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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Lucid securities between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/LCID.

Lucid Case Details

The Complaint allegs that throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose that:

a supplier quality issue had significantly disrupted deliveries of the Lucid Gravity; the foregoing was likely to, and did, have a material negative impact on the Company's business and financial results; accordingly, the defendants had overstated the purported enhancements to Lucid's manufacturing and delivery capabilities and overall operations; and as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next for Lucid Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/LCID, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in Lucid you have until July 28, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to Lucid Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Lucid Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/300167

Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

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Key Takeaways Corning reports Q2 2026 earnings on July 28, with Optical Communications expected to lead growth.GLW's AI infrastructure, fiber broadband and solar businesses are expected to support results.GLW has topped earnings estimates in the past four quarters but lacks a favorable earnings beat signal. Corning Incorporated (GLW - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 28, 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales and earnings is pegged at $4.6 billion and 76 cents per share, respectively. Earnings estimates for GLW have decreased 0.31% to $3.18 for 2026 and increased 0.96% to $4.22 for 2027 over the past 60 days.

GLW Estimate Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Earnings Surprise HistoryThe advanced glass substrates producer has a solid trailing four-quarter earnings surprise history, having exceeded expectations on each occasion. It delivered a four-quarter earnings surprise of 2.41%, on average.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Corning for the second quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. That is not the case here.

Corning currently has an ESP of -0.70% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factor Shaping Upcoming ResultsCorning's Optical Communications business is expected to remain the primary growth engine in the second quarter. Growing investment in AI infrastructure will likely propel growth in this segment. Rising deployment of AI data centers is increasing demand for the company's optical fiber, cable and connectivity products.

Ongoing expansion of fiber broadband networks is another growth factor. Telecom carriers continue investing in fiber-to-the-home infrastructure to meet rising bandwidth requirements, creating strong demand for Corning's optical solutions.

The Solar business is expected to remain a major contributor. Demand for domestically manufactured solar products, including polysilicon, wafers and modules, remains healthy. Customers increasingly prefer U.S. made products and suppliers to increase reliability in their supply chain amid growing geopolitical volatility and trade uncertainty. Growing investment in advanced chip production and AI-related semiconductor capacity is supporting demand for the company's high-performance materials and optical technologies.

Per the Zacks Consensus Estimate, net sales from the optical communications segment are pegged at $1.94 billion, up from $1.56 billion a year ago. Net sales from the automotive and Life Sciences vertical are pegged at $453.36 million and $315.35 million, respectively.

Price PerformanceOver the past year, Corning has surged 191% compared with the industry’s growth of 251.2%. It has outperformed peers like Amphenol Corporation (APH - Free Report) but lagged Ciena Corporation (CIEN - Free Report) over this period. While Amphenol has gained 56.7%, Ciena has jumped 371.1%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Key Valuation MetricFrom a valuation standpoint, Corning appears premium relative to the industry but is trading above its mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company shares currently trade at 43.17 forward earnings, higher than 39.47 for the industry and higher than the stock’s mean of 31.88.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Investment ConsiderationCorning is positioning itself as a critical supplier to the AI ecosystem. An AI data center requires massive GPU clusters, high-speed optical interconnects, robust fiber networking infrastructure and advanced photonic solutions. Hyperscalers are rapidly expanding AI data centers, and this is directly boosting demand for Corning’s leading-edge optical fiber and connectivity products.

The company's Solar business has also emerged as an important growth engine. Its vertically integrated U.S. manufacturing platform, spanning polysilicon, wafers and solar modules, positions Corning to capitalize on growing demand for domestically produced solar components. Growing demand for specialty optical materials used in semiconductor manufacturing further diversifies its revenue base. Despite some weakness, demand for premium Corning’s Gorilla Glass products remains resilient. A diverse portfolio and strong focus on innovation enable it to maintain its competitive edge amid growing competition from other players, such as Amphenol and Ciena.

Corning's ongoing productivity initiatives are expected to remain a positive driver. Improved manufacturing efficiency, disciplined cost management and a more favorable product mix are expected to drive strong margin expansion.

End NoteCorning continues to strengthen its competitive position through innovation across optical connectivity, advanced glass and semiconductor applications. Expansion into high-growth markets, such as AI data center, solar, automotive and semiconductor, is a positive factor. Upward estimate revisions underscore growing confidence among investors regarding the stock's growth potential. Owing to these factors, Corning seems to be a good investment option at present.

Key Takeaways Dell's AI server sales are growing 700% YoY.EPS is projected to double this quarter.Dell shares are forming a classic high-tight-flag pattern. Dell Technologies Company OverviewZacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock Dell Technologies ((DELL - Free Report) ) is a leading provider of servers, storage, and PCs. The Round Rock, Texas-based company is a leader in the traditional PC space. However, over the past few years, Dell has transformed into a primary enterprise hardware vendor providing the “picks and shovels” needed for the massive global AI infrastructure buildout. Dell operates in more than 150 countries and reported over $100 billion in annual revenue last year.

Dell: An AI Infrastructure JuggernautDell’s fastest-growing business is its AI-optimized server segment, which is experiencing mind-boggling year-over-year growth of more than 700%! Dell’s AI servers are ultra-high-performance computers designed to process immense quantities of information at once. Unlike standard computers that can only handle one or two tasks simultaneously, these specialized servers can handle millions of complex math problems simultaneously. These AI servers perform the two most important AI tasks: training (feeding the AI massive quantities of data) and inference (hosting the AI so customers can use it).

Dell separates itself from competitors through its “plug-and-play” service. Instead of selling individual products to customers, Dell combines the chips, software, and power systems so clients receive a complete AI rack ready to use immediately. Dell’s expanding ecosystem supports a fuller stack for customers that want to run AI on infrastructure they control. Management recently highlighted partners including NVIDIA ((NVDA - Free Report) ), Google ((GOOGL - Free Report) ) Cloud, OpenAI, Palantir ((PLTR - Free Report) ), ServiceNow ((NOW - Free Report) ), and others.

The AI Buildout is Not Slowing Tuesday, Super Micro Computer ((SMCI - Free Report) ), a direct Dell competitor, trounced earnings and guided for gross margins to nearly double from ~8.8% to 15-17%. The news suggests that Dell, which has much higher margins than SMCI, will be able to increase those margins further in the coming quarters. Separately, Dell customer OpenAI raised its projected compute spending through 2030 to ~$750B from $600B earlier this year.

Dell’s Scorching-Hot GrowthDell is growing earnings at a rapid clip. Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest that the company’s EPS will more than double in the current quarter and will grow ~66% in 2026.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Meanwhile, Dell has proven an ability to deliver positive EPS surprises in recent quarters. For instance, last quarter, Dell beat consensus estimates by a juicy 59.87%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Dell Sets Up High Tight FlagDELL shares are set up in a classic high tight flag pattern. An HTF occurs when a stock doubles in 8 weeks or less then corrects no more than 20%.

Image Source: TradingView

Bottom Line

Dell has successfully evolved from a traditional PC manufacturer to a hardware leader in the global AI buildout. With massive earnings growth, expanding partnerships, and a unique “plug-and-play” service, Dell’s bullish trajectory is likely to continue.

Dell Technologies Inc. DELL shares moved 9% higher on Wednesday after Super Micro Computer released a stronger-than-expected preliminary update that reinforced expectations for continued spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The rally followed Super Micro's announcement that it received more than $60 billion in new orders during its fiscal fourth quarter, driving its order backlog to a record high.

The update lifted sentiment across AI hardware stocks as investors viewed the results as evidence of sustained demand from enterprise customers and hyperscale cloud providers.

Dell and Super Micro both assemble Nvidia graphics processing units into AI server racks, making Dell one of the companies expected to benefit from continued investment in AI infrastructure.

Investor optimism spread across the server hardware sector after Super Micro reported record order activity despite guiding revenue toward the lower end of its previously announced fourth-quarter range of $11 billion to $12.5 billion.

The company's outlook for gross margins, however, exceeded expectations, with projected margins of between 15% and 17%, well above previous guidance.

The strong order intake overshadowed the softer revenue outlook and suggested that demand for AI servers remains robust.

The update provided a positive read-through for companies supplying AI infrastructure, including Dell, which has positioned itself as a major provider of enterprise AI servers powered by Nvidia chips.

Dell has already reported an AI backlog of $51.3 billion, representing 85.5% of its annual sales target.

The company also said first-quarter fiscal 2027 AI-optimized server revenue reached $16.1 billion, a 757% increase from a year earlier, contributing to total quarterly revenue of $43.8 billion.

The company serves more than 5,000 active AI customers.

Analysts remain optimistic ahead of earningsWall Street analysts continue to maintain positive expectations for Dell as demand for AI computing infrastructure expands.

Evercore ISI recently raised its price target on Dell to $500 while maintaining an Outperform rating, citing confidence in the company's position within the AI infrastructure market.

JPMorgan also increased its target price to $550 and reiterated its Overweight rating.

Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $477, pointing to continued enterprise server demand driven by AI infrastructure spending, compute shortages and hardware refresh cycles.

The broader analyst consensus price target stands near $503, above Dell's recent share price.

According to Fiscal.ai estimates, analysts expect Dell to report revenue of $44.39 billion for the quarter ending July 2026, representing nearly 50% year-over-year growth.

Earnings per share are projected to reach $4.90, compared with $2.32 during the same period a year earlier.

Technical picture remains constructiveDell shares continue to trade above their major moving averages, reflecting a strong longer-term trend.

The stock remains approximately 5.2% above its 20-day simple moving average and nearly 17% above its 50-day moving average. It also trades well above its 200-day moving average, with the bullish golden cross formed earlier this year remaining intact.

Momentum indicators suggest that upside momentum has moderated.

The moving average convergence divergence indicator remains below its signal line, indicating that while the broader trend remains positive, the pace of gains has slowed.

Key technical levels include resistance around $463.50 and support near $378.50, an area that aligns closely with the 50-day moving average and may serve as an important level for investors monitoring the stock's trend.

[url="]The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz[/url] reminds investors of the upcoming July 27, 2026 deadline to participate as a lead plaintiff in the securities fra

Earnings came in at $3.20 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $3.06. Revenue increased to $9.23 billion from a year earlier, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $9.18 billion.

D.R. Horton lowered its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to $32.5 billion to $33.0 billion from its prior forecast of $33.5 billion to $34.5 billion. The new range is below the analyst consensus estimate of $33.66 billion.

The company also reduced its homebuilding closing forecast to 83,800 to 84,300 homes from its previous guidance of 86,000 to 87,500 homes.

D.R. Horton shares fell 0.7% to trade at $142.50 on Wednesday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on D.R. Horton following earnings announcement.

RBC Capital analyst Mike Dahl maintained the stock with an Underperform rating and raised the price target from $123 to $125. Evercore ISI Group analyst Stephen Kim maintained the stock with an In-Line rating and raised the price target from $171 to $177. Considering buying DHI stock? Here’s what analysts think:

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Key Takeaways D.R. Horton lowered average closing prices 2% to $362,000 to support affordability and demand.DHI improved construction cycle times and kept aged completed inventory limited with faster turns.DHI's gross margin fell to 20.7% as incentives stayed high despite lower stick-and-brick costs. D.R. Horton, Inc. (DHI - Free Report) is working through a housing market where affordability, mortgage-rate volatility and cautious buyers still shape demand.

The company’s current setup rests on a practical trade-off. It is using incentives, lower prices, product mix and its mortgage platform to keep homes moving while trying to protect returns.

DHI Leans on Affordable DemandD.R. Horton’s demand defense starts with affordability. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, its average closing price declined 2% year over year to $362,000, reflecting a continued push toward more affordable offerings.

First-time buyers remain central to that strategy. They represented 65% of mortgage closings in the quarter, while net sales orders totaled 23,084 homes with an order value of $8.4 billion despite a difficult housing backdrop.

D.R. Horton Gains From Faster TurnsOperational speed is another part of the thesis. Median construction cycle times improved roughly three weeks year over year in the quarter, helping homes move through inventory more quickly.

D.R. Horton ended the quarter with 38,000 homes in inventory, including 23,300 unsold homes. Completed unsold homes were 7,600, with only 600 completed for more than six months, limiting the drag from aged supply.

DHI Uses Its Lot Strategy for FlexibilityThe company’s lot position supports future volume without forcing too much owned land onto the balance sheet. At June 30, 2026, D.R. Horton controlled 568,500 homebuilding lots, including 126,600 owned lots and 441,900 lots under purchase contracts.

That structure gives DHI room to adjust if demand changes. During the first nine months of fiscal 2026, 67% of homes closed were built on lots developed by Forestar or third parties, reinforcing its flexible land model.

PulteGroup (PHM - Free Report) is another large homebuilder competing for buyers across major housing markets, so its trends remain relevant to the same demand cycle. Toll Brothers (TOL - Free Report) , with a more luxury-oriented position, offers a useful contrast to DHI’s affordability-led approach.

D.R. Horton Still Faces Margin PressureThe offset is profitability. Home sales gross margin fell to 20.7% in the third quarter of fiscal 2026 from 21.8% a year earlier, even as closings increased 4% year over year.

Cost relief has not fully solved the issue. Stick-and-brick costs declined 5% year over year, but lot costs rose 5%, while incentives are expected to remain elevated through the fourth quarter as affordability remains the primary demand constraint.

DHI Signals a Balanced Stock SetupDHI’s setup remains balanced rather than one-sided. The company is using scale, inventory control and land flexibility to defend demand, but margin pressure and rate-sensitive buyers keep the near-term earnings picture measured.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which fits a neutral short-term earnings-revision backdrop. DHI also has a VGM Score of A, Value Score of B, Growth Score of C and Momentum Score of A. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Style Scores point to favorable value and momentum characteristics, while the Growth Score is more middle-of-the-road. For investors, the combination suggests that DHI has useful support factors, but the Rank keeps the stock in hold territory until earnings visibility improves.

Concessions that include refusing certain theater distribution agreements helped ease regulators' concerns.

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European Union antitrust regulators said on Wednesday they had signed off on Paramount Skydance's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The approval, which included concessions made by Paramount, comes as the deal has been delayed in the U.S. due to concerns raised by state attorneys general.

A Paramount spokesperson didn't immediately respond to comment.

In order to garner the approval, the European Commission said Paramount agreed to divest its stake in a film distribution joint venture with United International Pictures in Europe, and said it would not enter into any film distribution deal with Universal for the next 10 years in Europe.

"These commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the Commission by ensuring that the films of the merged entity will not be distributed jointly with those Universal or Disney," according to the EU's release.

Paramount's stock rose 3% in midday trading.

The EU's approval marks a major regulatory milestone for the $110 billion proposed merger.

The deal earlier won approval from the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Various other global jurisdictions have also signed off on the deal.

However, in the U.S., a lawsuit brought forward by a group of state attorneys general last week has become a potential holdup in this deal moving forward.

The coalition led by California's Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit seeking to block the merger due to antitrust concerns. The tie-up is set to combine two major film studios, Paramount and Warner Bros., a massive portfolio of pay TV networks and streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+.

Earlier this week a California district judge granted a temporary restraining order that puts a 14-day pause on anything moving forward with the merger.

Paramount previously said it is on track to close the merger by the end of September.

Carvana (CVNA -2.76%) turned many investors' heads when it began scooping up brick-and-mortar dealerships recently. The strategic move seemed to go against the entire company's vision of online used-car sales (we'll get into that in a second). A smaller detail many overlooked was that Carvana opted to buy Stellantis (STLA +0.26%) dealerships primarily, a strange decision given the automaker's long list of recent struggles and receding market share. That said, this strange pairing might just be a match made in heaven for Carvana, and here's why.

What's going on? At first glance, Carvana scooping up physical dealerships goes against its historic strategy, but in reality, it's attempting to disrupt the age-old dealership model as we know it. As it attempts this strategic pivot, there's also reason to believe the synergy created could reward investors.

Jeep will play a big role in reversing market share losses. Image source: Stellantis.

Carvana's physical dealerships still won't sell you a vehicle in person; instead, they're for test drives, showing car capabilities, and helping consumers buy from a larger selection online. What this strategy also does is give Carvana control of the entire trade-in lifecycle. One of the more challenging aspects for Carvana was bringing in valuable used-vehicle inventory. Controlling dealerships that allow consumers to bring trade-in vehicles when purchasing new ones gives Carvana a bloodline of used-vehicle inventory to boost its historical business.

Another aspect of this strategy is that Carvana's acquired dealerships still plan to use the service bay as usual, potentially unlocking additional service revenue from its consumer base that may want to continue doing business with Carvana. What some investors aren't aware of is that while new and used vehicles drive dealerships' top-line revenue, the most profitable aspects, by a large margin, are service and parts, and finance and insurance. Carvana is unlocking the bread-and-butter of dealerships that its traditional online-only business lacked: high-margin maintenance and repair.

The initial results are incredibly intriguing, with its Arizona store booming in sales and becoming a top-selling dealership. More specifically, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal, Carvana's recently purchased Arizona dealership went from averaging 30 to 50 monthly sales to selling more than 700 new vehicles in May, according to Stellantis figures given to CNBC.

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Here's why it's a great match While Stellantis would surely benefit from increased sales across many dealerships, the match is primarily important to Carvana. That's because, at least initially, Carvana has chosen to make Stellantis dealerships its primary purchase. The question is why. The old saying "Buy low, sell high" is a fitting one for this scenario. Stellantis has experienced executive turnover, including the appointment of a new CEO, and it recently unveiled a massive $70 billion global turnaround plan with a strong focus on North America.

Stellantis has faced seemingly endless questions over the past few years about its product decisions, shrinking product lineups, receding market share, delayed launches, and uncertainty about the future of some of its many brands. That story is likely to change over the next five years as 11 new vehicles are headed to the U.S. market as Stellantis is committing 70% of its future investment into four primary brands. Two of them -- Ram and Jeep -- are focused on turning around Stellantis' North America market.

Furthermore, a growing concern has been rising new-car prices. Some analysts have called this an affordability crisis. This gives Stellantis, and by extension Carvana, the opportunity to quickly boost sales from the growing consumer demand for more affordable vehicles. In fact, at least nine upcoming models are targeting launch prices starting under $40,000, and two are targeting under $30,000. Stellantis' reduced focus on less-profitable, typically pricier electric vehicles (EVs) could also help Carvana's early efforts in the new-car business.

What it all means for Stellantis and Carvana At the same time, Stellantis' struggles have given Carvana an opportunity to purchase dealerships at lower prices than in the past. It also strategically pivots to a company putting up tens of billions to revive market share, product lineups, and brand identity. You could argue that Stellantis, because of its massive investment and potential turnaround, could be the best dealership partner over the next five years as Carvana fine-tunes its new strategy to disrupt the industry.

It's certainly a strange pairing, considering Carvana's history of used-car and online-only sales, but it might just be a match made in heaven over the next five years, especially if early results continue. As far as these two companies go, this is a much bigger deal for Carvana. Not only is it perhaps timing the brands of physical dealerships perfectly, considering Stellantis' upcoming massive investment in product and branding, Carvana opening the doors to new-car sales will give it entirely new revenue and profit streams, including servicing that is higher margin, that its historical business has lacked. If Carvana executes its strategy and disrupts the new-car dealership model, its earnings and stock price could soar over the next five years.

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Monday.com cited its "AI-driven growth strategy" in its layoff plans. Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Big cuts are coming for Monday.com.

The enterprise software company plans to cut 20% of its workforce, according to a Form 6-K it filed. The layoffs are meant to align the company with its "strategic focus on the AI Work Platform," the disclosure said.

Monday.com joins the growing group of companies citing AI while announcing layoffs, like Snap and Block. Monday.com said that it was pursuing an "AI-driven growth strategy."

"We entered a new era where AI is transforming the role of software, creating the greatest opportunity our industry has ever seen," Monday.com cofounder and co-CEO Eran Zinman said in a note published to LinkedIn. "We have a new market to capture. Without a fundamental change in how we operate, we will not be able to compete and win that market."

The changes mean Monday.com is becoming flatter with more autonomous teams, Zinman wrote.

As to whether the layoffs were driven by AI improvements, the co-CEO wrote that the decision "was not made to reduce costs or replace people with AI."

While Monday.com plans to cut 20% of its workforce, it also said it plans to continue hiring in areas of focus.

It's not immediately clear exactly how many workers will be affected. In its 2025 annual report, Monday.com said that it had 3,155 employees. Monday.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The company's stock rose throughout the morning, though it has since ticked back down. The stock has slumped roughly 75% in the last year.

Monday.com provides project management software to enterprises. This category is the target of growing "SaaSpocalypse" worries. Investors and analysts fret that AI and vibe coding could weaken companies' reliance on these tools.

Read the Monday.com co-CEO's full note:Hi everyone,Over the past nine months, we have shifted our core vision moving from managing work to doing the work for our customers, with people and AI agents working together in one workspace.This has required us to change our product, our strategy, and how we serve our customers.But it became clear that changing our strategy and product is not enough. The organization we built for our previous chapter is not the organization that fits the new AI era.Today, we are announcing the very difficult decision to reduce our global workforce by ~20%, affecting around 620 people.This is the most painful decision we have made since founding monday.com - yet we are certain it is the right one. We made it. We own it. And we take full responsibility for it.The people leaving are talented colleagues and friends. They helped build this company, support our customers, and create a culture we are deeply proud of. We are incredibly grateful to them, and we know that nothing we say can lessen the impact this will have on them and their families.We are not making this change to protect what we have. We are making it to go all in on what monday.com can become.Why are we making this change?We entered a new era where AI is transforming the role of software, creating the greatest opportunity our industry has ever seen.We have a new market to capture. Without a fundamental change in how we operate, we will not be able to compete and win that market.To fully realize this opportunity, and ensure monday.com is positioned to lead in this landscape, we need to move faster, execute more decisively, take on new challenges, respond quickly to market changes, and empower people in the company to create greater impact. Some of the things we are changing in monday:A flatter organization - We are reducing management layers, creating more empowered teams, and enabling faster decision-making.More autonomous teams - We are moving from teams with many dependencies to smaller groups with broader ownership and greater authority to execute.A new go-to-market model - Our new offering is opening a new market, and that market requires us to work differently. New and existing customers increasingly expect deeper implementation support as they adopt AI. We will work more closely with customers, increase our on-site presence, create new roles, and adapt many existing ones.Improving margins was not the purpose of this decision. We intend to reinvest the vast majority of the savings in our people, our products, AI, and future growth.For the people leaving monday.comThank you. Thank you for all your hard work, for the significant impact you have made, for caring so deeply about monday.com, and for always being willing to help and lend a hand. We know this is part of our culture, and it is something we consistently hear from everyone who interacts with people at monday.com.We want to be very clear: this decision is not a reflection of your performance, your contribution, or your value. It is the result of a management decision about how to structure the company for its next chapter.We are committed to supporting you through this transition with care, respect, and meaningful assistance. We will do everything we reasonably can to help you find your next opportunity, and we will provide you with a generous support package.To companies that are hiring: we recommend these people wholeheartedly. They are exceptional professionals and teammates, and we will help connect them with organizations looking for outstanding talent.For the people stayingIt is not easy to be part of such a significant change or to see colleagues and friends leave so quickly. We understand how difficult this will be. We also owe you clarity about what this change means.The change is not about asking fewer people to do the same amount of work. We are making real choices about what we will stop doing. We will simplify how we work, remove unnecessary friction, and give teams more authority to make decisions.The company that comes out of this change will have clearer priorities, fewer layers, faster decisions, and greater ownership.We are deeply confident about our futureOur path is very clear to us. This is a change we have chosen to make, and we are taking full responsibility for it. We have never seen such a significant opportunity in software, driven by such exciting technology.Nothing gives us more confidence than seeing how new and existing customers are responding to our new offering, and seeing adoption of our AI products accelerate.Every week, we see more evidence that our strategy is the right one. Customers are embracing our new vision, adoption of our AI capabilities continues to accelerate, and our confidence continues to grow.Our momentum is strong, and we believe we are on the right path to success on a massive market opportunity.To ease the uncertainty around this we will send all employees an email message within the next hour, followed by a personal call from one of your managers.For all managers - we know how difficult it is to process this personally, even as you continue to lead your teams. We have every confidence in your leadership and know you'll approach these conversations with the care, clarity, and respect that define our culture. Thank you for being there for your people during this transition.Thank you,Roy & EranDuring the change process, we received a few questions we'd like to clarify:Is the reason we are doing this reduction is to improve margins? No. Improving margins was not the purpose of this decision. We intend to reinvest the vast majority of the savings in our talent, our products, AI, and future growth.Do we plan more reductions in the future? We designed this change to create the organization we believe we need for our next chapter. We are not planning any further workforce reductions.Is this reduction driven by AI improvements? No. While we are seeing significant value from AI internally, this decision was not made to reduce costs or replace people with AI. We see internal AI adoption as an accelerator of our growth. This change was made to adapt the company to our new vision.Are people expected to work harder now that we have less people? Not harder - better. To give one example, we had many situations where work that could have been done in a few days took many months with multiple meetings and endless friction. This wasn't people's fault and everyone was frustrated by this. Our new org changes ownership to allow people to make decisions and move fast.You're talking about the new AI products, what about our existing market and customers? We are lucky to have amazing customers that love our product and actually use these words to describe it. We need to be there for them with our new vision of doing the work with AI and not just managing it. They are also undergoing change and we will invest heavily to help them - they are our biggest asset.

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Layoffs Software

Investors interested in stocks from the Steel - Producers sector have probably already heard of Ternium S.A. (TX) and Steel Dynamics (STLD).

Shares of Genpact fell as investors questioned the pace at which the company can translate its investments in AI into meaningful revenue acceleration. Permian Resources detracted from performance as energy stocks weakened following a decline in crude oil prices. Ralliant rallied following a strong earnings report in which organic revenue grew nearly 9%, well above expectations, driven by strength across both the Sensors & Safety Systems and Test & Measurement segments.

CME Group Inc. (CME) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 22, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Adam Minick - Investor Contact
Terrence Duffy - Chairman & CEO
Lynne Fitzpatrick - Senior MD, President & CFO
Tim McCourt - Senior MD & Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products
Derek Sammann - Senior MD & Global Head of Commodities Markets
Julie Winkler - Senior MD & Chief Commercial Officer
Suzanne Sprague - Senior MD, Group COO & Global Head of Clearing
Michael Dennis - Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Fixed Income

Conference Call Participants

Daniel Fannon - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Alex Kramm - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Christopher Allen - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Kenneth Worthington - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Patrick Moley - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Brian Bedell - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division
Alexander Blostein - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Benjamin Budish - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division
Michael Cyprys - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
William Katz - TD Cowen, Research Division
Simon Alistair Clinch - Rothschild & Co Redburn, Research Division
William Qi - RBC Capital Markets, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Welcome to the CME Group Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions]

I will now turn the call over to Adam Minick. Please go ahead.

Adam Minick
Investor Contact

Good morning, and I hope you're all doing well today. Earlier this morning, we released our earnings commentary, which provides extensive details on the second quarter 2026, which we will be discussing on this call. I'll start with the safe harbor language, and then I'll turn it over to Terry.

Statements made on this call and in the other reference documents on our website that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes

Rocket Lab (RKLB) rose 3.15% premarket after winning a $266 million firm-fixed-price contract from the US Department of War for suborbital launch services. The

Key Takeaways Royal Gold sold 69,000 GEOs in Q2, up 8% year over year but below Q1's 96,300 GEOs.RGLD's stream sales jumped to $311 million, while royalty sales are estimated at $137-$142 million.Royal Gold repaid $200 million of debt and settled an outstanding gold delivery with Americas Gold and Silver. Royal Gold, Inc. (RGLD - Free Report) issued a preliminary sales update for second-quarter 2026. In the quarter, Royal Gold sold 69,000 gold equivalent ounces (GEOs), comprising 54,500 ounces of gold, 595,500 ounces of silver, 2.5 million pounds of copper and 1.3 million pounds of lead.

This marks a decrease from 96,300 GEOs sold in the first quarter of 2026 but an increase from 63,900 GEOs sold in the second quarter of 2025.

In the second quarter of 2026, the cost of sales totaled $871 per GEO compared with $596 in the prior year quarter.

The company reported stream segment sales of $311 million compared with $123 million in the second quarter of 2025. Royalty segment sales for the second quarter of 2026 are estimated between $137 million and 142 million. The company posted Royalty segment sales of $51.1 million in the prior year quarter.

During the second quarter, RGLD repaid $200 million of debt. As of June 30, 2026, it had an outstanding balance of $400 million on its revolving credit facility, with $1.0 billion undrawn and available.

Royal Gold’s Other Updates  Royal Gold and Americas Gold and Silver Corporation (USAS - Free Report) announced that they reached an agreement during the second quarter of 2026 to settle their outstanding gold delivery. USAS originally entered into a Precious Metals Delivery Agreement with Sandstorm Gold Ltd. in 2019 before Sandstorm Gold was acquired by Royal Gold in 2025. The new deal resolves America's Gold and Silver's outstanding commitment to deliver 8,861 ounces of gold to RGLD between June 2026 and December 2027.

Americas Gold and Silver will clear the outstanding obligation immediately in exchange for 5,000 ounces of gold and 2,652,532 common shares issued at a deemed price of $5.86 per share.  RGLD recognized the proceeds from the settlement of the gold delivery as stream sales in the second quarter of 2026, which added $12 million of additional DD&A expense.

RGLD Stock’s Price Performance & Zacks RankIn the past year, Royal Gold shares have gained 24.4% compared with the industry’s growth of 32.3%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Royal Gold currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Q2 Preliminary Results of Other Mining StocksEndeavour Silver Corp. (EXK - Free Report) produced 1.94 million ounces of silver in the second quarter of 2026. This reflected a 31% increase from the year-ago quarter, driven by the addition of the Kolpa operation in May 2025. Endeavour Silver’s total gold production grew 35% year over year to 10,474 ounces. The company’s silver-equivalent ounces production increased 36% year over year. 

Fortuna Mining Corp. (FSM - Free Report) produced 72,217 GEO from ongoing operations in the second quarter of 2026, bringing the total first-half production to 145,089 GEOs. With first-half production already exceeding half of Fortuna Mining’s lower-end guidance, the company seems on track to achieve its 2026 production target of 281,000-305,000 GEO. The second-quarter 2026 reported figure marked a 1.4% increase from the year-ago quarter. The reported figure was broadly in line with 72,872 ounces produced in the first quarter of 2026.
 

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) experienced a slight decline in stock price following a robust Q2 earnings report. The company posted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.

Travel + Leisure NYSE: TNL raised its full-year 2026 outlook after reporting stronger second-quarter results and announcing two acquisitions that management said will expand its resort network and owner base.

President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Brown said the company’s second-quarter and first-half performance reflected “consistent execution” and the durability of its business model, citing healthy owner trends, robust travel demand, recurring upgrade sales and increasing new owner sales.

For the second quarter, Travel + Leisure reported revenue of $1.06 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $269 million. Brown said gross vacation ownership interest, or VOI, sales increased 6% and exceeded the company’s guidance range, supported by high-quality tours and strong owner engagement. Volume per guest rose 2% year over year to $3,318, also ahead of plan.

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Chief Financial Officer Erik Hoag said revenue increased 4%, adjusted EBITDA rose 8% and adjusted earnings per share grew 14% in the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 70 basis points, which he attributed to operating leverage across the business.

Vacation Ownership Drives Growth The company’s Vacation Ownership segment remained the primary driver of results. Hoag said gross VOI sales increased 6% to $693 million, while segment revenue rose 6% to $907 million. Segment adjusted EBITDA increased 13% to $247 million.

Hoag said tours increased 1% in the quarter, reflecting solid demand and new owner acquisition. New owner mix was slightly higher year over year, with healthy transaction volume and close rates.

Brown said the company’s consumer remains healthy and continues to prioritize travel. He pointed to first-half arrivals, adjusted for strategic resort closures, increasing year over year, as well as strong forward bookings. The booking window was 109 days and the average length of stay was four days, both at or above prior-year levels.

In response to a question from Patrick Scholes of Truist Securities about the state of the consumer, Hoag said booking patterns, forward bookings, length of stay and distance traveled remained consistent with what the company saw in the first quarter. “We’ve not seen anything in our metrics that would indicate there’s a weakening occurring,” Hoag said.

Guidance Raised After Strong First Half and Acquisitions Travel + Leisure raised its full-year outlook, citing stronger-than-expected core business performance and the expected contribution from the acquisitions of Yes& Vacations and Spinnaker Resorts.

Hoag said that, excluding acquisitions, the company now expects full-year adjusted EBITDA of $1.05 billion to $1.065 billion. Including the expected contribution from the acquisitions, Travel + Leisure now expects:

Gross VOI sales of $2.6 billion to $2.675 billion; Adjusted EBITDA of $1.065 billion to $1.085 billion; A consolidated loan loss provision rate of approximately 21%; A full-year adjusted tax rate of approximately 29%; Free cash flow conversion of roughly half of adjusted EBITDA; and Year-over-year adjusted EPS growth of approximately 20%. For the third quarter, the company expects gross VOI sales of $700 million to $740 million, adjusted EBITDA of $275 million to $285 million, and volume per guest of $3,300 to $3,350.

Yes& Vacations and Spinnaker Resorts Add Resorts and Owners Brown said the acquisitions of Yes& Vacations and Spinnaker Resorts add 23 resorts, including six properties in Hilton Head and seven in Maui. He described those markets as high-demand leisure destinations where new development is challenging.

The acquisitions also add more than 100,000 owners, expanding Travel + Leisure’s owner base by more than 10%. Brown said the acquired owners are similar in age and average income to the company’s existing owner base, and approximately 80% have fully paid off their timeshare loans.

Hoag said Travel + Leisure is investing approximately $340 million to acquire businesses expected to generate about $50 million of adjusted EBITDA on a full-year synergized basis. After securitizing roughly $80 million of finance receivables, he said net capital deployed falls to about $260 million, implying a net investment multiple of approximately 5 times adjusted EBITDA.

Hoag said the transactions add approximately 0.2 turn of leverage, and the company expects to end 2026 with leverage of 3.2 times. He said the deals were funded through cash and existing debt capacity and did not require a change to the company’s capital return commitment.

During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Brown said the acquisitions provide both resort portfolio expansion and a larger owner base for potential future upgrades, particularly as owners are introduced to Travel + Leisure’s broader network and points-based system.

Capital Returns Continue Management emphasized that shareholder returns remain a priority. Brown said the company returned $253 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the first half of the year and reduced common shares outstanding by 4%.

Hoag said the company repurchased approximately $88 million of common stock in the second quarter, up 25% from the prior year, while continuing to pay its quarterly dividend. He said Travel + Leisure expects a similar level of buybacks in 2026 compared with 2025, even after the announced acquisitions.

The company ended the quarter with more than $1.2 billion of available liquidity across cash and its revolving credit facility. Hoag also said Travel + Leisure completed its second asset-backed securities transaction of the year, raising $300 million at a 98% advance rate and a 5.52% coupon.

Loan Performance and Segment Trends Hoag said credit performance remained consistent with underwriting standards. Weighted average FICO scores at origination remained above 740, down payment levels improved year over year, and the loan provision rate was flat year over year. Delinquency rates improved sequentially from the first quarter.

Asked about loan loss trends, Hoag said early-stage delinquencies improved by roughly 80 basis points from the first quarter, more than the roughly 40 basis points of seasonal improvement the company would typically expect. He reiterated that Travel + Leisure expects its organic 2026 loan loss provision to be below 2025 levels, though the acquired portfolios are expected to add some pressure.

The Travel and Membership segment remained under pressure. Hoag said second-quarter revenue declined 5% to $157 million, while segment adjusted EBITDA fell 11% to $49 million, reflecting the continued evolution of the exchange business. He said the company is focused on stabilizing long-term earnings and free cash flow through operational improvements, strategic partnerships and digital initiatives.

Brown also highlighted progress in Travel + Leisure’s multi-brand strategy, saying Margaritaville is on track to exceed $150 million in annual VOI sales, Accor Vacation Club sales are on track to nearly double in 2026, and Eddie Bauer Adventure Club sales are exceeding expectations. Sports Illustrated Resorts is progressing, with the Nashville resort expected to open in the third quarter and sales already underway at a new sales center.

Brown closed the call by saying 2026 is “shaping up to be another great year” for the company, supported by first-half growth, the two acquisitions and continued capital discipline.

About Travel + Leisure (NYSE:TNL)Travel + Leisure Co NYSE: TNL is a leisure travel company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, that specializes in vacation ownership, membership programs and branded travel experiences. The company operates an extensive portfolio of vacation clubs and destination services, offering members access to resorts, hotels, cruises and guided tours in markets around the world. Through its flagship membership brands, Travel + Leisure Co provides curated vacation packages, exchange services and unique travel itineraries that cater to both individual and family travelers.

In addition to its membership offerings, Travel + Leisure Co manages a network of resort properties and hospitality assets across North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

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

Should You Invest $1,000 in Travel + Leisure Right Now?Before you consider Travel + Leisure, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Travel + Leisure wasn't on the list.

While Travel + Leisure currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

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3 Energy Stocks to Buy as AI Power Demand Surges—and 2 to AvoidEQT NYSE: EQT executives said the company exceeded expectations across key operating and financial measures in the second quarter of 2026, citing stronger production, better price realizations, lower operating costs and reduced capital spending.

Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Knop said EQT generated $330 million of free cash flow attributable to the company during the quarter, despite natural gas prices averaging $2.89 per MMBtu. He said the result reflected EQT’s position “at the low end of the cost curve.”

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3 Natural Gas Names to Watch as a Global Supply Shock BuildsThe company raised its 2026 production guidance by roughly 90 billion cubic feet equivalent at the midpoint while lowering full-year capital expenditure guidance by $25 million. EQT also said it is pulling forward $85 million of capital contributions to equity method investments from 2027 into 2026 to accelerate construction timing for MVP Southgate.

Operational performance drives guidance increase President and Chief Executive Officer Toby Rice said EQT’s operating teams set multiple records during the quarter, including drilling what he described as “the longest lateral in the history of shale development” at more than 29,000 feet. Rice said the well was drilled 100% in-zone with no safety incidents. He also said EQT set a new basin 24-hour drilling record and a new company 48-hour drilling record.

3 Under-the-Radar GARP Stocks That Could Beat Big TechRice attributed the production outperformance partly to better-than-expected base production, including results from midstream compression projects that are extending flat production periods on new wells and reducing decline rates on older wells. He said those projects were part of the synergies projected when EQT acquired Equitrans and are continuing to exceed even the company’s upside forecasts.

During the question-and-answer session, Rice said compression projects are also benefiting new wells by allowing production into optimal gathering-system pressures. Knop added that EQT is recalibrating its models after the impact from lower pressures exceeded the company’s original expectations.

MVP Southgate construction accelerated Rice said EQT received Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorization to begin construction activities on MVP Southgate and now has all key regulatory approvals in hand. The company elected to accelerate construction timing into 2026 to reduce execution risk.

Rice said the project will connect low-cost Appalachian natural gas supply with demand growth in the Carolinas, helping utilities meet energy needs and support reliability. He said MVP Southgate and the MVP Boost expansion were not included in EQT’s original Equitrans underwriting case.

In response to an analyst question, Rice said construction should be available by the end of the year, while the company is working on commercial arrangements tied to the accelerated project timeline. He said any benefit to 2027 plans would be upside.

New commercial agreements target power and LNG markets Knop said EQT recently signed a 10-year definitive agreement with Competitive Power Ventures to provide 325 million cubic feet per day of natural gas to a planned two-gigawatt power generation facility in Doddridge County, West Virginia. The facility is expected to enter service in early 2031.

Knop said the CPV contract is linked to PJM power pricing rather than a natural gas index, making it EQT’s second agreement using that structure. At the forward strip, he said EQT expects the agreement to provide a material premium to local index pricing. In response to an analyst question, Knop said that if the contract were online for a full year at full capacity, it would improve annual free cash flow by about $100 million and corporate differentials by $0.05, though actual utilization would be lower.

Knop said EQT can hedge the power-linked exposure but currently views the structure favorably because of the correlation between gas and power prices in PJM and the potential for spark spreads to widen as demand for generation grows.

EQT also updated investors on its LNG strategy. Knop said the company executed a five-year offtake agreement with a large Asian integrated energy company for approximately 500,000 tons per year of LNG beginning in 2028, sourced from Gulf Coast LNG facilities. At recent strip pricing, he said the agreement is expected to increase EQT’s 2028 free cash flow by about $45 million.

Blackline acquisition expands propane optionality Knop discussed EQT’s acquisition of Blackline Midstream for approximately $77 million. Blackline owns and operates two propane storage and distribution terminals in New England, including what Knop described as the largest propane storage facility in the region, with rail and waterborne access.

The assets provide 46 million gallons of storage capacity, and EQT currently supplies about 60% of Blackline’s propane volumes. Knop said the acquisition requires essentially no incremental capital investment and gives EQT additional flexibility for propane production, flow assurance, pricing optimization and commercial activity through domestic and international channels.

Knop said EQT projects a 20% free cash flow yield under its base case underwriting for Blackline, with upside that could roughly double that metric.

Management emphasizes balance sheet, buybacks and Appalachia demand Knop said EQT is close to reaching its long-term net debt target of $5 billion, which he described as a milestone in strengthening the balance sheet. He said the company plans to accumulate cash in the near term and deploy it into share repurchases during industry down cycles.

Asked how much cash EQT might hold, Knop said the company is “not opposed to accumulating at certain points in the cycle up to a few billion dollars of cash,” while adding that the company would look to be more aggressive with buybacks when it sees opportunities.

Management repeatedly highlighted Appalachian demand growth as a central theme. Rice said EQT’s analysis shows more than 45 Appalachian demand and pipeline takeaway projects under construction or in evaluation, representing nearly 20 billion cubic feet per day of potential demand. He said EQT would not grow “for growth’s sake” and would tie any upstream growth to demand supported by commercial agreements.

Knop said EQT internally estimates that high single-digit Bcf per day of growth, or roughly 40% of the identified potential, is realistic after risk-weighting the opportunity set. Executives said projects around the Clarington area in Ohio are a key focus for future pipeline takeaway opportunities.

Rice closed the call by calling the quarter “fantastic” and thanking shareholders and employees, saying the company is excited about its path forward.

About EQT (NYSE:EQT)EQT Corporation NYSE: EQT is a U.S.-based energy company focused on the exploration, development and production of natural gas. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company concentrates its upstream operations in the Appalachian Basin, producing from major shale formations including the Marcellus and Utica. EQT's primary product is natural gas, with production activities supported by associated liquids and conventional gas assets where applicable.

In addition to drilling and well development, EQT operates and coordinates the infrastructure and commercial activities necessary to bring gas to market.

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

Should You Invest $1,000 in EQT Right Now?Before you consider EQT, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and EQT wasn't on the list.

While EQT currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

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The AI boom is creating opportunities across semiconductors, cloud computing, enterprise software, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and automation.

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Matt Smith, a Limited Partner at Chronometer Partners, recently appeared on the Invest Like the Best podcast with a provocative prediction: natural gas is about to become the biggest bottleneck to the AI buildout, and counterparty risk in gas is being severely underestimated. “Counterparty risk isn’t something we’ve really talked about during the last couple of years in the AI boom,” he stated.

Smith reached for a memory-market analogy that lands directly on hyperscalers like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). “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,” he asserted. The nod is to how Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) chip tightness became a real cost line for cloud giants.

Smith argues that natural gas could become “20, 30, or 40% of their cost of doing business” for hyperscalers at the exact moment they’re hitting escape velocity on AI profitability. He’s skeptical of fuel-cell alternatives: “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.”

If the thesis plays out, producers, pipelines, and export terminals hold the leverage. Here are five names and two ETFs that could be interesting.

The Producer Squeeze EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) is the largest U.S. gas producer and just announced a 10-year supply deal for a 2-gigawatt power generation facility in West Virginia. EQT stock trades at a P/E ratio of 9x with an analyst target of $67.16, though EQT shares are down 7% year to date (YTD) and EQT Corporation just posted a Q2 2026 earnings miss.

Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) is the largest low-cost U.S. gas producer post the Southwestern merger. Expand Energy’s Q1 2026 revenue rose 100% year over year (YoY), and Expand Energy signed a 20-year LNG (liqued/liquefied natural gas) deal with Delfin FLNG starting 2031. Expand Energy stock is down 19% YTD, reflecting gas price sensitivity.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) sells 2.3 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) along the LNG fairway and is the largest U.S. producer-exporter of NGLs (natural gas liquids). Antero Resources’ Q1 2026 EPS beat by 51%. Antero Resources stock carries realized-price risk if the LNG spread compresses.

The Pipeline and Export Chokepoints Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) moves roughly a third of U.S. gas and is executing over $7 billion of power-innovation capital, including the 682 MW Project Neo behind-the-meter build and the Aristotle pipeline for Ohio data centers. Williams Companies stock is up 24% YTD, and Williams shares trade at a P/E ratio of 33x, reflecting a lot of good news.

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Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) is the largest U.S. LNG exporter and just raised FY2026 EBITDA guidance to $7.25 billion to $7.75 billion. Cheniere Energy stock is up 36% YTD, with over 40 mtpa (million tonnes per annum) of new capacity in permitting. Permitting delays and long-lead construction are the main risks.

Two ETFs With Warnings Attached The United States Natural Gas Fund (NYSEARCA:UNG) tracks gas futures directly. The fund suffers from contango and negative roll yield that erode returns even when spot prices rise, making it better for short-term views than long holds.

The ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas ETF (NYSEARCA:BOIL) is a 2x leveraged fund with roll drag and daily-reset compounding decay, making it a short-term trading tool rather than buy-and-hold. Gas swings violently: the Henry Hub spot peaked at $30.72/MMBtu (one million British thermal units) on January 23 before normalizing near $2.83/MMBtu by July 13.

The Bottom Line Smith’s “6+ months out” timeline remains a prediction with inherent timing uncertainty. Producers carry commodity, weather, and execution risk, and the leveraged ETF can lose value quickly even if the broad thesis is right.

The EIA projects U.S. LNG export capacity climbing to 27.7 Bcf/d by 2030 while data centers could hit 12% of U.S. electrical demand by 2028. That supply-demand math is what Smith is leaning on.

Investors interested in the theme could watch how hyperscaler capex disclosures reference gas supply and whether producers layer on more long-dated power-gen contracts. Given the volatility involved in gas exposure, traders should consider keeping their position sizes modest.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Centene is set to report Q2 2026 results on July 28, with EPS estimated at 89 cents on $47.53B revenue.CNC's profitability may improve from pricing, cost controls and portfolio optimization amid membership falls.The health benefits ratio is projected to improve to 91.5% from 93%, supporting margins. Healthcare plan provider Centene Corporation (CNC - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 28, 2026, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings is currently pegged at 89 cents per share on revenues of $47.53 billion. 

The second-quarter earnings estimate remained stable over the past 60 days. The bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year improvement from a loss of 16 cents per share. However, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests a year-over-year decline of 2.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

For 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Centene’s revenues is pegged at $190.97 billion, implying a fall of 2% year over year. Yet, the consensus mark for 2026 EPS is pegged at $3.46, signaling a growth of 66.4% year over year.

Centenebeat earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 74.9%. This is depicted in the figure below.

Q2 Earnings Whispers for CenteneOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for the company this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That’s not the case here.

CNC has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

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

What’s Shaping Centene’s Q2 Results?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s total commercial memberships indicates a 39.1% year-over-year decrease, primarily due to a decline in the commercial marketplace. The consensus estimate for the company’s total Medicaid memberships indicates a 4.6% decline from a year ago.

As such, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for total membership indicates a 7.6% year-over-year decline, which reflects its portfolio optimization efforts. However, the consensus mark for Medicare PDP memberships signals 12.1% growth from the year-ago quarter.

The consensus estimate projects the company’s premium growth at only 1.8% year over year. The consensus mark for the company’s investment and other income indicates a 3.2% year-over-year decline from $371 million. Moreover, the projection for service revenues indicates a 0.6% fall from the year-ago quarter’s $727 million. These are likely to have affected the second quarter top line.

Nevertheless, due to its cost-curbing efforts, better pricing and portfolio optimization, the bottom line is likely to have improved. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the total health benefits ratio is pegged at 91.5%, down from 93% in the year-ago period, meaning a higher portion of premiums remaining in hand after paying claims.

CNC’s Price Performance & ValuationCentene's stock has gained 64.3% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 31%. Its peers, such as Humana Inc. (HUM - Free Report) and Molina Healthcare, Inc. (MOH - Free Report) , have jumped 57.9% and 30.5%, respectively, during this time. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has only increased 9.5%.

YTD Price Performance – CNC, HUM, MOH, Industry & S&P 500 Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Now, let’s look at the value Centene offers investors at current levels.

CNC is trading at 16.91X forward 12-month earnings, above its five-year median of 11.31X. But it is still below the industry’s average of 18.12X. In comparison, Humana and Molina Healthcare are currently trading at 31.75X and 31.80X, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

How Should You Play CNC Stock Now?The company has made meaningful progress in restoring profitability through disciplined pricing, portfolio optimization and cost-control initiatives following last year's setback. A healthier medical benefit ratio, stronger cash generation and improving performance in its Medicaid and Medicare businesses provide reasons for optimism, while the stock's sharp year-to-date rally reflects growing investor confidence in the turnaround.

However, expectations have also become more demanding. Membership declines tied to portfolio optimization are likely to weigh on revenue growth, and Centene remains exposed to policy changes affecting government-sponsored healthcare programs. Elevated operating costs, despite signs of moderation, and below-average capital efficiency also suggest that the turnaround is still a work in progress.

Given these factors, existing shareholders may prefer to hold the stock and monitor management's commentary on medical costs, reimbursement trends and membership growth after the earnings release. New investors, meanwhile, may benefit from waiting for greater clarity on the company's execution and full-year outlook before initiating positions.

Why Otis Worldwide Stock Keeps Going UpOtis Worldwide NYSE: OTIS reported stronger second-quarter organic sales growth in 2026, driven by its service business, but lowered parts of its profit outlook as investments in service quality, retention initiatives and productivity pressures weighed on margins.

Chair, CEO and President Judy Marks said the company delivered “a solid quarter with a significant step-up in organic sales growth,” citing accelerating service revenue, improving new equipment trends and strong cash generation. Net sales were $3.9 billion, with organic sales up 6%.

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Why Investors Can Ride Otis Worldwide Stock for a Long TimeAdjusted operating profit declined by $32 million in the quarter, excluding a $7 million foreign exchange tailwind, as higher volume and price were offset by inflation, mix and productivity impacts. Adjusted operating margin fell 180 basis points to 15.2%, while adjusted earnings per share declined 4%, or $0.04, due to operational performance, partially offset by favorable foreign exchange rates.

Service Growth Leads Results, But Margins Decline Otis’ service segment remained the company’s main growth driver. Cristina Mendez, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said service organic sales rose 9% in the quarter, with growth across all lines of business and regions.

Maintenance and repair organic sales increased 6%, including 3% maintenance growth and 12% repair growth. Mendez said repair delivered its strongest performance in the past 10 quarters. Modernization organic sales increased 24%, which she described as the highest growth rate since Otis’ spin-off.

Modernization orders rose 9% in the quarter, helped by significant growth in China and low-single-digit growth in EMEA and Asia Pacific, partly offset by a mid-single-digit decline in the Americas due to a difficult comparison with the prior year. Modernization backlog increased 26% year-over-year at constant currency.

Despite the revenue growth, service operating margin declined 170 basis points from a year earlier to 23.2%. Service operating profit rose $16 million at constant currency to $599 million, as higher volume and pricing more than offset labor costs, strategic investments, productivity headwinds, material costs and unfavorable mix.

Marks said service margins were pressured by labor and material cost increases as Otis ramps operations to execute its repair and modernization backlog. She said the company expects margins to recover in coming quarters as service revenue growth continues.

New Equipment Shows Signs of Stabilization New equipment organic sales declined 1% in the quarter, which Mendez said was the lowest rate of decline in the past nine quarters. Growth in the Americas and Asia Pacific was more than offset by lower sales in China and EMEA.

Americas new equipment sales increased 10%, supported by backlog conversion and orders growth from prior periods. Asia Pacific sales grew in the low single digits, driven by strength in Japan and India and partly offset by lower sales in Korea. EMEA sales declined 4%, primarily due to weakness in the Middle East and Southern Europe. China new equipment sales declined in the high teens, consistent with the backlog decline, though Mendez said the region showed slight sequential improvement.

New equipment orders declined 5% year-over-year. Double-digit growth in the Americas and low-single-digit growth in EMEA were more than offset by declines in Asia Pacific, due to tough comparisons, and in China. New equipment backlog increased 4% year-over-year at constant currency, or 9% excluding China.

New equipment operating profit declined $30 million at constant currency to $40 million, and margin fell 220 basis points to 3.1%. Mendez said the decline reflected lower volume, unfavorable price and mix.

Service Quality Investments Affect Outlook Otis said it is investing in service quality as part of a broader effort to improve customer retention and strengthen its operating model. Marks said the company previously outlined a plan to invest $50 million in service excellence and pricing during 2026. Otis invested $15 million in the second quarter and $30 million in the first half, with another $20 million expected in the second half.

Marks said service quality metrics improved in territories targeted by the program, with the company’s service quality index up seven points in those operating territories. She said some territories also showed retention improvement, though overall retention excluding China was down in the quarter.

Marks said the timing of retention benefits has shifted, prompting Otis to temper its AI micro-pricing implementation in maintenance. She said the company continues to see strong results from micro-pricing in repair, where pricing actions flow through more quickly because repair backlog is typically executed within one or two months.

Mendez said Otis had expected $50 million of incremental price impact this year, including $35 million from repair and $15 million from maintenance. The repair portion remains in the outlook, while the maintenance micro-pricing upside is being balanced against retention concerns.

Otis also cited productivity and cost headwinds. Mendez said the company now anticipates an additional $50 million impact versus its prior outlook, with $30 million related to temporary ramp-up costs for resources and higher labor rates to accelerate execution, and $20 million tied to material inflation and service quality investments.

Full-Year Guidance Revised Otis maintained its 2026 sales outlook, continuing to expect net sales of $15.1 billion to $15.3 billion and organic sales growth in the low- to mid-single-digit range. Marks said the company still expects the global new equipment market to stabilize, with growth in all regions except China, and expects modernization to remain robust with double-digit growth across all regions.

However, Mendez said Otis now expects adjusted operating profit to range from down $30 million to flat on an actual currency basis, and down $45 million to down $15 million at constant currency. The revised outlook reflects retention and tempered maintenance micro-pricing impacts, as well as productivity and cost headwinds.

Adjusted free cash flow is now expected to be between $1.5 billion and $1.55 billion. Adjusted EPS is expected to be in a range of $4.01 to $4.05, reflecting the lower operating profit outlook and a $0.04 negative impact from foreign exchange.

For the third quarter, Mendez said service organic sales are expected to remain strong at mid-single-digit growth, driven mainly by repair and modernization. New equipment organic sales are expected to continue improving sequentially. She said total adjusted operating profit is expected to be roughly flat year-over-year in the third quarter, while adjusted EPS is expected to decline at a level similar to the first half due to tax rate timing.

Cash Flow and Capital Returns Remain Priorities Otis generated adjusted free cash flow of $290 million in the second quarter, up 19% from a year earlier. Marks said the company’s cash generation allows it to invest in growth and strategic investments, including the acquisition of a majority stake in WeMaintain, while returning capital to shareholders.

In the first half of 2026, Otis repurchased approximately $800 million of shares and raised its dividend by 5%, returning more than $1.1 billion to shareholders.

Marks said Otis remains confident in its strategy, pointing to revenue growth, improving service quality metrics and progress on operational initiatives. She said the company is working to standardize field and sales processes across its 1,400 operating territories through a service operating model aimed at improving frontline execution.

“While the timing of retention benefits has shifted and we have observed headwinds in productivity and cost, we are as confident as ever in our strategy and our service flywheel,” Marks said.

About Otis Worldwide (NYSE:OTIS)Otis Worldwide Corporation is a manufacturer, installer and servicer of vertical transportation systems, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. The company designs and supplies new equipment for commercial, residential and industrial buildings, and provides ongoing maintenance and repair services aimed at maximizing equipment availability and safety. Otis also offers modernization solutions to upgrade aging systems and improve performance, accessibility and energy efficiency.

In addition to new equipment sales, a significant portion of Otis's business derives from long-term service contracts and responsive maintenance work.

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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Generac Holdings is transitioning from residential generators to a power solutions provider, with Commercial & Industrial (C&I) now the primary growth driver. Management guides for mid-teens revenue growth and gradual margin expansion, targeting $6.4 billion in revenue by 2028, underpinned by strong data center demand. The C&I segment is expected to grow 20-25% annually through 2028 but operates at lower margins than residential. Modest margin improvement is anticipated as scale increases.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Hub Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUBG) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Hub Group securities between April 28, 2023 and May 11, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/HUBG.

Hub Group Case Details

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:

Hub Group's financial statements prepared for the periods from Q1 2023 to Q4 2024, including its annual reports for 2023 and 2024, contained material misstatements caused by the premature and incorrect recognition of certain transactions concerning, among other things, the Company's operating revenue, operating income, revenue recognition, effectiveness of internal controls and procedures, and drivers of financial results and growth; Hub Group's financial statements prepared for the periods from Q1 2025 to Q3 2025 contained material misstatements caused by the understatement of purchased transportation costs and accounts payable concerning, among other things, the Company's operating expenses, purchased transportation and warehousing expenses, operating income, effectiveness of internal disclosure controls and procedures, and drivers of financial results and growth; and as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis and were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next for Hub Group Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/HUBG, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in Hub Group you have until August 28, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to Hub Group Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Hub Group Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/303516

Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

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