
Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) securities during the applicable Class Period and suffered losses may be eligible to participate in the securities class action. Eligibility will depend on the specific circumstances of each investor's transactions and losses.
What is a lead plaintiff, and how can I seek appointment?
A lead plaintiff is a court-appointed representative who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. Any eligible investor may seek appointment as lead plaintiff by filing the appropriate motion with the court on or before the August 24, 2026 deadline.
What should investors do if they purchased First Solar stock during the Class Period?
Investors who purchased First Solar securities during the Class Period and experienced losses should review their legal rights and options. They may contact counsel to discuss the lawsuit, determine whether they qualify to participate, and learn more about seeking appointment as lead plaintiff before the applicable deadline.
Why should investors contact Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP?
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP has represented investors in securities litigation for decades and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders. Investors who purchased First Solar securities during the Class Period may contact the firm to discuss their legal rights, potential claims, and the lead plaintiff process at no cost or obligation.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/306259
Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP
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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 24, 2026) - Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against First Solar, Inc. ("First Solar" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FSLR) on behalf of investors that purchased or otherwise acquired First Solar securities between February 26, 2025 and February 24, 2026 (the "Class Period").
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CASE
If you are an investor in First Solar and have suffered losses, you may CLICK HERE to contact us. You may also contact Kaplan Fox by emailing [email protected] or by calling (646) 315-9003.
DEADLINE REMINDER: If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than August 24, 2026 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. If you have losses we encourage you to contact us to learn more about the lead plaintiff process. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery.
On January 7, 2026, according to the complaint, "Jefferies downgraded First Solar to Hold from Buy, noting that during 2025, First Solar had lowered guidance, faced significant de-bookings and experienced margin compression through 2025."
Following this news, the price of First Solar stock fell $27.67 per share, about 10.3%, to close at $241.11 per share on January 7, 2026.
Then, on February 24, 2026, after markets closed, according to the complaint First Solar announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025 "that missed expectations by a wide margin and issued lower-than expected FY 2026 revenue guidance, citing customer headwinds such as permitting delays under the Trump administration."
Following this news, the price of First Solar stock fell $33.09 per share, about 13.6%, to close at $210.12 per share.
The complaint alleges, among other things, that throughout the Class Period, (i) Defendants overstated First Solar's capacity to manage the impact of U.S. tariff policy on the Company's business; (ii) Defendants understated the extent to which its responses to U.S. tariff policy, including the intentional underutilization of production facilities in Malaysia and Vietnam, and attempted relocation of production to the U.S., were likely to negatively impact First Solar's projected performance in the 2026 fiscal year; and (iii) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
WHY CONTACT KAPLAN FOX - Kaplan Fox is a leading national law firm focusing on complex litigation with offices in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey. With over 50 years of experience in securities litigation, Kaplan Fox offers the professional experience and track record that clients demand. Through prosecuting cases on the federal and state levels, Kaplan Fox has successfully shaped the law through winning many important decisions on behalf of our clients. For more information about Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, you may visit our website at www.kaplanfox.com.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
If you have any questions about this Notice, your rights, or your interests, please contact:
Contacting or submitting information to Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor an obligation on the part of Kaplan Fox to retain you as a client.
Enbridge (ENB - Free Report) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future.
Over the past month, shares of this oil and natural gas transportation and power transmission company have returned +0.4%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. During this period, the Zacks Oil and Gas - Production and Pipelines industry, which Enbridge falls in, has gained 1.7%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
Enbridge is expected to post earnings of $0.43 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -8.5%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -2.5%.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.13 points to a change of -1.4% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -2.4%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.35 indicates a change of +10.3% from what Enbridge is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -1.9%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Enbridge is rated Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Enbridge, the consensus sales estimate of $10.85 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +0.9%. The $48.33 billion and $47.5 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +3.7% and -1.7%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryEnbridge reported revenues of $16.3 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +26.5%. EPS of $0.71 for the same period compares with $0.72 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $12.82 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +27.09%. The EPS surprise was +2.9%.
Over the last four quarters, Enbridge surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Enbridge is graded D on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Enbridge. However, its Zacks Rank #4 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.
