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A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive PlayTexas Instruments NASDAQ: TXN reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with management citing broadening demand across industrial, data center and automotive markets, along with benefits from prior investments in inventory and manufacturing capacity.

Chief Executive Officer Haviv Ilan said revenue for the quarter was $5.5 billion, up 13% sequentially and 23% from a year earlier. Revenue came in above the company’s prior range as industrial and data center demand continued to grow and automotive demand accelerated during the quarter.

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AI’s Biggest Bottleneck Could Make These 2 Stocks Soar“Our investments in inventory and capacity are serving us well, which allows us to support our customers during this time of increased demand,” Ilan said. He added that Texas Instruments has clean room space available and is positioned to support continued growth.

Industrial, Data Center and Automotive Drive Growth Ilan said both Analog and Embedded Processing grew sequentially and year over year. Analog revenue rose 26% from the year-ago quarter, while Embedded Processing increased 16%. The company’s other segment declined 2% year over year.

AI Is Reviving an Overlooked Chip Category—and These 3 Names Are Riding the Demand WaveBy end market, Ilan said industrial revenue increased about 30% year over year and roughly 10% sequentially, with broad growth across sectors and regions. Automotive revenue increased in the mid-teens from a year earlier and rose in the upper single digits from the prior quarter. Data center revenue doubled year over year and grew about 20% sequentially.

Personal electronics was flat year over year and grew in the upper single digits sequentially, while communications equipment increased both year over year and sequentially.

During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Ilan said demand is now broader than in recent quarters, when strength was concentrated in industrial and data center. He said automotive demand built during the second quarter, led by China and by demand tied to electric vehicles and hybrids. He also said some automotive customers had reduced inventories to very low levels.

“I think we are in the start of a cycle that is very broad,” Ilan said.

Profitability Improves; Free Cash Flow Rises Chief Financial Officer Rafael Lizardi said gross profit was $3.4 billion, or 61% of revenue, with gross margin increasing 340 basis points sequentially. Operating expenses were $1 billion, about in line with expectations. Operating profit was $2.3 billion, or 42% of revenue, up 48% from the year-ago quarter.

Net income was $2 billion, or $2.14 per share. Lizardi said earnings per share included a $0.05 benefit from discrete tax items that was not included in the company’s original guidance.

Cash flow from operations was $2.7 billion in the quarter and $8.7 billion over the trailing 12 months. Capital expenditures were $514 million in the quarter and $3.3 billion over the past 12 months. Trailing 12-month free cash flow was $6.5 billion, up from $1.8 billion in the second quarter of 2025.

Lizardi said free cash flow over the past 12 months included $1.6 billion of CHIPS Act incentives, consisting of investment tax credits and direct funding. Texas Instruments received $549 million of ITC-related payments in the second quarter for qualifying capital expenditures.

The company paid $1.3 billion in dividends during the quarter and returned $5.8 billion to shareholders over the past 12 months. Texas Instruments ended the quarter with $7 billion in cash and short-term investments and $14 billion in total debt, with a weighted average coupon of 4%.

Inventory at quarter-end was $4.6 billion, down $90 million from the prior quarter. Days of inventory were 196, down 13 days sequentially.

Third-Quarter Guidance Points to Continued Momentum For the third quarter of 2026, Texas Instruments expects revenue of $5.65 billion to $6.15 billion and earnings per share of $2.23 to $2.57. The company expects its effective tax rate to be about 13% in the quarter.

Asked about the demand outlook, Ilan said he expects strength across markets in the third quarter. He noted that personal electronics typically contributes meaningfully to third-quarter growth, but said the current outlook is broader, with industrial, data center and automotive also expected to contribute.

Ilan also said the company has begun executing price increases after pricing remained flat in the first half of the year. He said some increases will begin to affect results in the third quarter, with additional impact expected in the fourth quarter and into next year, depending on annual customer pricing discussions.

“If I think about the forecast for Q3, the vast majority of it is just unit growth and maybe a little contribution from pricing, but almost insignificant,” Ilan said.

Capacity and Lead Times Remain Key Focus Areas Management emphasized that Texas Instruments is better positioned on capacity than in the prior cycle. Incoming CFO Julie Knecht said factory loadings increased from the first quarter to the second quarter and continued to rise throughout the second quarter. She said third-quarter loadings will depend on demand, but the company has clean room space available that it can equip and ramp.

Ilan said Texas Instruments has clean room capacity in Richardson and Sherman, as well as capacity plans tied to Lehi. He said the company is “in great shape” for Analog growth into its existing manufacturing footprint and that Lehi 2 will support Embedded Processing growth.

On lead times, Ilan said they remain competitive, though they have moved slightly higher as demand has increased. He said lead times were below the company’s core 13-week level in the second quarter but have risen by a couple of weeks.

“When I talk with customers, I do believe our lead times are the most competitive in the market,” Ilan said.

CFO Transition and Acquisition Update The call also marked Lizardi’s final earnings call as CFO. Head of Investor Relations Mike Beckman said Lizardi plans to retire at the end of August after nearly a decade as finance chief. Julie Knecht, who has been with Texas Instruments for more than 25 years and has served as chief accounting officer since 2021, will become CFO on August 1.

Lizardi said it had been an honor to work at Texas Instruments for 25 years and to serve as CFO for the past decade. “Over that time, we have made TI stronger and positioned it for continued success,” he said.

Management also provided a brief update on the pending Silicon Labs transaction. Knecht said regulatory approvals are moving as planned and that Texas Instruments still expects the deal to close in the first half of next year. She said the company continues to expect to fund the transaction with cash on hand and debt.

About Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN)Texas Instruments Inc NASDAQ: TXN is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures analog and embedded processing chips. The company's products are used across a wide range of end markets, including industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications and enterprise equipment. TI's business emphasizes components that condition, convert, manage and move electrical signals—capabilities that are foundational to modern electronic systems.

TI's product portfolio includes a broad array of analog integrated circuits—such as power management, amplifiers, data converters and interface devices—as well as embedded processors and microcontrollers used to control systems and run real-time applications.

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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For the quarter ended June 2026, Texas Instruments (TXN - Free Report) reported revenue of $5.46 billion, up 22.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.14, compared to $1.41 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +4.57% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.22 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.91, the EPS surprise was +12.04%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

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

Revenue- Other: $310 million versus $259.07 million estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.2% change.Revenue- Embedded Processing: $788 million versus the six-analyst average estimate of $756.15 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +16.1%.Revenue- Analog: $4.37 billion versus $4.12 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +26.5% change.Operating Profit- Analog: $1.99 billion compared to the $1.78 billion average estimate based on two analysts.Operating Profit- Other: $150 million versus $127 million estimated by two analysts on average.Operating Profit- Embedded Processing: $168 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $135.01 million.View all Key Company Metrics for Texas Instruments here>>>

Shares of Texas Instruments have returned -4.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott said on Wednesday that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is strengthening the company's competitive position.

His comments come just one day after OpenAI disclosed that one of its advanced AI agents escaped a controlled testing environment during a cybersecurity evaluation and compromised the infrastructure of AI startup Hugging Face before it was detected and contained.

"We have a kill switch that stops AI agents that go rogue, so those things don't need to happen, and they wouldn't happen when companies run ServiceNow," McDermott said on CNBC's "Mad Money."

ServiceNow offers a suite of software applications and tools used by companies to manage and automate workflows across IT, human resources, and customer service operations. It's also expanded its cybersecurity presence, in part through the acquisitions of Veza and Armis. Both deals closed this year.

Agentic systems are an increasingly popular corner of AI, going beyond a more simplistic chatbot that answers queries with a written response. These advanced systems are capable of executing multi-step tasks with little to no human intervention.

McDermott said ServiceNow's AI Control Tower is its system that gives companies a central place to monitor, manage, and secure the growing number of AI agents, helping businesses move "from AI chaos to AI discipline."

Shares of ServiceNow rose in extended trading after the company reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue. Even after the jump, however, the stock remains down more than 30% this year after software shares sold off during what investors dubbed the "SaaSpocalypse" amid concerns that advances in AI would disrupt the industry's traditional seat-based business model.

McDermott dismissed concerns that growing AI competition could pressure ServiceNow's profits or cause customers to shorten contract terms.

"If you look at the terms of our contracts, they've actually gotten longer," McDermott said.

Instead, he argued that broader AI adoption should increase demand for ServiceNow's software.

"There's going to be more AI. There's going to be more incidents, and all these things drive more and more volume to ServiceNow," he said. "That's why we increased the full-year guide."

OpenAI did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment but said earlier that AI is accelerating the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities, which means model security and safety need to keep up.

"We are strengthening the containment, monitoring, access controls, and evaluation practices used during model development," the ChatGPT maker said.

ServiceNow (NOW - Free Report) reported $3.99 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 24%. EPS of $0.90 for the same period compares to $0.82 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.92 billion, representing a surprise of +1.65%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +4.65%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.86.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

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

Current Remaining Performance Obligations(cRPO) - GAAP: $13.20 billion versus $13.03 billion estimated by four analysts on average.Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) - GAAP: $29.00 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $28.82 billion.cRPO (Current Remaining Performance Obligations) - Non-GAAP: $13.28 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $13.05 billion.Revenues- Subscription: $3.88 billion versus the nine-analyst average estimate of $3.82 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +24.5%.Revenues- Professional services and other: $110 million versus $107.26 million estimated by eight analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.8% change.Gross Profit (Non-GAAP)- Subscription: $3.12 billion versus the seven-analyst average estimate of $3.09 billion.Gross Profit (Non-GAAP)- Professional services and other: $-16 million versus the six-analyst average estimate of $10.73 million.View all Key Company Metrics for ServiceNow here>>>

Shares of ServiceNow have returned +6.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.

Contrarian Alert: 5 Downgraded Stocks That May Reward Long-Term InvestorsServiceNow NYSE: NOW reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with executives pointing to broad demand across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, IT operations, customer relationship management and employee workflows.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill McDermott said the company delivered “a stunning Q2 print,” citing subscription revenue growth of 23% in constant currency, current remaining performance obligations, or cRPO, growth of 21.5% in constant currency and a non-GAAP operating margin of 29.5%. He said each of those metrics exceeded the company’s guidance.

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Marvell’s AI Moment Raises a Bigger Question for Amazon and ServiceNowServiceNow also reported 123 deals greater than $1 million in net new annual contract value, up 40% year over year. McDermott said ServiceNow AI annual contract value exceeded $1 billion and remains on pace to surpass the company’s target of $1.5 billion by the end of 2026.

AI Demand Continues to Build McDermott and President and Chief Financial Officer Gina Mastantuono both emphasized that AI adoption is becoming a larger driver of ServiceNow’s business. Mastantuono said ServiceNow AI net new ACV growth accelerated sequentially and grew more than 40% quarter over quarter. She added that deals including five or more ServiceNow AI products increased 5.5 times year over year, helping drive a tripling of million-dollar-plus deals.

Microsoft Build 2026 Is Really Just One Big AI Stress TestThe company said the number of customers with agentic AI in production has increased ninefold over the last nine months. Mastantuono said ServiceNow is already tracking ahead of its target for AI to reach 30% of ACV by 2030.

President, Chief Product Officer and Chief Operating Officer Amit Zavery discussed the company’s level 1 IT service management automation, saying more than 40 customers are already using the product. He said the AI specialists are closing about 80% to 85% of service requests without human interaction, reducing some request resolution times from two days to about 20 minutes.

“It’s end-to-end service request completion, not just giving you the information, but actioning on those requests as well,” Zavery said.

Cybersecurity Becomes a Central Theme McDermott repeatedly framed cybersecurity as a major growth area for ServiceNow, saying the company already has a “$1 billion-plus cybersecurity business” and is the “eighth-largest cybersecurity business in the enterprise.” He said ServiceNow is building what he described as an integrated end-to-end security platform spanning cyber risk and compliance, incident response, exposure management, identity and access security and vulnerability detection.

Executives highlighted the company’s acquisitions of Armis and Veza as important additions to that strategy. McDermott said Veza maps access across human, machine and AI identities, while Armis tracks connected devices in real time. He said the combination strengthens ServiceNow’s AI Control Tower, which is designed to give enterprises visibility, governance and security across AI systems.

Zavery said the company is addressing both pre-breach and post-breach cybersecurity workflows, including vulnerability management, exposure management and security operations center processes. However, he said ServiceNow does not plan to participate in every area of the cybersecurity market.

“Where we have strength, where we have opportunity, and it builds on top of what we did with CMDB, what we did with our post-breach stuff, and now adding the AppSec, as well as the pre-breach things,” Zavery said.

Revenue, RPO and Customer Metrics Mastantuono said second-quarter subscription revenue was $3.877 billion, up 23% year over year in constant currency and 150 basis points above the high end of guidance. Remaining performance obligations ended the quarter at approximately $29 billion, representing 22% year-over-year constant currency growth. Current RPO was $13.2 billion, up 21.5% in constant currency and 200 basis points above guidance.

ServiceNow’s renewal rate was 98% in the quarter. Mastantuono said the company ended the period with 658 customers generating more than $5 million in ACV, with 32 additional customers crossing the $20 million threshold compared with last year.

She said demand was broad across workflows:

Technology workflows had 50 deals above $1 million, including nine above $5 million. ITSM appeared in 15 of the top 20 deals, while ITOM appeared in 18 of the top 20 deals. Security and risk solutions were in 16 of the top 20 deals. CRM and industry workflows were also in 16 of the top 20 deals. Core business workflows were in 12 of the top 20 deals, supported by demand for ServiceNow EmployeeWorks. Mastantuono said business and consumer services led industry growth, with net new ACV growing more than sixfold year over year. Education grew more than 125%, while telecommunications and media grew nearly 40%. Manufacturing also posted strong growth, she said.

CRM, Employee Workflows and AI Control Tower McDermott said ServiceNow’s CRM business has reached $2 billion in ACV, and net new ACV growth in CRM accelerated both year over year and quarter over quarter. He said ServiceNow is increasingly being positioned by partners as an “operational CRM platform.”

He cited customer examples including a large airline using ServiceNow’s voice AI CRM agents to handle 5 million annual customer service voice calls in its first year of production. He also pointed to examples in quoting, loan origination and field operations.

On employee workflows, McDermott described EmployeeWorks as a strategic entry point for enterprise employee experiences, combining Moveworks conversational AI with ServiceNow workflows across HR, IT and workplace services. Mastantuono said EmployeeWorks deal volume grew more than 150% quarter over quarter.

The company also said AI Control Tower is gaining traction. Zavery said more than 500 customers are already live using AI Control Tower within the first six months of launch. McDermott cited customers including Maybank, Tech Mahindra, NTT Data and a Fortune 50 healthcare and retail distributor as examples of organizations using ServiceNow for AI governance and workflow transformation.

Guidance Raised for 2026 ServiceNow raised its full-year 2026 subscription revenue guidance by $15 million at the midpoint, to a range of $15.755 billion to $15.770 billion, representing 21% year-over-year growth in constant currency. Mastantuono said the company expects subscription gross margin of 81%, operating margin of 31.5% and free cash flow margin of 35% for the year.

For the third quarter, ServiceNow expects subscription revenue of $3.975 billion to $3.980 billion, representing 20% year-over-year constant currency growth. The company also expects cRPO growth of 20% in constant currency and an operating margin of 31%.

Mastantuono said some second-quarter upside came from strong U.S. federal demand, which shifted certain on-premises revenue from the third quarter into the second quarter. She said the timing shift did not account for all of the quarter’s outperformance, noting strong net new ACV as well.

Asked about sales cycles, McDermott said he has not seen a negative impact. “If I’ve seen any change, it’s on the positive,” he said, adding that ServiceNow’s relevance is increasing in C-suite discussions around AI, workflow automation and cybersecurity.

About ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW)ServiceNow NYSE: NOW is a cloud computing company that builds enterprise software to manage digital workflows and automate business processes. Its offerings are designed to replace manual work and legacy systems with cloud-based, service-oriented applications that support IT operations, customer service, human resources, security response and other enterprise functions.

The company's flagship product family is the Now Platform, a suite of subscription software and platform services that includes IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Operations Management (ITOM), IT Business Management (ITBM), Customer Service Management (CSM), HR Service Delivery, Security Operations and Asset Management.

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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Reliance (RS - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $6.27 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.38 per share. This compares to earnings of $4.43 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +16.54%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this metals service-center company would post earnings of $4.63 per share when it actually produced earnings of $5.16, delivering a surprise of +11.45%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.

Reliance, which belongs to the Zacks Mining - Miscellaneous industry, posted revenues of $4.63 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.93%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.66 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.

Reliance shares have added about 32.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.7%.

What's Next for Reliance?While Reliance 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 Reliance 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 $4.68 on $3.94 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $19.24 on $15.83 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, Mining - Miscellaneous is currently in the bottom 16% 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, Alpha Metallurgical (AMR - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.65 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +271.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Alpha Metallurgical's revenues are expected to be $567.3 million, up 3.1% from the year-ago quarter.

PAAS weekly chart shows one-week reversal from lower boundary of large falling channel. Source: TradingView Resistance Builds Toward $53.99 That price area looks like it may soon be joined by the falling 50-day moving average at $49.46. The 50-day moving average represents the next key dynamic resistance zone, which was confirmed as resistance during the advance that established the $53.99 swing high. A sustained move above the 50-day moving average would further strengthen the reversal signal. For the health of the long-term trend, the 200-day moving average would need to be reclaimed. Although at first there might be signs of resistance near the average, the completion of recent corrective price action would suggest that it may be reclaimed. Certainly, if the target from the wedge pattern is to be reached, it will need to be.

Weekly Reversal Adds Bigger-Picture Support The weekly chart shows a declining trend channel defining the boundaries of the decline that followed the $69.99 peak in January. A one-week upside reversal triggered this week, establishing a higher weekly high and higher low. Moreover, it occurred from the lower channel boundary, suggesting an eventual approach to the upper boundary of the falling channel.

That higher-time-frame reversal reinforces the bullish signals on the daily chart and supports the potential for the recent correction to have ended. If PAAS can continue to reclaim the resistance levels above, the weekly reversal could provide the foundation for a broader advance toward the upper boundary of the declining channel.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $87.32, demonstrating a +1.3% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.14%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.01%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.57%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the agribusiness giant had gained 13.66% outpaced the Consumer Staples sector's gain of 1.73% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.

The upcoming earnings release of Archer Daniels Midland will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on August 4, 2026. In that report, analysts expect Archer Daniels Midland to post earnings of $1.27 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 36.56%. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $22.38 billion, showing a 5.72% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $4.76 per share and revenue of $84.48 billion. These totals would mark changes of +38.78% and +5.25%, respectively, from last year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Archer Daniels Midland. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 7.45% higher. Right now, Archer Daniels Midland possesses a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

From a valuation perspective, Archer Daniels Midland is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 18.11. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 13.64, which means Archer Daniels Midland is trading at a premium to the group.

The Agriculture - Operations industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 165, placing it within the bottom 33% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow ADM in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

For the quarter ended June 2026, AvalonBay Communities (AVB - Free Report) reported revenue of $777.77 million, up 2.3% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.86, compared to $1.89 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.31% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $775.34 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.80, the EPS surprise was +2.14%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

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

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

Same Store Economic Occupancy: 96.1% versus 96% estimated by four analysts on average.Revenue- Management, development and other fees: $1.78 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $1.73 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +11.8%.Revenue- Rental and other income: $775.99 million versus $772.59 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.3% change.Net Earnings Per Share (Diluted): $1.11 compared to the $1.17 average estimate based on four analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for AvalonBay here>>>

Shares of AvalonBay have returned +4.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

In the latest close session, Strategy (MSTR - Free Report) was down 1.9% at $100.01. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.14%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.01%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.57%.

Coming into today, shares of the business software company had lost 1.82% in the past month. In that same time, the Finance sector gained 2.55%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.25%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Strategy in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to go public on July 30, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $52.04, reflecting a 59.63% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $126.95 million, indicating a 10.88% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $57.47 per share and a revenue of $503.9 million, signifying shifts of +477.35% and +5.59%, respectively, from the last year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Strategy. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 50.76% lower. As of now, Strategy holds a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).

With respect to valuation, Strategy is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 1.77. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 11 of its industry.

The Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry is part of the Finance sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 186, placing it within the bottom 25% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.

Agreement expands operating rights in Chicago and creates new Canada-Mexico service opportunities for customers July 22, 2026 18:50 ET  | Source: Canadian National Railway Company

MONTREAL, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) and Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) today announced the signing of a binding Memorandum of Understanding that will strengthen rail service across North America, improving both railroads' ability to serve customers.

The agreement provides Union Pacific with expanded operating rights over CN's Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) corridor through Chicago, while granting CN new rights over Union Pacific's network between Memphis, Tennessee, and Eagle Pass, Texas, to support freight movements between Canada and Mexico.

“We are thrilled to have an agreement with Union Pacific to expand CN’s access to Mexico. This is a natural extension of our north-south franchise and will open new routes for customers, provide greater choice and strengthen connections between Canada and Mexico,” said Tracy Robinson, President and CEO of CN. “By extending our reach, we are creating new opportunities for growth while continuing to deliver the safe, reliable service our customers expect. This is another example of CN’s commitment to strengthening rail competitiveness across North America.”

"I’ve seen the benefits first-hand of what the EJ&E route around Chicago can do for a railroad, and we look forward to having access to the quickest way around Chicago,” said Jim Vena, CEO of Union Pacific.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements by CN and Union Pacific included in this news release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under Canadian securities laws. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The companies caution that their assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “assumes,” “outlook,” “plans,” “targets,” or other similar words. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The companies assume no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event CN or Union Pacific do update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that they will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement.

About CN
CN powers the economy by safely transporting more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year for its customers. With its nearly 20,000-mile rail network and related transportation services, CN connects Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. Midwest and the U.S. Gulf Coast, contributing to sustainable trade and the prosperity of the communities in which it operates since 1919.

Contacts:
 MediaInvestment CommunityAshley MichnowskiJamie LockwoodSenior ManagerVice-PresidentMedia RelationsInvestor Relations & Special Projects(438) 596-4329(514) [email protected]@cn.ca
ABOUT UNION PACIFIC
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com.

Union Pacific Media Contact: [email protected]
www.up.com
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www.twitter.com/unionpacific

Crown Castle (CCI - Free Report) came out with quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $1.13 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1 per share. This compares to FFO of $1.02 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an FFO surprise of +13.00%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this operator of wireless communications towers would post FFO of $1.01 per share when it actually produced FFO of $1.02, delivering a surprise of +0.99%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus FFO estimates four times.

Crown Castle, which belongs to the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry, posted revenues of $1.01 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.52%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.06 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 FFO expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Crown Castle shares have lost about 14.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.7%.

What's Next for Crown Castle?While Crown Castle 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 FFO outlook. Not only does this include current consensus FFO 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 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 estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Crown Castle 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 FFO estimate is $1.20 on $1.02 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.43 on $4.13 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, REIT and Equity Trust - Other is currently in the top 24% 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, Easterly Government Properties (DEA - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 3.

This property management company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.79 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +6.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Easterly Government Properties' revenues are expected to be $91.34 million, up 8.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Tap Into 2026 AI Infrastructure Gains With This High-Growth ETFCrown Castle NYSE: CCI said it delivered “solid” second-quarter 2026 results, raised its full-year AFFO outlook and completed its transition into a pure-play U.S. tower operator following the sale of its small cell and fiber businesses.

President and CEO Chris Hillabrant said the company closed the sale of those businesses on May 1, calling it “an important milestone” that made Crown Castle “the only publicly traded pure-play U.S. tower operator.” He said the company is now focused on becoming a “best-in-class U.S. tower operator” through cost savings, operational efficiency and improved customer service.

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3 AI ETFs Tapping Into the Heart of the AI Revolution“We now expect to drive additional cost savings this year as we continue to drive operational excellence,” Hillabrant said.

Guidance raised on higher revenue and lower interest expense Chief Financial Officer Sunit Patel said second-quarter organic growth, excluding Sprint cancellations and DISH terminations, was 3.9%, or $38 million, including a $5 million increase in other billings. Excluding the increase in other billings, organic growth was 3.6%. Organic growth would have been 4.2% if DISH revenues were excluded from prior-year site rental billings.

Top 3 REIT Picks for 2025: High Yields and Rising Earnings AheadThose gains were more than offset in site rental revenue by $5 million of Sprint cancellations, $49 million of DISH terminations and a $25 million decline in non-cash straight-line revenue and amortization of prepaid rent.

Crown Castle raised its full-year 2026 outlook for site rental revenue by $5 million at the midpoint and increased its AFFO outlook by $5 million. Patel said the AFFO increase reflects a $5 million reduction in expected interest expense. The company maintained its adjusted EBITDA outlook, as higher revenue and $15 million of expected cost reductions are expected to be offset by a $20 million decrease in services contribution, primarily in the third quarter.

The company now expects full-year 2026 organic growth of 3.4%, excluding Sprint cancellations and DISH terminations, up from its prior guidance of 3.3%. If DISH revenues are excluded from prior-year site rental billings, full-year organic growth is expected to be 3.6%, compared with prior guidance of 3.5%.

Patel said Crown Castle continues to expect 2026 to represent the low point for organic growth. As of the end of the second quarter, more than 90% of its full-year 2026 organic growth, excluding Sprint and DISH impacts, was contracted, up from about 80% at the start of the year.

Sale proceeds used for debt repayment and buybacks Crown Castle received $8.4 billion in net proceeds from the sale of its small cell and fiber businesses. Patel said the company used those proceeds to repurchase $1 billion of shares and repay more than $7 billion of debt, consistent with its capital allocation framework.

The company completed the $1 billion share repurchase program during the second quarter at an average price of $88.66 per share, retiring more than 11 million shares and reducing its annual dividend obligation by $47 million.

Since the prior quarter, Crown Castle repaid approximately $7.2 billion in debt, including about $5 billion of floating-rate debt across its commercial paper program, revolving credit facility and term loan. The company also repurchased $500 million of debt in the open market and repaid $750 million of unsecured notes due June 15 and $1 billion of unsecured notes due July 15.

Crown Castle ended the quarter with leverage of 6.3 times net debt to EBITDA, within its target investment-grade range of 6.0 to 6.5 times. The company also reduced the capacity of its revolving credit facility from $7 billion to $4.5 billion following the sale transaction.

DISH bankruptcy and escrow account remain key issues Hillabrant said Crown Castle made progress during the quarter toward recovering payments owed under its original DISH agreement. In May, the Federal Communications Commission approved EchoStar spectrum sale transactions with AT&T and SpaceX, but made the transactions contingent on the creation of a $2.4 billion escrow account for vendors.

Hillabrant said Crown Castle will pursue its $3.5 billion contractual claim in bankruptcy court after DISH Wireless filed for bankruptcy. He said the escrow account is intended to satisfy network-related obligations, including certain infrastructure claims, and is not subject to the normal bankruptcy estate waterfall.

During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Hillabrant said the escrow funding is tied to the closing of the AT&T transaction. He said it is too early to estimate Crown Castle’s potential recovery because the number of claimants and the resolution process remain uncertain.

Asked about DISH equipment on Crown Castle towers, Hillabrant said ownership will be addressed as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. “As far as we’ve seen, they’ve abandoned it and although we’ve requested for them to take it down, have not acted to this point,” he said.

Management points to edge computing, data growth and spectrum Hillabrant said Crown Castle sees multiple long-term demand drivers, including edge compute infrastructure, mobile data growth and new spectrum availability. He said the company has initiated several trials with edge data center providers and is seeing interest in using its tower portfolio for distributed compute deployments.

He said Crown Castle’s sites have existing power and broadband connectivity and can support “move-in-ready” deployments requiring less than 0.2 megawatts. The company is seeing interest from businesses looking to support inference workloads and applications such as cybersecurity, fraud detection and real-time data processing.

Hillabrant also cited Ericsson projections that U.S. mobile data consumption per smartphone will more than double over the next five years, from 25 gigabits to 52 gigabits per month. He said growth will be driven in part by AI-enabled applications and increased uplink traffic from devices transmitting video, sensor and telemetry data to the cloud.

The company also pointed to additional spectrum coming to market. Hillabrant said the FCC has described a pipeline of at least 800 megahertz of additional spectrum expected to be made available for commercial wireless use over the coming years, with plans to auction at least 165 megahertz between 2026 and 2027.

Services activity weakens, but leasing guidance unchanged In response to analyst questions, Hillabrant said lower services activity does not translate directly into lower leasing activity. Crown Castle maintained its leasing guidance range of $60 million to $70 million.

Hillabrant said the services slowdown reflects broader industry conditions, including leadership and strategy changes among wireless customers and slower decision-making. He said the company is not looking to exit the services business and continues to evaluate whether it should expand certain offerings again, including construction-related services, if the economics make sense.

Management also discussed Crown Castle’s ongoing transformation effort, including ground lease buyouts, systems investments, automation and process improvements. Patel said the company expects to expand EBITDA margins by a couple hundred basis points over the next year, driven by structural cost reductions and productivity improvements.

Hillabrant said the company remains focused on operational changes that improve cycle times and customer experience, adding that Crown Castle aims to “win 100% of the jump balls” with customers.

About Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI)Crown Castle is a U.S.-focused communications infrastructure company organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, operates and leases shared wireless infrastructure. Its primary business consists of providing tower-based site leases, small cell networks and fiber solutions that support mobile voice and data transmission for wireless carriers, cable companies and other enterprise customers. The company's assets are positioned to enable network coverage and capacity, including the densification projects associated with 4G LTE and 5G deployments.

Its product and service offerings include ground-based tower sites that host multiple wireless operators, distributed small cell nodes and associated fiber backhaul used to connect sites into carrier networks, and site development and maintenance services.

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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Affirm Holdings (AFRM - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $73.97, moving -1% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.14%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.01%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.57%.

Shares of the operator of digital commerce platform witnessed a gain of 4.02% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Computer and Technology sector with its loss of 4.82%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.

The upcoming earnings release of Affirm Holdings will be of great interest to investors. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $0.33, indicating a 65% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $1.11 billion, up 26.39% from the year-ago period.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.23 per share and revenue of $4.21 billion. These totals would mark changes of +720% and +30.62%, respectively, from last year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Affirm Holdings. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 1.2% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Affirm Holdings presently features a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Looking at valuation, Affirm Holdings is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 43.6. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 19.55, so one might conclude that Affirm Holdings is trading at a premium comparatively.

One should further note that AFRM currently holds a PEG ratio of 3.06. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The Internet - Software was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.06 at yesterday's closing price.

The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 104, which puts it in the top 43% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

Cameco (CCJ - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $90.37, moving +1.91% from the previous trading session. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.14% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.01%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.57%.

Shares of the uranium producer have depreciated by 18.56% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Oils-Energy sector's gain of 5.65%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Cameco in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on July 31, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.26, down 49.02% from the prior-year quarter. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $534.36 million, reflecting a 15.69% fall from the equivalent quarter last year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $1.34 per share and a revenue of $2.39 billion, demonstrating changes of +30.1% and -4.07%, respectively, from the preceding year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Cameco. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 6.55% higher. Cameco is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, Cameco is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 66.34. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 17.7.

We can also see that CCJ currently has a PEG ratio of 1.4. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Alternative Energy - Other industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.91 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Alternative Energy - Other industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 105, this industry ranks in the top 43% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

The carrier said it now expects full-year adjusted earnings per share of $3.25 to $4.25, compared with its forecast from January for at least $4.

Southwest Airlines (LUV - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.94 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.52 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.43 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +80.77%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this airline would post earnings of $0.45 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.45, delivering no surprise.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

Southwest, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry, posted revenues of $8.43 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.68%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $7.24 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once 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.

Southwest shares have added about 17.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.7%.

What's Next for Southwest?While Southwest 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 Southwest was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.77 on $8.19 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.23 on $32.75 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, Transportation - Airline is currently in the top 32% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, Air Canada (ACDVF - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.05 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -88.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 18.5% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.

Air Canada's revenues are expected to be $4.43 billion, up 8.8% from the year-ago quarter.

CSX stock is moving. Watch the price action here. CSX Q2 Details       CSX reported quarterly earnings of 54 cents per share, which beat the consensus estimate of 52 cents, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Quarterly revenue came in at $3.94 billion, which beat the Street estimate of $3.9 billion.

Total volume of 1.68 million units for the quarter was 6% higher compared to the second quarter of 2025.

“Our second quarter results reflect the solid progress we’re making at CSX. Our railroaders successfully managed substantial volume growth while maintaining a consistent focus on safety and productivity, which allowed us to deliver improved financial performance,” said CEO Steve Angel.

“As we move into the second half of the year, we will strengthen our service execution as we continue to build momentum across the business,” Angel added.

CSX Stock Price Activity: According to data from Benzinga Pro, CSX stock was up 4.43% to $52.14 in Wednesday’s extended trading.  

Photo: Shutterstock

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CSX (CSX - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.54 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.5 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.44 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +8.00%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this freight railroad would post earnings of $0.39 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.43, delivering a surprise of +10.26%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

CSX, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Rail industry, posted revenues of $3.94 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.99%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.57 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once 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.

CSX shares have added about 37.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.7%.

What's Next for CSX?While CSX 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 CSX was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.51 on $3.86 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.92 on $14.93 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, Transportation - Rail is currently in the bottom 26% 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, Canadian National (CNI - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 24.

This railroad is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.39 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.7% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Canadian National's revenues are expected to be $3.26 billion, up 5.5% from the year-ago quarter.

In the latest close session, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD - Free Report) was down 1.87% at $104.37. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.14%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.01%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.57%.

Shares of the company have appreciated by 3.01% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Finance sector's gain of 2.55%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Robinhood Markets, Inc. in its upcoming release. The company plans to announce its earnings on July 29, 2026. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0.39, showcasing a 7.14% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $1.22 billion, up 23.64% from the prior-year quarter.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.86 per share and a revenue of $5 billion, representing changes of -9.27% and +11.78%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Robinhood Markets, Inc. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 2.82% higher. Robinhood Markets, Inc. is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Robinhood Markets, Inc. currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 57.12. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 14.16.

We can additionally observe that HOOD currently boasts a PEG ratio of 2.25. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Financial - Investment Bank industry held an average PEG ratio of 1.04.

The Financial - Investment Bank industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 29, finds itself in the top 12% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow HOOD in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.

Zscaler (ZS - Free Report) closed at $142.26 in the latest trading session, marking a -4.34% move from the prior day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.14%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.01%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.57%.

The stock of cloud-based information security provider has risen by 17.87% in the past month, leading the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 4.82% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Zscaler in its upcoming release. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $1.09, marking a 22.47% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $877.19 million, reflecting a 21.96% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $4.14 per share and a revenue of $3.33 billion, representing changes of +26.22% and +24.57%, respectively, from the prior year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Zscaler. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged. As of now, Zscaler holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

With respect to valuation, Zscaler is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 35.96. This indicates a discount in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 50.14.

Investors should also note that ZS has a PEG ratio of 2.46 right now. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The Security industry had an average PEG ratio of 3.11 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Security industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 48, this industry ranks in the top 20% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

Is the space industry burning up like a meteor entering the atmosphere, or is it experiencing some temporary turbulence? Rocket Lab (RKLB +1.00%) and Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -6.66%) have both tumbled in recent weeks. Shares of Rocket Lab opened the week of July 20 at around $68 per share, a far cry from the $151 price it reached back in late May.

While Rocket Lab has slipped in recent weeks, its shares have increased by more than 500% in the past five years. The company's market cap now exceeds $40 billion, more than four times its value at the beginning of 2025.

Let's have a look at the reasons behind the recent slide and what opportunities long-term investors may find beneath the noise.

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What's happening to Rocket Lab's stock? Several conditions are currently at play, leading to the precipitous fall. First, Rocket Lab agreed to acquire Iridium Communications for $8 billion. Part of the deal will be funded through bridge financing. There's also been a slew of insiders selling their positions to take some profit off the table.

Lastly, Rocket Lab is competing for investor dollars within the space sector. Many investors rotated into SpaceX in late June. The larger story is that most of these happenings are short- to intermediate-term disturbances and not an indication of a failing business whatsoever.

The financials are more optimistic While the drop in stock price is nerve-racking, a deeper look at Rocket Lab's financials tells a much more positive story. In the first quarter of 2026, Rocket Lab reported record quarterly revenue just north of $200 million, a 63.5% jump from the year prior.

The company's backlog also reached $2.2 billion, and 31 new launch contracts were signed in the quarter. Rocket Lab sold more launches in the first quarter of 2026 than it did all of last year.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Rocket Lab is set to announce its second-quarter results in early August. The end-to-end space company issued guidance indicating that revenue will continue to increase, reaching a high of $240 million. As margins and demand grow, the sky is literally and metaphorically the limit for Rocket Lab.

The takeaway for investors Investors should continue to expect tremendous volatility in Rocket Lab and other space-related stocks, as the industry remains nascent. For buy-and-hold investors, the sell-off is an opportunity to purchase a promising company that's quickly scaling its revenue and capabilities. Patience and a multi-year time horizon are essential, however, as Rocket Lab prepares to enter a new-age space race.

The space industry, as a whole, is expected to grow by more than 9% year over year through 2030. By the next decade, the space industry could have a market size approaching $800 billion. The opportunity for innovative leaders like Rocket Lab is immense.

(Kitco News) - Silver's brutal correction from January's record highs has disappointed investors, but one precious metals strategist says lower prices are exactly what the market needs to build a more sustainable bull market.

In his latest outlook, Nitesh Shah, Head of Commodities and Macroeconomic Research at WisdomTree, said silver should recover toward $70 an ounce by the second quarter of 2027, supported primarily by stronger gold prices. But unlike the speculative frenzy that briefly pushed silver above $120 an ounce earlier this year, the next advance is expected to be driven by improving fundamentals rather than momentum trading.

"Silver's exuberance in January 2026 is now clearly in the rear-view mirror," Shah wrote. "We therefore see silver rising towards US$70/oz, but view this as a fundamentally supported move rather than a repeat of January's speculative spike."

Despite persistent volatility, silver has managed to hold critical support above $50 an ounce. Spot silver last traded at $59.72 an ounce, up nearly 2% on the day.

In an interview with Kitco News last month, Shah said investors should not interpret silver’s months-long correction as evidence that the precious metals long-term outlook has deteriorated. Instead, he argued the metal is simply following gold—as it always has.

"Silver just moves with gold, right? With a high beta,” he said. “It was true on the way up, it's got to be true on the way down."

Although painful for investors, Shah said lower prices are welcome for industrial consumers that struggled with January's rally.

WisdomTree's report warns that silver prices above $120 an ounce would have accelerated industrial demand destruction, while even prices around $60 an ounce are likely to encourage manufacturers to reduce silver usage where possible. Softer Chinese solar demand, easing inventory tightness and a gradual increase in mine supply should also help cool the market after January's speculative surge.

During the interview, Shah also expanded on that theme, noting that manufacturers have been forced to absorb a dramatic increase in input costs despite the recent correction.

"Silver's down, what, 18% year-to-date? That sounds huge, but if you look at where silver was one year ago, we're 60% up from that," he said. "Manufacturers have to face a 60% higher cost. That's not easy to bear."

He added that the pressure is particularly acute in the solar sector, where silver represents a meaningful share of production costs.

"When you're a solar panel manufacturer, for example, silver's a large part of your cost base. You'd look to other technologies," he said.

Shah said bringing prices back to more sustainable levels ultimately protects one of silver's biggest long-term advantages—its growing industrial demand.

At the same time, he remains constructive on the investment outlook because silver should continue benefiting from the same macroeconomic forces supporting gold. WisdomTree expects gold to climb above $4,560 an ounce within the next 12 months, providing the primary catalyst for silver's recovery.

Unlike gold, however, silver's smaller market and larger retail investor base make it inherently more volatile.

"Silver is a smaller market than gold and has a significant degree of retail participation," Shah wrote. "As a result, it is more prone to speculative episodes.”

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

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On Invest Like the Best episode 483, investor Matthew Smith warned that the natural gas market looks like the memory chip market did about a year before its shortage-driven repricing. “Imagine being short memory a year ago or 18 months ago and finding out all of a sudden you’re short memory. That is what this natural gas market looks like to us, not 2 years out, but 6+ months out.” The memory shortage sent Micron stock up more than 7x, and Smith thinks gas is roughly 12 months behind that same setup.

The Counterparty Risk Nobody Priced In Smith’s core concern is that hyperscalers signing power contracts have not stress-tested the fuel side. “Counterparty risk isn’t something we’ve really talked about during the last couple of years in the AI boom,” he warned that natural gas could become “20, 30, or 40% of their cost of doing business” at exactly the moment they are supposed to hit profitability escape velocity.

He is skeptical of the fuel-cell workaround now being marketed to data center developers: “we are very cynical whether you can deploy fuel cells at scale because there isn’t the gas in the system to power those 24/7, 365.” The host’s response reframed the problem as an efficiency race, noting that “performance per watt is probably a compute metric that we’re gonna care more and more about.”

Smith flagged engineering and construction firms trading at “25 times cash flow, which is a historically high multiple”, warning that by 2029 or 2030 the ability to build more gas plants may hit economic and regulatory walls. His counsel was to pursue “accretive M&A to backfill and diversify” while the window is open.

Five Stocks Along the Gas-to-Power Chain The five names below illustrate who sits along the supply chain Smith’s thesis implicates. Henry Hub spot averaged $2.83 on July 13, 2026, and the EIA forecasts Henry Hub to average about $3.50/MMBtu in 2026 and $3.18/MMBtu in 2027, a level the futures curve does not yet price as a shortage.

Expand Energy Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE | EXE Price Prediction) is the largest US pure-play gas producer post-Southwestern merger. Q1 2026 revenue was $4.40 billion with a $4.95/Mcfe realized price. CEO Mike Wichterich told analysts that “nearly 90% of expected U.S. demand growth can be served by our assets.” Shares trade at a 7 trailing PE with an analyst target of $125.16. See EXE’s Q1 8-K.

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EQT EQT (NYSE:EQT) reported Q2 2026 production of 634 Bcfe and raised full-year guidance by roughly 90 Bcfe. CFO Jeremy Knop said “our initial bull case of 10 Bcf per day looking more like the new base case” for power demand growth. EQT trades at a 9 trailing PE.

Williams Companies Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) is the pipeline layer. Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA hit a record $2.25 billion, up 13% year over year. CEO Chad Zamarin noted the company has “grown gas demand by 50% over the last 10 years” with no new pipeline into New York or New England. Shares are up 23.81% year to date.

Cheniere Energy Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) exported a record 187 LNG cargoes in Q1 2026, raising 2026 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $7.25 billion to $7.75 billion. CEO Jack Fusco cited “the elevated volatility in global energy markets today” as the case for more capacity. Cheniere is up 35.75% year to date.

GE Vernova GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) makes the gas turbines. Q2 2026 bookings were $24.20 billion with backlog of $176 billion. CEO Scott Strazik confirmed a path to 30 GW of annual gas turbine output by 2030. GEV trades at a 32 trailing PE.

What to Watch Smith’s timeline is the tell. If the shortage he describes shows up in six months rather than two years, the market will reprice the entire chain from wellhead to turbine at once. If EIA’s baseline holds, the memory analogy dissolves. Urgency tends to spur solutions before crisis prices arrive.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

In the latest close session, McKesson (MCK - Free Report) was down 1.79% at $814.04. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.14% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.01%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.57%.

Heading into today, shares of the prescription drug distributor had gained 8.5% over the past month, outpacing the Medical sector's gain of 5.8% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.25%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of McKesson in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on August 5, 2026. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $9.59, signifying a 16.10% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $104.39 billion, up 6.7% from the prior-year quarter.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $44.28 per share and revenue of $432.77 billion. These totals would mark changes of +13.22% and +7.27%, respectively, from last year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for McKesson. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0% upward. Currently, McKesson is carrying a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Looking at its valuation, McKesson is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 18.72. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 17.11.

It's also important to note that MCK currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.36. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. MCK's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.86 as of yesterday's close.

The Medical - Dental Supplies industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 74, finds itself in the top 31% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.