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Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 18,429 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,311,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 231.6% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,744 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,372,000 after buying an additional 2,615 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 48.9% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 4,795 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,574 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty in the second quarter valued at about $466,000. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth about $1,196,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 0.9% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,497,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance Shares of ULTA opened at $517.50 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $497.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $534.74. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52-week low of $443.60 and a 52-week high of $714.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.87.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.28%. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.78 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.77 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have issued reports on ULTA shares. Loop Capital restated a “hold” rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Argus set a $550.00 price target on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $647.00 to $645.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $626.59.

Check Out Our Latest Report on ULTA

Key Ulta Beauty News Here are the key news stories impacting Ulta Beauty this week:

Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Ulta reported $6.55 in EPS versus the $6.20 consensus and revenue of approximately $3.04 billion, up 8.9% year over year and ahead of the $2.99 billion estimate. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, while digital sales, loyalty growth, new brands and stronger execution supported performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 Earnings Beat as Sales Rise, FY26 View Raised Positive Sentiment: Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 outlook and expanded capital returns. The company now expects EPS of $28.70–$29.00, up from $28.36–$28.80, and revenue of roughly $13.2–$13.3 billion. It also increased its planned share repurchases to $1.8 billion, which could provide support for per-share earnings. Ulta Beauty Targets Sales Growth and Buybacks Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, but estimates are mixed. DA Davidson raised its price target to $625 and maintained a Buy rating, while Bank of America lowered its target to $650 but also kept a Buy rating. The conflicting revisions suggest confidence in Ulta’s long-term share gains, alongside caution about valuation and execution risks. Negative Sentiment: The market reaction reflects concerns about forward momentum. Management indicated that third-quarter comparable-sales comparisons may be weaker than fourth-quarter comparisons, increasing the risk of a temporary slowdown. Investors are also focused on Target’s rollout of its own Beauty Studio in more than 600 stores, including five former Ulta locations in South Carolina, potentially intensifying competition for prestige beauty customers. Ulta is responding by emphasizing exclusive products and brand differentiation. Ulta Leans Into Exclusivity Amid Target Competition Insider Activity In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total value of $182,246.72. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ulta Beauty Company Profile (Free Report)

Ulta Beauty, Inc (NASDAQ: ULTA) is a U.S.-based specialty retailer and beauty services provider focused on cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, bath and body, and beauty tools. The company operates a dual-format business that combines brick-and-mortar retail stores with an e-commerce platform, offering a broad assortment of national, prestige and mass-market brands alongside its own private-label products. In many locations Ulta also provides full-service salon treatments, positioning the company as a one-stop destination for product discovery and in-store services.

The retailer’s product mix spans color cosmetics, haircare and styling products, skin and body care, fragrance, and accessories, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences and price points.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Ulta Beauty 3 Financial Stocks Positioned for the Fed’s Next Move After Jackson Hole IREN’s AI Pivot Looks Real, But the Market Wanted a Faster Payoff After Earnings Boeing’s $131B F-15 Win: Mach 1 Momentum or Just Altitude? Okta Stock Surges 29%—Is $200 the Next Stop? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ULTA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA – Free Report).

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BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 8,332,056 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $492,175,000. BlackRock Inc. owned approximately 9.08% of RLI at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of RLI. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in shares of RLI by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 607,176 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,847,000 after acquiring an additional 48,563 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in RLI by 33.1% in the first quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,579,955 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $147,161,000 after purchasing an additional 641,769 shares during the period. Hingham Institution for Savings bought a new stake in RLI during the 4th quarter worth about $1,919,000. Chase Investment Counsel Corp bought a new stake in RLI during the 4th quarter worth about $1,535,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in RLI by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,448,929 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $604,542,000 after purchasing an additional 310,857 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.89% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of RLI from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of RLI from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. UBS Group set a $74.00 target price on shares of RLI in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut RLI from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $57.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $74.00 price objective (up from $70.00) on shares of RLI in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, RLI has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $63.00.

Get Our Latest Research Report on RLI RLI Trading Up 1.9% RLI stock opened at $66.64 on Tuesday. RLI Corp. has a 1-year low of $47.26 and a 1-year high of $68.69. The firm has a market cap of $6.12 billion, a PE ratio of 14.00 and a beta of 0.38. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $60.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $58.07.

RLI (NYSE:RLI – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.11. RLI had a return on equity of 17.61% and a net margin of 22.22%.The company had revenue of $575.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $568.70 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.82 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that RLI Corp. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.

RLI Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. RLI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.13%.

Insider Activity at RLI In related news, CEO Craig W. Kliethermes purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $52.00 per share, with a total value of $104,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 150,990 shares in the company, valued at $7,851,480. This represents a 1.34% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David B. Duclos purchased 2,500 shares of RLI stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was bought at an average price of $51.99 per share, with a total value of $129,975.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $508,462.20. This trade represents a 34.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 9,500 shares of company stock valued at $492,115. Corporate insiders own 2.39% of the company’s stock.

RLI Company Profile (Free Report)

RLI Corporation (NYSE:RLI) is a specialty property and casualty insurance company focused on underwriting niche risks for businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, the company operates through a network of independent agents and brokers, offering customized coverage solutions. RLI’s approach emphasizes disciplined underwriting, targeted product development and strong customer service to maintain profitability and long-term growth.

Founded in 1965 as Replacement Lens, Inc, RLI initially provided insurance for contact lens manufacturers before shifting its focus to specialty insurance in the 1980s.

See Also Five stocks we like better than RLI Visa Just Put Hims & Hers in the Penalty Box—Here’s Why It Matters Treasury Yields Are Surging Again: 3 Stocks That Could Feel the Pain Snowflake Could Be Headed for New Highs Despite Insider Selling MongoDB Is Surging—And the Next Catalyst Is Almost Here Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RLI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for RLI Corp. (NYSE:RLI – Free Report).

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Okta and CrowdStrike both crushed earnings, but one stock is surging nearly twice as hard as the other despite posting slower growth and a troubling dip in a key bookings metric.

Cybersecurity stocks are outrunning the broad market Thursday after twin fiscal Q2 2027 earnings beats from Okta and CrowdStrike reported Wednesday after the close. The First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (NASDAQ:CIBR) is up 3% to $96.20 in early Thursday trading. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is up 0.3% to $768.17, a fraction of the sector’s move.

Okta (NASDAQ:OKTA | OKTA Price Prediction) stock is surging 22% to $163.98 after fiscal Q2 2027 results reframed the identity leader as the security layer for AI agents. Meanwhile, CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:CRWD) stock is climbing 13% to $213.70 following its own beat-and-raise report. Okta stock was up 55% year to date through Wednesday’s close, and CrowdStrike stock was up 61% over the same period.

Peers Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) and Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) are riding the read-through as the platform trade in cybersecurity gets fresh validation. Palo Alto Networks stock is up 5% to $356.17, and Fortinet stock is up 1% to $159.51. Both names sit among CIBR’s largest disclosed cybersecurity-focused positions alongside CrowdStrike.

Twin Beat and Raise Reports Drive the Rally Okta reported revenue of $805 million, up 11% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $1.05 topped consensus. CEO Todd McKinnon stated, “As AI agents transform every layer of technology, every agent needs a trusted identity and clear controls over what it can access and do.”

CrowdStrike posted revenue of $1.47 billion, up 26% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $0.31 clearing estimates. CrowdStrike raised its full-year net new ARR growth outlook by 630 basis points, and CEO George Kurtz declared, “Q2 was the best quarter in CrowdStrike’s history. Delivering record Falcon Flex results, record net new ARR, and accelerating growth, the Falcon is soaring.”

Why Okta Is Moving Twice as Hard CrowdStrike posted the faster growth and larger guidance raise, yet Okta stock is climbing nearly twice as much Thursday morning. Okta had lagged the group heading into the report, slipping 2% over the trailing month through Wednesday’s close, while CrowdStrike stock had gained 5% over that same stretch. That setup created a sharper snapback when the identity thesis received fresh AI-agent fuel.

The re-rating reflects growing appreciation for the agentic identity category McKinnon has been building. Speaking with CNBC, McKinnon added, “Network is the biggest cyber category now, but if you look out five or 10 years, with millions of agents running around, it’s definitely going to be identity.” Okta also closed its purchase of threat detection startup Permiso Security in a deal worth around $200 million.

CrowdStrike was already priced for excellence entering the report, carrying a market cap near $188.7 billion versus Okta’s $22.9 billion. Wall Street’s average price target sits at $210.53 for CrowdStrike and $146.34 for Okta, meaning both stocks are pushing past those consensus levels Thursday morning. That valuation gap helps explain why the same beat-and-raise pattern is producing very different reactions.

The blemish worth naming: Okta’s billings came in at $681.2 million, down 5.4% year over year, a gap between headline strength and underlying bookings that will draw questions on the call. Okta’s raised full-year revenue range still implies growth in the low double digits, well under CrowdStrike’s revenue pace and net new ARR trajectory.

What to Watch Investors can watch for whether Okta stock holds Thursday’s rally into next week, as the billings soft spot will bump up against the AI-agent narrative in follow-up analyst notes. Traders could look for signs that the read-through extends to Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet as the cybersecurity platform trade absorbs the twin reports.

CrowdStrike generated free cash flow of $377.4 million in the quarter, and Okta produced $227 million in free cash flow versus $162 million a year earlier. Both companies are pairing accelerating fundamentals with expanding cash generation, which keeps the cybersecurity platform trade a favored destination for growth capital.

The cybersecurity ETF was up 31% year to date through Wednesday’s close, well ahead of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF’s 12% year-to-date gain. Investors should size their positions with that stretch in mind, since much of the beat-and-raise setup is now reflected in prices. Even the bulls may want to leave room for guidance revisions and follow-on analyst commentary to drive the next leg.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Evercore (EVR - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 6.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Evercore due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Evercore Inc before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

Evercore Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Rise on Deal ActivityEvercore reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $2.91, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.02. However, the bottom line compared favorably with the prior-year quarter’s $2.42.

Results were pressured by higher expenses. However, growth in revenues from the Investment Banking & Equities and Investment Management segments helped offset some of the impact. Additionally, the increase in assets under management provided further support to the overall performance.

The results include certain non-recurring items. After considering this, net income attributable to common shareholders (GAAP basis) was $95.3 million, down from $97.2 million in the year-ago quarter.

Revenues & Expenses RiseIn the second quarter of 2026, the company reported record net revenues (adjusted) of $999.5 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $993.5 million by 0.6%. The top line increased 19.2% from $838.9 million in the year-ago quarter.

Total expenses increased 23.4% year over year to $843.6 million. The rise reflected increases in employee compensation and benefits, and non-compensation costs, along with special charges related to an estimated loss provision for non-U.S. employment taxes for prior periods.

The adjusted compensation ratio was 63.5%, down from 65.4% in the prior-year quarter.

The adjusted operating margin was 19%, up from 18.7% in the prior-year quarter.

Quarterly Segment Performance (GAAP Basis)Investment Banking & Equities: Net revenues increased 19.1% year over year to $966.9 million. This rise was primarily due to increases in advisory fees, underwriting fees, and commissions and related revenues. However, operating income declined 2.4% to $142.5 million from $146 million in the year-ago quarter.

Investment Management: Net revenues were $23.3 million, up 7.7% from the prior-year quarter. Operating income was $4.1 million, down 7.6% year over year. AUM was $16.2 billion as of June 30, 2026, growing 12% year over year.

Balance Sheet Position StrongAs of June 30, 2026, cash and cash equivalents were $1.3 billion, and investment securities and certificates of deposit were $1.1 billion. Current assets exceeded current liabilities by $1.9 billion as of the same date. Amounts due related to the notes payable were $540 million as of June 30, 2026.

Capital Distribution ActivitiesIn the reported quarter, Evercore repurchased an aggregate of 0.3 million shares at an average price of $339.79 per share.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, fresh estimates have trended downward during the past month.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Evercore has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a B. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a score of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Evercore has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerEvercore belongs to the Zacks Financial - Investment Bank industry. Another stock from the same industry, Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF - Free Report) , has gained 0.7% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended June 2026.

Raymond James Financial reported revenues of $3.93 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +15.6%. EPS of $3.14 for the same period compares with $2.18 a year ago.

For the current quarter, Raymond James Financial is expected to post earnings of $3.38 per share, indicating a change of +8.7% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.3% over the last 30 days.

Raymond James Financial has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of D.

SK Hynix just published a technology roadmap that redraws where optics belong inside an AI system, and one company supplies nearly every component required to build it.

The investment case for Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR) | COHR Price Prediction has largely centered on one increasingly important problem: artificial intelligence processors are producing data faster than conventional electrical connections can move it. That imbalance has driven rapid demand for Coherent’s 800-gigabit and 1.6-terabit optical transceivers, indium phosphide lasers, optical circuit switches, and silicon-photonics components.

A new technology roadmap from SK hynix Inc. (NASDAQ: SKHY) suggests that Coherent’s opportunity could become substantially broader.

On August 20, SK hynix announced that it had collaborated with researchers from several leading universities on a co-packaged-optics roadmap published in Nature Electronics. The paper describes an AI architecture in which optical links move beyond communications between conventional network switches and directly connect separate pools of processors and memory.

That distinction is the investment hook. Coherent is already benefiting as data centers replace copper connections with optical transceivers. Nvidia has also moved CPO into production for networking switches. SK hynix is now describing an additional stage in which photonics becomes part of the architecture connecting processors with memory resources.

If the industry follows this direction, optics will not remain confined to the edges of AI servers and switches. It will move progressively closer to the most valuable components in the system: accelerators and high-bandwidth memory.

Coherent is positioned across nearly every critical portion of that transition. The company supplies high-power indium phosphide lasers, external laser-source modules, silicon-photonics components, microlens arrays, fiber-attach units, polarization-maintaining fiber, optical circuit switches, and complete optical transceivers. It has demonstrated a 6.4-terabit silicon-photonics CPO system and has secured very-high-volume, multiyear orders from a leading AI data center customer.

The market has already recognized Coherent as an AI optical-transceiver company. SK hynix’s roadmap creates a more expansive possibility: Coherent could become an enabling supplier for the optical fabric connecting processors, switches, and memory throughout the AI system.

SK Hynix Is Looking Beyond HBM SK hynix became one of the largest financial beneficiaries of the AI boom by solving the first major memory bottleneck. Its high-bandwidth memory places vertically stacked DRAM close to the processor and connects it through an extremely wide interface, allowing substantially more data to reach the accelerator than conventional server memory can provide.

That position has generated extraordinary cash flow. On August 19, SK hynix announced a KRW40 trillion, or approximately $28.7 billion, share-repurchase program. The company will buy and cancel 24.07 million common shares, representing approximately 3.3% of its issued shares.

The cancellation is important because those shares will be permanently removed rather than held in treasury for possible reissuance. SK hynix also committed to returning more than 50% of cumulative free cash flow generated during its 2025–2027 shareholder-return period through repurchases, cancellations, and dividends.

One day after announcing the buyback, however, SK hynix focused attention on what comes after HBM.

The company’s CPO technology roadmap argues that the AI industry is moving from chip-level competition toward system-level competition. HBM increased bandwidth between memory and an accelerator, but increasingly large AI systems must also move data between thousands of accelerators, multiple memory resources, storage systems, and network switches.

Electrical signals encounter greater power consumption, heat generation, and signal-integrity problems as speeds and distances increase. The industry can continue improving copper connections, but the physical limitations become progressively more difficult and expensive to overcome.

Optical connections carry more data over longer distances while consuming less energy per bit. CPO moves the optical conversion closer to the processor or switching silicon, minimizing the distance traveled electrically.

SK hynix’s proposed architecture goes further than the CPO switches attracting most current investment attention. It describes a photonic interposer that directly connects computing resources in an XPU pool with memory resources in a separate memory pool.

This would allow processors to access larger and more flexible quantities of memory rather than depending entirely upon the HBM physically attached to each accelerator. The architecture remains a roadmap rather than a commercial product, but its direction is important. The world’s leading HBM supplier believes future memory systems will increasingly require optical as well as electrical connectivity.

Why This Matters More Than Another CPO Announcement Investors have been hearing about CPO for several years, creating understandable skepticism about whether every new roadmap represents a meaningful commercial development. In this case, two factors make the announcement more important.

First, CPO has entered production.

In May, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) announced that its Spectrum-X Ethernet Photonics switches were in production as part of the Vera Rubin infrastructure ramp. The platform uses CPO and 200-gigabit-per-second serializer/deserializer technology to support networks connecting extremely large numbers of AI accelerators.

Nvidia says Spectrum-X Ethernet Photonics provides five times better power efficiency, five times longer AI-system uptime, and 1.3 times faster deployment than networks based on traditional transceivers. CoreWeave, Lambda, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure are among the first identified adopters.

The production announcement moved CPO beyond a laboratory demonstration or conference prototype. Data center customers can now begin deploying the technology within commercial AI infrastructure.

Second, SK hynix is not an optical-component manufacturer attempting to create demand for its own products. It is the leading supplier of the HBM used with Nvidia accelerators. Its decision to publish a roadmap for processor-to-memory optical architecture provides independent confirmation that data movement is becoming a system-level constraint.

Nvidia validates the near-term CPO market in network switches. SK hynix expands the long-term opportunity toward memory and compute.

Coherent participates in both.

Coherent Has More Than a Laser Position The immediate temptation is to frame CPO primarily as an external-laser opportunity. That interpretation is incomplete for Coherent because the company supplies a considerably broader collection of components.

A CPO system must generate light, deliver it to the optical engine, modulate it with data, align it precisely, and transfer it into optical fiber. Each function requires specialized active and passive components.

High-power continuous-wave indium phosphide lasers provide the light. External laser-source modules move those lasers away from the hot switch package, improving thermal stability, reliability, and serviceability. Silicon-photonics integrated circuits modulate the light with data. Microlens arrays and fiber-attach units align the optical signal with the fiber, where extremely small deviations can increase loss and impair performance.

Coherent participates at each of these levels.

The company produces high-power indium phosphide continuous-wave lasers at its Sherman, Texas, facility. It integrates lasers with isolators and thermoelectric cooling into external laser-source modules. It designs silicon-photonics products and manufactures microlenses, polarization-maintaining fiber, prisms, and fiber-attach assemblies.

Coherent’s vertical participation does not guarantee that it will supply every component in a production platform. Nvidia and other customers will maintain multiple suppliers to reduce risk and preserve negotiating leverage. However, Coherent’s breadth gives it several opportunities to win content within the same system.

It also allows Coherent to optimize components as a coordinated optical platform instead of developing each product independently. That can become increasingly important as CPO architectures require tighter alignment, lower optical loss, higher laser power, and greater reliability.

According to Table 1, the optical transition is developing across several increasingly demanding stages. Coherent already generates substantial revenue from pluggable transceivers, is positioned in commercial CPO switching platforms, and could eventually address processor-to-memory optical architectures of the type proposed by SK hynix.

The progression matters because each stage increases the amount of optical content required to support an AI system. Pluggable optics connect discrete pieces of equipment. Switch CPO moves photonics onto the switching package. Processor-to-memory photonics could embed optical communication more deeply within the compute architecture.

That is why Coherent describes CPO as an expansion of its serviceable available market rather than merely a replacement for existing transceivers.

A Potential $15 Billion Market At its March 2026 Optical Fiber Communication investor presentation, Coherent estimated that the CPO serviceable available market could exceed $15 billion by 2030.

That forecast is a company estimate rather than an independent guarantee, but it illustrates the scale of the opportunity management believes is developing. More importantly, the estimate was based principally on CPO and near-packaged-optics adoption in switches and processors. SK hynix’s proposed memory-pooling architecture could increase the ultimate market by adding more optical interfaces around memory.

The addressable market should not be interpreted as revenue Coherent will automatically capture. The supply chain includes Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE) in high-power lasers and external laser sources, Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) in optical fiber and connectivity, TSMC in silicon-photonics manufacturing and advanced packaging, and numerous companies supplying connectors, fiber assemblies, and optical engines.

Coherent’s advantage is not that it operates without competitors. It is that it competes across more individual CPO components than most publicly traded alternatives.

Lumentum may possess particularly strong exposure to the high-power external-laser bottleneck. Corning supplies essential fiber, alignment grooves, and connectivity products. Coherent combines laser and passive-optical technologies with transceivers, silicon photonics, fiber attachment, and advanced manufacturing.

That breadth gives Coherent several potential revenue paths as customers determine which CPO architectures reach volume production.

The Commercial Evidence Is Already Building Coherent is not relying solely upon SK hynix’s future roadmap.

The company disclosed at OFC 2026 that it had secured very-high-volume, multiyear orders from a market-leading AI data center customer for CPO solutions. The products include high-power continuous-wave lasers and external laser sources manufactured using Coherent’s expanding 6-inch indium phosphide platform.

Coherent has also demonstrated a socketed 6.4-terabit silicon-photonics CPO platform. The demonstration combined an external laser source, an internally produced indium phosphide continuous-wave laser, an isolator, thermoelectric cooling, polarization-maintaining fiber, microlenses, and fiber-attach technology.

The importance is not simply the 6.4-terabit data rate. The demonstration showed that Coherent can integrate active and passive technologies drawn from multiple portions of its portfolio into a working CPO architecture.

The company’s Sherman facility is ramping high-power continuous-wave lasers on 6-inch indium phosphide wafers. Moving from 3-inch to 6-inch wafers increases the available manufacturing area by approximately four times, allowing more devices to be fabricated during each process cycle. Coherent has reported that yields on its 6-inch platform have exceeded those of its older 3-inch lines.

This manufacturing transition is essential because the CPO opportunity cannot be monetized through technical demonstrations alone. Coherent must produce large quantities of high-power lasers with consistent performance, reliability, and acceptable cost.

Nvidia’s March agreement provided additional validation. The company invested $2 billion in Coherent as part of a multiyear, nonexclusive strategic partnership covering advanced optical technology, manufacturing expansion, research and development, and future capacity access. The agreement also includes a multibillion-dollar purchase commitment.

Nvidia made a parallel investment in Lumentum, confirming that it intends to maintain multiple laser suppliers. But its willingness to invest directly in Coherent demonstrates that the company’s manufacturing capacity and technology have become strategically important to Nvidia’s AI roadmap.

Coherent’s Current Revenue Acceleration CPO offers substantial future upside, but investors do not need to wait for processor-to-memory photonics to justify Coherent’s current AI position. Its established optical business is already converting higher AI infrastructure spending into revenue growth and margin expansion.

During Coherent’s fiscal fourth quarter, Data Center and Communications revenue increased 59% year over year and 19% sequentially to $1.62 billion. The segment reached 79% of total company revenue, compared with a much smaller contribution from the Industrial business.

Total quarterly revenue increased 34% year over year to $2.05 billion, or 42% on a pro forma basis excluding divested operations. Non-GAAP gross margin expanded by 215 basis points to 40.2%, while adjusted earnings increased to $1.74 per share from $1.00 one year earlier.

For fiscal 2026, Data Center and Communications revenue increased approximately 40% to $5.27 billion. Coherent’s full-year revenue reached $7.12 billion, increasing 23% on a reported basis and approximately 28% on a pro forma basis.

Management guided fiscal first-quarter 2027 revenue to between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billion, with non-GAAP earnings of $1.85 to $2.05 per share. The midpoint of the revenue range would represent another sequential increase of approximately 12%.

The current growth is being driven primarily by conventional optical products rather than the longer-term CPO opportunity. Coherent is shipping 800G transceivers while rapidly ramping 1.6T products across multiple customers. The higher-speed products carry higher initial average selling prices and can improve product mix as manufacturing yields rise.

This provides an important balance to the investment case. Coherent does not require immediate mass adoption of SK hynix’s photonic-memory architecture. Its current optical business is already growing quickly, while CPO and processor-to-memory connectivity add longer-term optionality.

From SiC Tailwinds to AI Optical Growth The longer-term revenue record shows how completely Coherent’s growth engine has changed. The fiscal 2022 baseline is important because the Materials operation initially expanded strongly in fiscal 2023 before weaker consumer electronics and the EV-driven SiC retrenchment reduced revenue.

According to Table 2, Networking revenue increased 55.6% from fiscal 2022 through fiscal 2025, while Materials declined 14.7% and legacy Coherent Lasers declined 5.6%. The smaller decline in Lasers should not be interpreted as evidence that the acquired business produced a superior return. II-VI paid approximately $7.1 billion for legacy Coherent and assumed substantial debt and integration costs for a business that subsequently generated little revenue growth.

Note: The fiscal 2022 Lasers figure represents legacy Coherent’s trailing-12-month pro forma revenue. Networking and Materials reflect II-VI’s recast segment results.

The Materials decline does not invalidate the SiC investment thesis that existed in 2023. Materials initially increased 20.6%, from $1.119 billion in fiscal 2022 to $1.350 billion in fiscal 2023, consistent with Coherent’s disclosure that SiC revenue had grown more than 40%.

Most of the fiscal 2024 Materials contraction resulted from a significant consumer-electronics customer’s design change. The later weakness reflected slowing automotive and SiC demand as the U.S. EV market retrenched. That reversal was becoming identifiable in early 2024 before it became fully visible in Coherent’s annual results.

Materials also retained considerable economic value. Fiscal 2025 Materials revenue declined 6%, but segment profit increased 19% to $355 million because of better product mix, improved pricing, and lower manufacturing costs.

Networking produced a fundamentally different result. Revenue increased from $2.198 billion in fiscal 2022 to $3.421 billion in fiscal 2025, before Data Center and Communications accelerated further in fiscal 2026.

Optical networking became the growth platform that SiC appeared capable of becoming before the EV downturn. The difference is that optical demand is now being supported simultaneously by Nvidia’s product roadmap, hyperscaler capital spending, the transition from 800G to 1.6T transceivers, CPO commercialization, and the potential movement of photonics toward processors and memory.

The historical numbers therefore add an important dimension to the SK hynix announcement. Coherent is not attempting to build an optical business around an unproven technology roadmap. It is extending the strongest-performing part of its existing portfolio into another layer of AI infrastructure.

Why the Market Could Still Be Underestimating Coherent Coherent’s share price already reflects substantial enthusiasm for AI optical networking. The stock cannot be characterized as an undiscovered or conventionally inexpensive company based on trailing GAAP earnings.

The possible mispricing lies elsewhere. Investors may be valuing Coherent primarily as a supplier of faster generations of pluggable optical transceivers. That captures the existing 800G-to-1.6T transition but does not necessarily capture the full expansion of optical content inside future AI systems.

If CPO merely replaces pluggable transceivers one-for-one, the investment opportunity would be less compelling because revenue would migrate between product categories rather than create a substantially larger market.

Coherent’s argument is that CPO expands the market because optics begins replacing copper in additional connections. The optical content moves from the front panel of a switch closer to the switching ASIC, then toward processors, and potentially toward pools of memory.

SK hynix’s roadmap supports that argument. It does not present CPO as a different packaging format for the same network connection. It presents optical communication as part of a restructured computing and memory architecture.

That is a significantly larger vision—and one in which Coherent’s broad component portfolio becomes more valuable.

Risks Remain Substantial The principal risk is adoption timing. SK hynix’s photonic-interposer architecture remains a technology roadmap, not a product with a disclosed manufacturing date or customer commitment. Processor-to-memory optical links will require new standards, packaging techniques, memory controllers, software, and system architectures.

CPO also creates reliability and serviceability challenges. Integrating optical engines close to a hot switch ASIC can complicate manufacturing and repair. External laser sources solve part of the problem by keeping replaceable lasers away from the hottest silicon, but fiber coupling and optical alignment must remain stable under demanding operating conditions.

Customer concentration presents another concern. AI optical demand is driven by a relatively small number of hyperscalers and accelerator-platform companies. Large customers can change architectures, qualify competing suppliers, or alter deployment schedules. Nvidia’s agreement is nonexclusive, and Coherent must continue competing with Lumentum and other suppliers for content.

Coherent is also investing heavily to expand capacity. Capital expenditures reached approximately $1.10 billion during fiscal 2026, while rapid growth increased working-capital requirements. Converting orders into profitable revenue will depend upon manufacturing yields, utilization, and execution across multiple facilities.

Finally, strong demand does not eliminate valuation risk. Investors have already rewarded optical companies for anticipated AI growth. Any delay in 1.6T deployments, CPO production, or hyperscaler capital spending could produce substantial share-price volatility.

These risks argue against treating the SK hynix announcement as an immediate earnings event. Its importance is strategic: it increases the number of AI connections that could eventually become optical.

Investor Takeaway SK hynix’s announcement is not simply another endorsement of CPO. It expands the technological objective.

Nvidia has already moved co-packaged optics into production for Ethernet switches. SK hynix is now proposing an architecture in which optical links connect processors directly with pooled memory resources. The combination suggests that photonics is progressing from data center networking toward the internal architecture of AI computing systems.

Coherent is unusually well positioned for that progression because it does not depend upon a single optical component. The company supplies indium phosphide lasers, external laser sources, silicon photonics, microlenses, optical circuit switches, polarization-maintaining fiber, and fiber-attach assemblies. It has demonstrated an integrated 6.4T CPO platform and has secured very-high-volume, multiyear orders from a leading AI data center customer.

The revenue record supports the thesis. Networking increased 55.6% between fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2025, while the company’s Data Center and Communications segment grew another 59% year over year during the latest quarter. Total quarterly revenue reached $2.05 billion, and management expects as much as $2.4 billion in the current quarter. Nvidia’s $2 billion investment provides additional validation and supports the capacity expansion required to meet future demand.

The SK hynix roadmap adds something not fully reflected in those current results. If optical connectivity moves from switches toward processors and memory, Coherent’s addressable market increases without requiring the company to abandon its existing transceiver business. Pluggable optics, optical circuit switching, CPO, and processor-to-memory photonics can coexist as separate layers of the same AI infrastructure.

Coherent estimates that CPO alone could become a market exceeding $15 billion by 2030. SK hynix’s entry into the discussion suggests that even this estimate may not capture the full long-term opportunity if memory architectures become increasingly optical.

Coherent is already helping AI systems move data between servers and switches. SK hynix has now provided a roadmap for moving optics directly toward compute and memory. That development makes Coherent more than a beneficiary of the current transceiver cycle. It positions the company for a broader architectural change in how future AI systems are connected.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Coherent's fiscal Q4 revenues rose 34% to $2.05B, led by 59% growth in Datacenter & Communications.Datacenter & Communications supplied nearly 79% of revenue, while adjusted operating margin rose to 21.8%.COHR sees fiscal Q1 2027 revenues of $2.2-$2.4B, while Industrial sales fell 16% year over year. Coherent Corp.’s (COHR - Free Report) quarterly revenues climbed to $2.05 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, up 34% year over year and 13% sequentially. The standout was Datacenter & Communications, where sales reached $1.62 billion, increasing 59% from the prior-year quarter and 19% from the fiscal third quarter. The business supplied nearly 79% of total revenues, underscoring how rapidly AI infrastructure demand is reshaping Coherent’s portfolio.

That momentum is also lifting profitability. GAAP gross margin expanded 277 basis points year over year to 38.5%, while adjusted operating margin improved 381 basis points to 21.8%. Management expects first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenues of $2.2-$2.4 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.85-$2.05 per share. The outlook suggests optical-connectivity demand and capacity additions can extend the growth run. However, Industrial revenues fell 16% year over year to $431 million, leaving results increasingly dependent on datacenter spending, production ramps and customer execution.

Two Optical Peers to WatchAmong optical peers, Lumentum Holdings (LITE - Free Report) and Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI - Free Report) provide useful benchmarks. Lumentum Holdings generated fiscal fourth-quarter revenues of $1.01 billion, more than doubling year over year, and guided to further sequential growth. Applied Optoelectronics posted second-quarter revenues of $191.9 million, up 86%, as its 800G ramp strengthened.

Lumentum Holdings offers broader scale and stronger margins, whereas Applied Optoelectronics brings faster expansion from a smaller base. Coherent’s greater revenue scale is an advantage, but the progress of both rivals shows that competition for AI-optics demand remains intense. Sustaining leadership will require converting demand into consistent margins and cash.

COHR’s Price Performance & EstimatesThe stock has gained 226.5% over the past year against the industry’s 9% fall.

                                                         Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, COHR trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 31.55X, well above the industry’s 21.17X. It carries a Value Score of D.

                                                                Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COHR’s fiscal 2027 earnings increased over the past 60 days.

COHR currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.      

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for MGIC Investment (MTG - Free Report) . Shares have added about 2.1% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is MGIC due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

MGIC Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Miss on Lower Premiums

MGIC Investment Corporation reported second-quarter 2026 operating net income per share of 87 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 17.6%. The bottom line also improved 6.1% year over year. Total operating revenues declined 2.6% year over year to $298 million, due to lower net premiums earned and net investment income. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.3%. The quarterly results reflected strong underwriting performance and lower losses incurred, partially offset by lower premiums and investment income.

MTG's Operational UpdateInsurance in force increased 2.6% year over year to $304.8 billion, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $297.5 billion and our estimate of $297.5 billion. Meanwhile, primary delinquency increased 7% to 26,152 loans year-over year during the reported quarter. Net premiums earned declined 2.6% year over year to $238.1 million, missing our estimate of $239 million. Meanwhile, net investment income decreased 2.5% year over year to $59.5 million. The figure was in line with our estimate of $59.3 million but below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $60.7 million.

Persistency, the percentage of insurance remaining in force, was 83.3% as of June 30, 2026, down 140 basis points from the year-ago quarter’s level. Meanwhile, new insurance written increased 8.5% year over year to $17.8 billion.

Underwriting and other expenses, net, declined 12.5% year over year to $45.6 million. However, underwriting performance improved significantly, with the loss ratio declining to 4.6% from 14.1% in the prior quarter. Total losses and expenses increased 12.6% year over year to $65.5 million, attributable to a sharp rise in losses incurred, net.

MTG‘s Financial UpdateBook value per share, a measure of net worth, increased 9.8% year over year to $24.27 as of June 30, 2026. Shareholder equity was $5 billion as of June 30, 2026, down 2.6% from the 2025-end level. MGIC Investment's PMIERs Available Assets totaled $5.6 billion, or $2.7 billion above its Minimum Required Assets as of June 30, 2026. Total assets were $6.5 billion as of June 30, 2026, down 1.7% from the 2025-end level. Senior notes totaled $646.9 million as of June 30, 2026, reflecting a 0.1% increase from the 2025-end level.

MTG’s Capital DeploymentThe company repurchased 6.6 million shares of common stock for $176.6 million. Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), the insurance subsidiary, paid a $400 million dividend to MGIC Investment Corporation, the holding company. MTG  bought back shares worth $42.4 million in July 2026. The board approved a dividend of 17 cents per common share payable on Aug. 20 to shareholders of record on Aug. 5, 2026. Concurrently, the board of directors also approved a share repurchase program, authorizing MTG to repurchase an additional $750 million of common stock through Dec. 31, 2028.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a flat trend in estimates review.

VGM ScoresCurrently, MGIC has a poor Growth Score of F, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. However, the stock has a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook MGIC has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.

, /PRNewswire/ -- This press release provides shareholders of Cohen & Steers REIT and Preferred and Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE: RNP) (the "Fund") with information regarding the sources of the distribution to be paid on August 31, 2026 and cumulative distributions paid fiscal year-to-date.

In December 2017, the Fund implemented a managed distribution policy in accordance with exemptive relief issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The managed distribution policy seeks to deliver the Fund's long-term total return potential through regular monthly distributions declared at a fixed rate per common share. The policy gives the Fund greater flexibility to realize long-term capital gains throughout the year and to distribute those gains on a regular monthly basis to shareholders. The Board of Directors of the Fund may amend, terminate or suspend the managed distribution policy at any time, which could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares. 

The Fund's monthly distributions may include long-term capital gains, short-term capital gains, net investment income and/or return of capital for federal income tax purposes. Return of capital includes distributions paid by the Fund in excess of its net investment income and net realized capital gains and such excess is distributed from the Fund's assets. A return of capital is not taxable; rather, it reduces a shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares of the Fund. In addition, distributions from the Fund's investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) may later be characterized as capital gains and/or a return of capital, depending on the character of the dividends reported to the Fund after year-end by REITs held by the Fund. The amount of monthly distributions may vary depending on a number of factors, including changes in portfolio and market conditions.

At the time of each monthly distribution, information will be posted to cohenandsteers.com and mailed to shareholders in a concurrent notice. However, this information may change at the end of the year because the final tax characteristics of the Fund's distributions cannot be determined with certainty until after the end of the calendar year. Final tax characteristics of all of the Fund's distributions will be provided on Form 1099-DIV, which is mailed after the close of the calendar year.

The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the current distribution and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year-to-date from the sources indicated. All amounts are expressed per common share.

DISTRIBUTION ESTIMATES

August 2026

YEAR-TO-DATE (YTD)

August 31, 2026*

Source

Per Share
Amount

% of Current
Distribution

Per Share
Amount

% of 2026
Distributions

Net Investment Income

$0.0452

33.24 %

$0.5400

49.63 %

Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains

$0.0000

0.00 %

$0.0000

0.00 %

Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains

$0.0908

66.76 %

$0.5480

50.37 %

Return of Capital (or other Capital Source)

$0.0000

0.00 %

$0.0000

0.00 %

Total Current Distribution

$0.1360

100.00 %

$1.0880

100.00 %

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution policy. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The amounts and sources of distributions year-to-date may be subject to additional adjustments.

*THE FUND WILL SEND YOU A FORM 1099-DIV FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW TO REPORT THESE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.

The Fund's Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return for fiscal year 2026 (January 1, 2026 through July 31, 2026) is set forth below. Shareholders should take note of the relationship between the Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return with the Fund's Cumulative Distribution Rate for 2026. In addition, the Fund's Average Annual Total Return for the five-year period ending July 31, 2026 is set forth below. Shareholders should note the relationship between the Average Annual Total Return with the Fund's Current Annualized Distribution Rate for 2026. The performance and distribution rate information disclosed in the table is based on the Fund's net asset value per share (NAV). The Fund's NAV is calculated as the total market value of all the securities and other assets held by the Fund minus the total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding. While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's individual investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market. 

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information:

Year-to-date January 1, 2026 to July 31, 2026

Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return1

12.29 %

Cumulative Distribution Rate2

4.92 %

Five-year period ending July 31, 2026

Average Annual Total Return3

4.21 %

Current Annualized Distribution Rate4

7.37 %

1.

Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund's NAV over the year-to-date time period including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions.

2.

Cumulative Distribution Rate for the Fund's current fiscal period (January 1, 2026 through August 31, 2026) measured on the dollar value of distributions in the year-to-date period as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2026.

3.

Average Annual Total Return represents the compound average of the Annual NAV Total Returns of the Fund for the five-year period ending July 31, 2026. Annual NAV Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund's NAV over a year including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions.

4.

The Current Annualized Distribution Rate is the current fiscal period's distribution rate annualized as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2026.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expense of the Fund carefully before investing. You can obtain the Fund's most recent periodic reports, when available, and other regulatory filings by contacting your financial advisor or visiting cohenandsteers.com. These reports and other filings can be found on the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR Database. You should read these reports and other filings carefully before investing.

Shareholders should not use the information provided here in preparing their tax returns. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year indicating how to report Fund distributions for federal income tax purposes.

About Cohen & Steers. Cohen & Steers is a leading global investment manager specializing in real assets and alternative income, including listed and private real estate, preferred securities, infrastructure, resource equities, commodities, as well as multi-strategy solutions. Founded in 1986, the firm is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Dublin, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release and other statements that Cohen & Steers may make may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which reflect the company's current views with respect to, among other things, its operations and financial performance. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative versions of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties.

Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. 

Website: https://www.cohenandsteers.com
Symbol: (NYSE: CNS)

SOURCE Cohen & Steers, Inc.

, /PRNewswire/ -- This press release provides shareholders of Cohen & Steers Closed-End Opportunity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: FOF) (the "Fund") with information regarding the sources of the distribution to be paid on August 31, 2026 and cumulative distributions paid fiscal year-to-date.

In December 2021, the Fund implemented a managed distribution policy in accordance with exemptive relief issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The managed distribution policy seeks to deliver the Fund's long-term total return potential through regular monthly distributions declared at a fixed rate per common share. The policy gives the Fund greater flexibility to realize long-term capital gains throughout the year and to distribute those gains on a regular monthly basis to shareholders. The Board of Directors of the Fund may amend, terminate or suspend the managed distribution policy at any time, which could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares. 

The Fund's monthly distributions may include long-term capital gains, short-term capital gains, net investment income and/or return of capital for federal income tax purposes. Return of capital includes distributions paid by the Fund in excess of its net investment income and net realized capital gains and such excess is distributed from the Fund's assets. A return of capital is not taxable; rather, it reduces a shareholder's tax basis in his or her shares of the Fund. The amount of monthly distributions may vary depending on a number of factors, including changes in portfolio and market conditions.

At the time of each monthly distribution, information will be posted to cohenandsteers.com and mailed to shareholders in a concurrent notice. However, this information may change at the end of the year because the final tax characteristics of the Fund's distributions cannot be determined with certainty until after the end of the calendar year. Final tax characteristics of all of the Fund's distributions will be provided on Form 1099-DIV, which is mailed after the close of the calendar year.

The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the current distribution and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year-to-date from the sources indicated. All amounts are expressed per common share.

DISTRIBUTION ESTIMATES

August 2026

YEAR-TO-DATE (YTD)

August 31, 2026*

Source

Per Share
Amount

% of Current
Distribution

Per Share
Amount

% of 2026
Distributions

Net Investment Income

$0.0342

39.31 %

$0.2481

35.65 %

Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains

$0.0000

0.00 %

$0.0000

0.00 %

Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains

$0.0528

60.69 %

$0.4479

64.35 %

Return of Capital (or other Capital Source)

$0.0000

0.00 %

$0.0000

0.00 %

Total Current Distribution

$0.0870

100.00 %

$0.6960

100.00 %

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution policy.  The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The amounts and sources of distributions year-to-date may be subject to additional adjustments.

*THE FUND WILL SEND YOU A FORM 1099-DIV FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW TO REPORT THESE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.

The Fund's Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return for fiscal year 2026 (January 1, 2026 through July 31, 2026) is set forth below. Shareholders should take note of the relationship between the Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return with the Fund's Cumulative Distribution Rate for 2026. In addition, the Fund's Average Annual Total Return for the five-year period ending July 31, 2026 is set forth below. Shareholders should note the relationship between the Average Annual Total Return with the Fund's Current Annualized Distribution Rate for 2026. The performance and distribution rate information disclosed in the table is based on the Fund's net asset value per share (NAV). The Fund's NAV is calculated as the total market value of all the securities and other assets held by the Fund minus the total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding. While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's individual investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market. 

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information:

Year-to-date January 1, 2026 to July 31, 2026                                                                 

Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return1

6.68 %

Cumulative Distribution Rate2

5.17 %

Five-year period ending July 31, 2026

Average Annual Total Return3

8.08 %

Current Annualized Distribution Rate4

7.75 %

1.

Year-to-date Cumulative Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund's NAV over the year-to-date time period including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions.

2.

Cumulative Distribution Rate for the Fund's current fiscal period (January 1, 2026 through August 31, 2026) measured on the dollar value of distributions in the year-to-date period as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2026.

3.

Average Annual Total Return represents the compound average of the Annual NAV Total Returns of the Fund for the five-year period ending July 31, 2026. Annual NAV Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund's NAV over a year including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions.

4.

The Current Annualized Distribution Rate is the current fiscal period's distribution rate annualized as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2026.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expense of the Fund carefully before investing. You can obtain the Fund's most recent periodic reports, when available, and other regulatory filings by contacting your financial advisor or visiting cohenandsteers.com. These reports and other filings can be found on the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR Database. You should read these reports and other filings carefully before investing.

Shareholders should not use the information provided here in preparing their tax returns. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year indicating how to report Fund distributions for federal income tax purposes.

About Cohen & Steers. Cohen & Steers is a leading global investment manager specializing in real assets and alternative income, including listed and private real estate, preferred securities, infrastructure, resource equities, commodities, as well as multi-strategy solutions. Founded in 1986, the firm is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Dublin, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.  

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release and other statements that Cohen & Steers may make may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which reflect the company's current views with respect to, among other things, its operations and financial performance. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative versions of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties.

Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Website: https://www.cohenandsteers.com 
Symbol: (NYSE: CNS)

SOURCE Cohen & Steers, Inc.

Key Takeaways Analog Devices' automotive revenues rose 16% year over year, reaching 25% of quarterly revenues.ADI is gaining share across combustion and electric vehicles, with strength in ADAS and infotainment.Automotive revenues are expected to grow at a low-single-digit rate in the fiscal fourth quarter. Analog Devices’ (ADI - Free Report) automotive business delivered strong growth in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. Automotive accounted for 25% of ADI’s quarterly revenues and increased 14% sequentially and 16% year over year. This was a meaningful contribution to the company’s broad-based growth, as ADI reported total quarterly revenues of $4.02 billion.

The growth in automotive was stronger than the underlying vehicle market. ADI said its higher content and share positions globally continued to drive growth well above the seasonally adjusted annual rate of vehicle sales. This suggests that ADI is benefiting not only from higher vehicle production but also from increasing semiconductor content per vehicle.

One important growth area is next-generation advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). As vehicles become more intelligent, they require more sensing, signal processing, power management and other semiconductor content. ADI specifically highlighted next-generation ADAS and infotainment systems as areas where it is seeing strength across customers and products, and it is winning more business.

Electric powertrains are another important opportunity for the automotive business. ADI reported diversified strength in electric powertrains, alongside ADAS and infotainment. The company also said it is gaining share across different types of vehicles, including both combustion-engine vehicles and electric vehicles. This gives the automotive business exposure to the broader shift toward greater electronic content in vehicles rather than relying on a single vehicle technology.

Looking ahead, ADI expects automotive revenues to increase at a low-single-digit rate in the fourth quarter. Although this is slower than the 16% year-over-year growth achieved in the third quarter, the company continues to see opportunities across infotainment, electrification, autonomous, ADAS and safety applications.

How Competitors Fare Against Analog DevicesAnalog Devices competes with Texas Instruments (TXN - Free Report) and STMicroelectronics (STM - Free Report) in the Automotive segment. Texas Instruments competes with ADI in Analog sensors, power ICs, in-vehicle networking and driver assistance electronics.

In the second quarter of 2026, Texas Instruments’ automotive sales rose by the mid-teens on a year-over-year basis. STMicroelectronics competes in sensors like MEMS and inertial, analog front ends, interface ICs and microcontrollers. Both Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics compete with ADI across the broader Industrial and communication segment.

ADI’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of ADI have gained 36.9% year to date compared with the Semiconductor - Analog and Mixed industry’s growth of 32%.

ADI YTD Performance ChartPerformance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, ADI trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 10.15X, higher than the industry’s average of 7.83X.

ADI Forward 12-Month (P/S) Valuation Chart
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADI’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 66.4%. The consensus estimate for fiscal 2026 has been revised upward by 44 cents in the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ADI currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY - Free Report) . Shares have added about 0.5% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is O'Reilly Automotive due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

O’Reilly Q2 Earnings Beat EstimatesO’Reilly reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of 86 cents per share, up 10.3% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus

Estimate of 85 cents by 1.2%. Revenues increased 8.1% to $4.89 billion and surpassed the consensus mark of $4.86 billion by 0.8%.

Comparable store sales rose 6%, supported by solid growth across the professional service provider and do-it-yourself channels. The company also benefited from an expanding store network and a lower share count.

Comps Gain Extends Sales MomentumSecond-quarter comparable store sales growth accelerated from 4.1% in the year-ago period. The metric includes sales from U.S. stores open for at least one year, along with eligible ship-to-home and pickup-in-store online orders.

For the first six months of 2026, comparable store sales increased 7% compared with 3.9% a year earlier. Total first-half revenues advanced 9.1% to $9.45 billion, reflecting sustained demand across O’Reilly’s core customer groups.

Pro Channel Leads the MixSales to professional service provider customers increased 12.5% year over year to $2.47 billion. The channel accounted for slightly more than half of quarterly revenues and outpaced growth in the do-it-yourself business.

DIY sales rose 4.9% to $2.34 billion. Other sales and sales adjustments totaled $85.6 million, down from $100.7 million in the prior-year quarter. The results highlight the continued momentum of O’Reilly’s dual-market strategy.

Margins Hold as Costs RiseGross profit increased 8.2% to $2.52 billion. Gross margin remained unchanged at 51.4%, indicating that the company preserved product profitability while supporting higher sales volumes.

Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 8.4% to $1.53 billion. These costs represented 31.3% of sales compared with 31.2% a year ago. Operating income advanced 7.8% to $985.7 million, while operating margin held steady at 20.2%.

Growth Reflected in Cash FlowNet income increased 7% to $715.1 million, although net margin declined to 14.6% from 14.8%. Interest expense rose to $69.9 million from $57.3 million, partially offsetting the benefit of higher operating profit.

Second-quarter operating cash flow increased 33% to $1.01 billion. Capital expenditures totaled $307.6 million, while free cash flow climbed 54.4% to $692.7 million. For the first six months, operating cash flow reached $2.04 billion and free cash flow totaled $1.48 billion.

Stores Expansion and Capital ReturnsO’Reilly opened 51 stores during the quarter, including 46 domestic locations and five stores in Mexico. The company ended June with 6,695 stores across the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. Year-to-date net new openings totaled 110.

ORLY repurchased 16.7 million shares during the quarter for $1.51 billion at an average price of $90.40. First-half repurchases totaled $2.43 billion. The lower diluted share count of 829 million, down from 858 million, helped earnings per share grow faster than net income.

Balance Sheet Reflects InvestmentAs of June 30, 2026, ORLY’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $262.2 million, up from $198.6 million as of June 30, 2025. Inventory increased 10.6% to $5.97 billion as the company supported a larger store base and maintained parts availability.

Long-term debt rose to $7.01 billion from $5.82 billion. Accounts payable increased to $7.38 billion from $6.86 billion, while the accounts-payable-to-inventory ratio declined to 123.7% from 127%. Adjusted debt to EBITDAR increased to 2.17 from 2.06.

Raised Key 2026 TargetsO’Reilly raised its 2026 comparable store sales guidance to 4-6% from the previous estimate of 3-5%. Total revenues are now projected between $18.9 billion and $19.2 billion, up from the prior outlook of $18.7-$19 billion. Diluted earnings are expected in the range of $3.20-$3.30 per share, up from the previous outlook of $3.15 to $3.25.

The company continues to target 225-235 net new store openings. Gross margin is projected at 51.5-52%, with operating margin expected between 19.3% and 19.8%. Operating cash flow is forecast at $3.1-$3.5 billion, and free cash flow is anticipated between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, estimates review have trended upward during the past month.

VGM ScoresAt this time, O'Reilly Automotive has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Interestingly, O'Reilly Automotive has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerO'Reilly Automotive is part of the Zacks Automotive - Retail and Wholesale - Parts industry. Over the past month, Genuine Parts (GPC - Free Report) , a stock from the same industry, has gained 9.5%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended June 2026 more than a month ago.

Genuine Parts reported revenues of $6.54 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +6%. EPS of $2.15 for the same period compares with $2.10 a year ago.

Genuine Parts is expected to post earnings of $2.10 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +6.1%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.9%.

The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Genuine Parts. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of B.

Shares Fall, Targets Rise—Markets and Analysts Diverge on SynopsysCadence Design Systems NASDAQ: CDNS said demand for semiconductor design software is being supported by a growing number of companies developing custom chips, rising design complexity and the use of artificial intelligence in semiconductor development.

Speaking at Deutsche Bank’s 20th annual technology conference, Richard Gu, Cadence’s vice president of investor relations, said the semiconductor and systems industries have increasingly converged over the past 10 to 15 years. Hyperscalers, autonomous-vehicle companies and AI model companies are among the organizations designing their own application-specific integrated circuits, he said.

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3 Companies Quietly Essential to Data Center and AI Operations“The aperture is expanded dramatically” through new customers and design starts, Gu said, while the complexity of those designs is also increasing. He characterized those factors as long-term tailwinds for Cadence, which supplies electronic design automation, intellectual property, hardware systems and simulation software.

AI agents and productivity Gu said AI is serving as a “turbocharger” for the semiconductor ecosystem and that Cadence is both supplying tools used to develop AI accelerators and applying AI to its own products.

Beyond NVIDIA: Picks-and-Shovels AI Plays with Strong MomentumThe company has introduced several “super agents” designed to automate portions of chip development, including ChipStack for front-end design verification, Veristack for analog design-flow orchestration, Innostack for digital flows and Aurastack for packaging. Gu said ChipStack can generate RTL code from design specifications, create test benches and invoke underlying simulation and verification tools.

According to Gu, the agents are intended to address a widening gap between customers’ engineering needs and the supply of available chip designers. He said chip-design workloads could rise by 30 to 40 times over the next five to six years, making automation increasingly important.

Gu cited comments by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at Computex indicating that ChipStack had produced a 40-times productivity benefit. Cadence plans to monetize the agents through standalone pricing, additional token-based consumption once prescribed workloads are exceeded, and increased use of the company’s underlying EDA tools, he said.

He added that the agents could help smaller teams undertake more sophisticated chip-development efforts, potentially lowering barriers for newer entrants.

Broad-based growth across product lines Gu said Cadence’s most recent second-quarter revenue grew 24%, with core EDA revenue up approximately 18% to 19%, system design and analysis revenue rising more than 35%, and IP revenue increasing more than 40%. Core EDA represents about 70% of the company’s business, he said.

For the full year, Gu said Cadence expects to grow 19% and generate a non-GAAP operating margin of 44.25%. He said the company expects its combined growth and profitability metrics to exceed the “Rule of 60,” referring to the sum of revenue growth and operating margin.

Cadence’s IP strategy is focused on advanced-node technologies rather than attempting to serve every category, Gu said. The company is targeting connectivity-related IP, including HBM, UCIe and PCIe, that is exposed to AI infrastructure demand. He said the IP business is on pace to reach a $1 billion annualized run rate by year-end.

While Gu called IP a good business, he said EDA remains more attractive because customers generally must purchase EDA capabilities rather than build them internally. He said Cadence aims to balance IP growth with margin expansion and continue targeting a 50% incremental margin for the company overall.

Backlog, China and system simulation Cadence exited the second quarter with a record $8.1 billion backlog, Gu said. He noted that its current remaining performance obligation coverage ratio was about 58%, which he said provides visibility into revenue expected over the next 12 months.

The company’s typical EDA software contracts run for roughly 2.5 to three years and are recognized ratably, while hardware follows a shorter pattern and is typically evaluated on a six-month outlook, Gu said.

Gu said China remains a healthy and balanced market for Cadence, with growth expected to be at least in line with the company average this year. Cadence sells emulation systems, EDA tools and IP in China, he said, and works with customers including large language model developers, hyperscalers and autonomous-driving companies.

He said local Chinese competitors remain smaller, offer more point tools and lack the full design flows and foundry certifications that Cadence provides. The company does not view them as a near- or medium-term threat, he said.

In system design and analysis, Gu said Cadence is integrating the Hexagon business it acquired about two years ago and is focused on creating a full flow for physical AI and structural design. He said the integration is tracking in line with expectations.

Gu also highlighted Cadence’s Millennium platform, developed with NVIDIA, which combines GPU computing with Cadence simulation software. He said customers have reported productivity improvements of 50 to 60 times in certain applications, and the technology could have uses in aerospace, defense and automotive markets.

Long-term outlook Gu said investors should watch recurring revenue growth as a measure of Cadence’s progress, as the company’s subscription and consumption-based AI offerings are expected to flow through that metric. He maintained that Cadence’s business is more closely tied to design starts and design complexity than semiconductor unit volumes.

Even if semiconductor customers enter a downturn, R&D budgets have historically been among their most protected spending categories, Gu said. He said Cadence’s revenue, margins, earnings per share and cash flow have shown steady growth through prior industry cycles.

“Our business is not driven by volume,” Gu said. “It’s driven by design starts and design complexities.”

About Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:CDNS)Cadence Design Systems, Inc NASDAQ: CDNS is a global provider of electronic design automation (EDA) software, hardware and intellectual property used to design and verify advanced semiconductor chips, systems-on-chip (SoCs), printed circuit boards (PCBs) and packaging. Headquartered in San Jose, California and founded in 1988, Cadence serves semiconductor companies, original equipment manufacturers and system designers across the globe, helping customers accelerate design cycles and manage the complexity of modern integrated systems.

The company's offerings span software tools for digital, custom/analog and mixed-signal design, verification and signoff, as well as solutions for system-level modeling, thermal and signal integrity analysis, and PCB and package design.

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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Investors are asking the wrong question about the company’s landmark Google agreement, according to Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) CEO Matt Murphy.

Analysts spent much of Thursday’s earnings call trying to quantify how much revenue Google’s newly disclosed commercial agreement could generate. Murphy’s answer wasn’t a number. Instead, it was a signal: Wall Street’s existing models may already be too low.

“If you took the full performance and the full opportunity, then you’re right. It’s just a monster number.”

The remark captured what may have been the call’s biggest takeaway—not that Alphabet Inc‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google represents another large AI customer, but that Marvell believes the agreement materially expands the company’s long-term earnings power.

Marvell Says Google’s AI Opportunity Extends Well Beyond Current ForecastsThe discussion began after analysts noted that Google’s agreement, which carries the potential for up to $120 billion in cumulative revenue over six-and-a-half years if performance milestones are achieved, implies roughly $18 billion in annual revenue at peak.

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Murphy didn’t challenge the arithmetic.

“When you look at the scale of this, your math is not wrong.”

Instead, he cautioned that the timing matters. Management said much of the revenue expected next year is already reflected in guidance, as several programs are underway. The larger acceleration, Murphy said, comes later.

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“The big impact would be in ’29 and beyond.”

That distinction matters because it shifts the conversation away from next year’s earnings and toward Marvell’s longer-term AI revenue trajectory.

Marvell’s Google Deal Is Bigger Than One AI Chip ProgramMurphy also pushed back on the idea that investors should view the agreement as a single custom silicon win.

According to management, the Google relationship spans inference accelerators, networking interface cards (NICs), storage controllers, memory interface controllers, near-memory compute and the company’s XPU attach portfolio.

“It’s a number of products and product lines,” Murphy said, describing the engagement as “very broad-based.”

That breadth helps explain why Murphy repeatedly suggested analysts may still be underestimating the opportunity.

“Beyond whatever you’ve modeled previously… custom numbers definitely go higher.”

He went even further, saying Marvell’s custom AI business would become “a lot larger than anybody’s been modeling so far.”

While Murphy declined to provide updated long-term revenue targets ahead of Marvell’s Investor Day, he indicated the company plans to present a more detailed roadmap extending through the end of the decade.

What Investors Should Watch NextThe immediate story isn’t whether Google’s agreement eventually reaches its maximum revenue potential—management deliberately avoided making that prediction.

The more important signal is that Marvell is framing the deal as evidence that its position in AI infrastructure has expanded beyond what current consensus models reflect.

Investors will now be looking to the company’s upcoming Investor Day, where management has promised to quantify that opportunity and explain how Google’s agreement fits into Marvell’s broader AI growth strategy.

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© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Jim Cramer laid out a binary bet on Marvell that hinges on one executive's performance at a single October meeting, and the math behind it changes everything about how you read the stock's brutal post-earnings drop.

Jim Cramer’s line about Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL | MRVL Price Prediction) on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street from Jackson Hole on Friday, August 28, 2026, did more work than the market gave it credit for. He said Marvell is a very expensive stock unless everything works, and then it is cheap, framing the setup as similar to NVIDIA a couple of years back: hit the number and the multiple takes care of itself.

That framing matters because Marvell reported an earnings beat on August 27, 2026, and still closed the next session at $216.62, down 10.28% on the day. Carl Quintanilla described the setup as a bridesmaid in the wake of the NVIDIA number, which captures the mood without explaining it. The stock is up 155.27% year to date and 181.09% over one year, so a beat that only nudges revenue past consensus by 1.2% will not reset the story. The question is whether the CEO can carry a credible fiscal 2028 and fiscal 2029 story into the October 6 analyst meeting, because that is what Cramer is asking investors to underwrite.

What Cramer Actually Said About the Valuation Cramer’s exact wording was that Marvell is a very expensive stock unless everything works, and then it is cheap, like NVIDIA. If they can do the number, you are at 10x in 2028, which frames the setup as a binary outcome.

The trailing PE for Marvell is 83x, with a forward PE near 61x and a price-to-sales ratio of 24.89x. Those multiples do not survive a stumble in fiscal 2028, when Marvell has guided total revenue to grow approximately 50% year over year and data center to grow more than 60%.

Cramer’s math works only if that guide holds and the custom silicon ramp lands. Miss either and the multiple compresses fast, because there is no dividend cushion at a 0.1% yield and no cheap book value at 12.09 times.

Custom Silicon in Plain Language Custom silicon, or ASIC, work means designing a chip for a specific customer’s workload rather than for general use. A general-purpose GPU like NVIDIA’s is programmable across almost every AI model. A custom XPU is built to the hyperscaler’s spec and generally will not be resold elsewhere.

Marvell’s expanded commercial agreement with a large hyperscaler covers custom programs already in execution, awards made over the past several years, new design wins, and potential future programs, and the company disclosed a warrant allowing Google to acquire up to 7% of Marvell’s shares, tied to revenue milestones. Matt Murphy said the deal reflects “the scale and long-term potential of the relationship”. This structure aligns the customer with Marvell’s success and concentrates the outcome.

Murphy told analysts that Marvell expects the custom business to more than double year over year in fiscal 2028 and accelerate significantly in fiscal 2029. Note that Marvell reports on a fiscal calendar, so fiscal 2028 runs through early calendar 2028.

NVIDIA’s Contrast NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) reported total revenue of $96 billion, more than doubled year over year, and management guided to approximately 70% growth in fiscal 2028, which Jensen Huang called “a supply-constrained outlook”. Its trailing PE is 32 against a 63% profit margin.

NVIDIA is priced for a company that already dominates, while Marvell is priced for one that still has to prove the second act (we reverse-engineered what the biggest tech winners looked like early and put the pattern in a free playbook here: The Next Nvidia Playbook).

Marvell’s operating margin is 14.5% on a trailing basis, and management expects to move into the 38%-40% non-GAAP operating margin range as fiscal 2028 progresses. The gap between reported profitability and target profitability is where the valuation risk lives.

Is October 6 a Real Catalyst Cramer’s second remark was that you do not want to bet against the stock going into the October 6 meeting because Murphy is going to tell a very compelling story. He also noted the stock did not take out the top, so traders will call it a double top.

Both can be true. The analyst meeting is a genuine catalyst because management has explicitly promised a detailed fiscal 2029 and beyond revenue framework, ranges of potential outcomes for the expanded hyperscaler agreement, and an updated long-term operating model. Murphy said investors should assume that on the custom side, “these numbers would be a lot larger than anybody’s been modeling so far”.

The thesis fails in one specific way: customer concentration. Marvell disclosed dependence on a few customers for a significant portion of its revenue, with data center now accounting for 79% of total revenue. If a top hyperscaler pulls a program in-house, the same custom win that drives the bull case becomes the concentration risk that unwinds it. The Q2 FY27 8-K lays out that risk in the disclosures at sec.gov. The stock likely trades in a range into October 6 unless Murphy delivers a fiscal 2029 number that closes the gap between price and proof.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Algert Global LLC grew its holdings in shares of Regal Rexnord Corporation (NYSE:RRX – Free Report) by 364.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,170 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,750 shares during the quarter. Algert Global LLC’s holdings in Regal Rexnord were worth $5,995,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in RRX. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its stake in Regal Rexnord by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 276,266 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,766,000 after acquiring an additional 13,564 shares during the period. Easterly Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Regal Rexnord by 719.4% during the fourth quarter. Easterly Investment Partners LLC now owns 75,354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,574,000 after purchasing an additional 66,158 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Regal Rexnord by 4.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 397,219 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,383,000 after purchasing an additional 16,615 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Regal Rexnord by 42.6% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,658,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $793,983,000 after buying an additional 1,690,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Regal Rexnord during the second quarter valued at $1,477,356,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.72% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades RRX has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Regal Rexnord in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wolfe Research set a $250.00 price objective on Regal Rexnord in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. DA Davidson started coverage on Regal Rexnord in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $260.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp lowered their target price on Regal Rexnord from $265.00 to $240.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Regal Rexnord from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 18th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Regal Rexnord currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $244.92.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on RRX Regal Rexnord Stock Up 2.1% Shares of NYSE:RRX opened at $165.56 on Thursday. Regal Rexnord Corporation has a one year low of $127.96 and a one year high of $247.80. The company has a 50 day moving average of $201.08 and a 200-day moving average of $203.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 2.28 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market cap of $11.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.09.

Regal Rexnord (NYSE:RRX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.58 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. Regal Rexnord had a net margin of 5.35% and a return on equity of 9.93%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.48 earnings per share. Regal Rexnord has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.350-10.850 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Regal Rexnord Corporation will post 10.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Regal Rexnord Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. Regal Rexnord’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.87%.

About Regal Rexnord (Free Report)

Regal Rexnord Corporation (NYSE: RRX) is a global industrial manufacturer specializing in electric motors, power generation equipment and automated motion control systems. The company designs, engineers and produces a broad portfolio of products that includes energy-efficient electric motors, variable frequency drives, gearboxes, couplings, bearings and power transmission components. These offerings support critical applications in industries such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, data centers, water treatment, food and beverage processing, mining, oil and gas, and material handling.

The company’s operations are organized into multiple business segments that address distinct customer needs.

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Key Takeaways lululemon is expected to see Q2'26 earnings decline, with revenues estimated at $2.5B.Power of Three X2 strategy supports product innovation, guest experience and international expansion.North America softness, higher markdowns, tariffs and SG&A costs are pressuring margins in Q2. lululemon athletica inc. (LULU - Free Report) is likely to witness top- and bottom-line declines when it reports second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Sept. 3, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal second-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.5 billion, indicating 2.3% growth from the year-ago quarter's reported figure.

The consensus estimate for the company's fiscal second-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.79 per share, suggesting a 42.3% decline from the year-ago quarter’s actual. Earnings estimates have been unchanged in the past 30 days.

The Vancouver-based company has been reporting steady earnings outcomes, as evident from its bottom-line surprise trends in the past several quarters. lululemon has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.1%, on average. Given its positive record, the question is, can LULU maintain the momentum?

Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for LULU this season. 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. But that is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

lululemon has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3.

Key Insights on Trends to Define LULU’s Q2 Resultslululemon continues to benefit from the progress in its Power of Three X2 growth strategy. The plan focuses on three key growth drivers — product innovation, guest experience and market expansion. LULU is expected to deliver solid revenue growth in the fiscal second quarter through product innovation, enhanced guest experience and aggressive international expansion under the plan.

International markets, led by Mainland China, have been posting outsized growth, while the men’s category has been gaining share. Digital investments have been strengthening the omnichannel ecosystem and disciplined store expansion has been supporting brand visibility. On the last reported quarter’s earnings call, the company noted that trends in Mainland China have been strong in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.

For second-quarter fiscal 2026, management guided China Mainland to see mid- to high-teens growth and Rest of World to record high-single to low-double-digit growth. This keeps international expansion as the primary offset to a weaker Americas demand backdrop. Our model anticipates revenues in China Mainland to increase 19.5% and Rest of World to grow 14.6% in second-quarter fiscal 2026.

However, LULU faces near-term pressure from soft North America demand and significant margin contraction. Higher markdowns, tariff-related costs and elevated SG&A expenses weighed on profitability, while cautious guidance signals slower growth and continued operating margin pressure.

North America, lululemon’s largest and most mature market, has been witnessing softness due to uneven traffic trends and increasingly cautious consumer spending, particularly in discretionary categories. The impact has been most visible in the women’s category, a core driver of the brand’s North American business. Slower momentum in North America limits consolidated growth and raises concerns about market saturation. Increased promotional activity across the broader apparel space has also intensified competition, making it harder to drive full-price sales. Until demand stabilizes and traffic improves, North America is likely to remain a drag on near-term revenue growth.

On the last reported quarter’s earnings call, management cited a recent moderation in sales trends tied to spikes of negative brand commentary and product launches that have not met expectations, and noted it is moving with urgency to adjust product and increase marketing and community activations.

Management’s near-term outlook points to a tougher demand and margin setup in the fiscal second quarter. Management reduced its outlook after sales trends moderated exiting first-quarter fiscal 2026. For second-quarter fiscal 2026, it expects revenues of $2.45-$2.475 billion, suggesting a 2-3% fall, and EPS of $1.76-$1.81, whereas it registered EPS of $3.10 in the year-ago quarter.

lululemon’s margins are expected to remain under pressure in the to-be-reported quarter due to higher product costs, increased markdowns, unfavorable channel mix and tariff pressures. For second-quarter fiscal 2026, management expects the gross margin to move down 410 bps, led by higher tariff costs and ongoing investments in store openings, optimizations and the distribution network. Tariffs are expected to be a 150-bps headwind, with offsets of 100 bps. Meanwhile, markdowns are likely to rise 50 bps due to additional seasonal clearance.

For second-quarter fiscal 2026, management expects SG&A deleverage of 500 bps, driven by lower sales versus prior expectations, proxy costs, increased marketing and the reintroduction of expenses reduced last year, including store labor hours. LULU expects the second-quarter fiscal 2026 operating margin to contract 910 bps year over year to 11.6%.

LULU’s Price Performance & Valuationlululemon’s shares have exhibited a downtrend in the past three months, losing 11.4% against the industry’s growth of 2.2%. The company has also underperformed the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the S&P 500’s growth of 2% and 0.5%, respectively.

lululemon’s 3-Month Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From the valuation standpoint, the company trades at a forward 12-month P/E multiple of 10.33X, below the industry average of 15.05X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Stocks With Favorable CombinationHere are some companies, which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season:

Victoria's Secret (VSXY - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +5.20% and currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. The company is likely to register growth in the top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter fiscal 2026 results. The consensus mark for VSXY’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $1.6 billion, which indicates an 11.2% rise from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The consensus mark for VXSY’s quarterly earnings has moved up by a penny in the past 30 days to 77 cents per share. The consensus estimate indicates a significant 133% rise from the year-ago quarter’s actual. VSXY has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 81.9%.

Macy's Inc. (M - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +20.81% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is likely to register growth in the top line when it reports second-quarter fiscal 2026 results. The consensus mark for M’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.8 billion, which indicates a 0.2% rise from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The consensus mark for Macy's quarterly earnings has moved up 5.7% in the past 30 days to 37 cents per share. However, the consensus estimate indicates a decline of 9.8% from the year-ago quarter’s actual. M has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 211%.

NIKE Inc. (NKE - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.55% and a Zacks Rank of 3. NIKE is likely to register top- and bottom-line declines when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2027 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $11.5 billion, which indicates a 2.2% decline from the prior-year quarter’s actual.

The consensus estimate for earnings has moved up by a penny in the past 30 days to 44 cents per share, which implies a 10.2% decline from the year-ago quarter's actual. NKE has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 56.8%.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for WEC Energy Group (WEC - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 3.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is WEC Energy due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

WEC Q2 Earnings Surpass on Rate Base Growth, Revenues Rise Y/Y

WEC Energy Group reported second-quarter 2026 earnings of 91 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 80 cents by 13.75%. The bottom line also increased 19.74% from the year-ago quarter’s 76 cents, aided by rate base growth and stronger energy infrastructure results.

WEC’s RevenuesOperating revenues of $2.06 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.11 billion by around 2.26%. The top line also increased 2.62% from $2.01 billion recorded in the year-ago quarter.

WEC's Sales and Load TrendsRetail electricity deliveries, excluding the iron ore mine and Very Large Customers, were essentially flat on a reported basis. Small commercial and industrial use declined 0.2%, while large commercial and industrial consumption increased 0.9%. Residential use fell 1.1%.

On a weather-normal basis, retail electricity deliveries, excluding the iron ore mine and Very Large Customers, increased 1.2% during second-quarter 2026. Management said volumes grew across all customer classes and came in slightly ahead of its forecast, though it still expects full-year 2026 weather-normalized sales on this basis to be relatively even with 2025. 
Total electric sales volume for the second quarter was 10,150 thousand megawatt-hours, down 4.7% year over year.

WEC's Costs and Operating ResultsTotal operating expenses increased 1.5% year over year to $1.63 billion, primarily reflecting a 3.5% rise in other operation and maintenance expenses to $617.1 million and a 4.3% increase in depreciation and amortization to $384.9 million.

Operating income totaled $432.8 million, up 6.9% from $404.9 million recorded in the year-ago quarter.

Equity earnings from transmission affiliates increased 20.6% to $62.6 million, while other income more than doubled to $61.5 million.

 The company incurred interest expense of $228.9 million, up 3.7% from the prior-year level of $220.8 million.

WEC Energy's Balance Sheet and Cash FlowAs of June 30, 2026, WEC had cash and cash equivalents of $50 million compared with $27.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.

As of June 30, 2026, long-term debt increased to $19.22 billion from $18.50 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025, while total assets rose to $52.75 billion from $51.52 billion over the same period.

Net cash provided by operating activities increased 9.7% year over year to $2.21 billion in the first six months of 2026.

 For the six months ended June 30, 2026, capital expenditures rose 35.9% year over year to $2.08 billion. WEC also expects to issue about $1.1 billion of common equity during 2026.

WEC Energy’s Growth Outlook and Capital PlanWEC Energy reaffirmed its 2026 earnings guidance of $5.51-$5.61 per share, assuming normal weather conditions for the remainder of the year. For the third quarter, management expects earnings of 92-98 cents per share.

The company reaffirmed its long-term annual earnings growth target of 7-8% through 2030 and expects growth to trend toward the upper half of that range beginning in 2028.

WEC's five-year capital plan calls for $37.5 billion of investment through 2030. The program includes $20.3 billion for electric generation, $7.1 billion for gas distribution, $4.7 billion for electric distribution, $4.1 billion for transmission and $1.3 billion for Wisconsin liquefied natural gas capacity.

Data center demand remains central to the outlook. WEC forecasts 2.6 gigawatts of demand from Microsoft's regional development through 2030 and 1.3 gigawatts from the Vantage Data Centers over the next five years.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Estimates revision followed a downward path over the past two months.

VGM ScoresCurrently, WEC Energy has a subpar Growth Score of D, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a B. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a score of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook WEC Energy has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Key Takeaways:

Parsons was awarded a position on the COMET IDIQ contract with a combined ceiling value of more than $14 billion.The contract supports the Missile and Space Intelligence Center's mission to deliver scientific and technical intelligence and foundational military intelligence analysis.Parsons will compete for task orders supporting research, development, sustainment, and analytical services that strengthen national security decision-making. CHANTILLY, Va., Aug. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) announced today that the company was awarded a position on the Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing (COMET) contract supporting the Missile & Space Intelligence Center (MSIC) and its mission partners. Valued at an estimated $14 billion, the multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract will support scientific and technical intelligence, foundational military intelligence, and analytical-enabling services across the Defense Intelligence Enterprise.

"Parsons has a long history of delivering advanced intelligence, mission engineering, and analytical capabilities that help our customers address rapidly evolving threats," said Mike Kushin, president of Defense and Intelligence for Parsons. "This award reflects our customers' confidence in our ability to provide innovative solutions that strengthen decision advantage, accelerate mission outcomes, and support critical national security priorities. Through our One Parsons approach, we bring together expertise across intelligence, cyber, missile defense, space, and systems engineering to deliver capabilities at the speed of relevance."

The COMET contract supports MSIC's mission to provide scientific and technical intelligence and foundational military intelligence analysis of foreign weapon systems. These assessments help warfighters, policymakers, weapons developers, homeland security organizations, and Intelligence Community partners better understand foreign capabilities, performance, operations, limitations, and vulnerabilities.

Through COMET, Parsons will compete for task orders supporting the research, development, integration, and sustainment of hardware, systems, and software capabilities, as well as analytical services that enable all-source intelligence analysis and production across the Defense Intelligence Enterprise. The contract's five mission task areas span multiple domains and disciplines and are designed to support the evolving needs of the Department of Defense, and national intelligence efforts.

Parsons has supported the United States’ critical missile, space, and intelligence missions for more than 35 years, providing deep expertise in scientific and technical intelligence, mission systems analysis, advanced modeling and simulation, systems engineering, and threat assessment capabilities. The company's long-standing presence in Huntsville reflects decades of partnership supporting offensive missile and space intelligence programs, including continuous support to major mission analysis efforts at Redstone Arsenal. Parsons further strengthened its intelligence mission portfolio through its acquisition of Altamira Technologies, adding more than 20 years of experience delivering intelligence solutions, advanced analytics, software and systems development, and technical intelligence support across collection, analysis, processing, dissemination, and archiving activities.

Together, these complementary capabilities provide Parsons with a broad intelligence and mission engineering footprint spanning Huntsville and Dayton, enabling the company to deliver mission-focused solutions that support national security, air and space intelligence, missile defense, and emerging threat analysis requirements. The company’s continued investment in its Huntsville operations, including the opening of its Redstone Gateway facility adjacent to Redstone Arsenal, underscores Parsons’ enduring commitment to supporting complex defense and intelligence missions through innovation, collaboration, and customer proximity.

To learn more about Parsons' national security solutions, visit https://www.parsons.com/national-security/.

About Parsons:
Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cyber and electronic warfare, space and missile defense, transportation, water and environment, urban development, and critical infrastructure protection. Please visit Parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn to learn how we’re making an impact.

Forward-Looking Statements:
This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, changes in circumstances, trends and factors that are difficult to predict, many of which are outside of our control. Accordingly, actual performance, results and events may vary materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, and you should not rely on the forward-looking statements as predictions of future performance, results or events. Numerous factors could cause actual future performance, results and events to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: any issue that compromises our relationships with the U.S. federal government or its agencies or other state, local or foreign governments or agencies; any issues that damage our professional reputation; changes in governmental priorities that shift expenditures away from agencies or programs that we support; our dependence on long-term government contracts, which are subject to the government’s budgetary approval process; the size of our addressable markets and the amount of government spending on private contractors; failure by us or our employees to obtain and maintain necessary security clearances or certifications; failure to comply with numerous laws and regulations; changes in government procurement, contract or other practices or the adoption by governments of new laws, rules, regulations and programs in a manner adverse to us; the termination or nonrenewal of our government contracts, particularly our contracts with the U.S. federal government; our ability to compete effectively in the competitive bidding process and delays, contract terminations or cancellations caused by competitors’ protests of major contract awards received by us; our ability to generate revenue under certain of our contracts; any inability to attract, train or retain employees with the requisite skills, experience and security clearances; the loss of members of senior management or failure to develop new leaders; misconduct or other improper activities from our employees or subcontractors; our ability to realize the full value of our backlog and the timing of our receipt of revenue under contracts included in backlog; changes in the mix of our contracts and our ability to accurately estimate or otherwise recover expenses, time and resources for our contracts; changes in estimates used in recognizing revenue; internal system or service failures and security breaches; and inherent uncertainties and potential adverse developments in legal proceedings, including litigation, audits, reviews and investigations, which may result in materially adverse judgments, settlements or other unfavorable outcomes. These factors are not exhaustive and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance. For a discussion of additional factors that could materially adversely affect our business and financial performance, see the factors included under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and speak only as of the date on which they are made. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release that becomes untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except to the extent we are required to do so by law.

Media Contact:
Bernadette Miller
+1 980.253.9781
[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:
Dave Spille
+1 703.775.6191
[email protected]

, /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Parsons Corporation ("Parsons" or the "Company") (NYSE: PSN).  Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Parsons and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. 

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On July 29, 2026, Parsons reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2026.  Among other items, it reported revenue of approximately $1.58 billion, missing consensus estimates by $30 billion.  Parsons also lowered its full-year revenue guidance from a range of $6.5 billion to $6.8 billion to a range of $6.2 billion to $6.5 billion.  Parsons also sharply lowered its adjusted EBITDA and full-year cash flow guidance.  On a related earnings call, Parsons said that it had divested certain contacts and opted to exit two programs that faced staffing, supply-chain and management challenges. 

On this news, Parson's stock price fell $21.71 per share, or 35%, to close at $40.32 per share on July 29, 2026.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. 

CONTACT:
Danielle Peyton
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]
646-581-9980 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 76,464 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,416,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,431,000. RB Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at $1,105,000. Glenview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $974,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,539,000. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $702,000. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $255,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 53,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,043,150. This represents a 2.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hershey Trading Down 1.1% NYSE HSY opened at $179.34 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $179.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $194.54. The company has a market capitalization of $36.03 billion, a PE ratio of 24.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $161.43 and a 12 month high of $239.48. Hershey (NYSE:HSY – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.63 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 31.92% and a net margin of 12.24%.The company’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.21 earnings per share. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.360-8.520 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Hershey Company will post 8.49 EPS for the current year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $1.452 dividend. This represents a $5.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Hershey’s payout ratio is presently 79.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes HSY has been the subject of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $201.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Hershey from $212.00 to $206.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $191.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings raised Hershey from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $190.00 price objective on Hershey in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.78.

View Our Latest Report on Hershey

About Hershey (Free Report)

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hershey’s business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.

Hershey’s product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Hershey 3 Financial Stocks Positioned for the Fed’s Next Move After Jackson Hole IREN’s AI Pivot Looks Real, But the Market Wanted a Faster Payoff After Earnings Boeing’s $131B F-15 Win: Mach 1 Momentum or Just Altitude? Okta Stock Surges 29%—Is $200 the Next Stop? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HSY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY – Free Report).

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A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT - Free Report) . Shares have added about 18.4% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Vertiv due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Vertiv Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Net Sales Rise Year over YearVertiv Holdings delivered second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.52 per share, up 60% year over year. The results beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.29%, supported by higher sales volume, operating productivity and margin expansion.

Net sales increased 24.1% year over year to $3.27 billion but missed the consensus estimate by 3.41%. Organic sales rose 18%, while acquisitions and favorable foreign exchange contributed 5% and 1%, respectively.

VRT’s Regional Sales Show Broad-Based GrowthAmericas net sales rose 29% year over year to $2.07 billion, with organic growth of 21%. Management said that minor timing shifts tied to temporary supply-chain congestion and multi-phased project execution affected second-quarter revenues, but expects the associated delays to resolve in the second half of 2026.

Asia Pacific sales advanced 29% year over year to $720 million, including 26% organic growth. Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales increased 2% year over year to $484 million, while organic sales declined 2%. Vertiv expects strengthening demand and pipeline conversion to return EMEA to organic growth in the second half.

Vertiv’s Revenue Mix Highlights Service MomentumProduct revenues increased 22.2% year over year to $2.65 billion, accounting for about 81% of total sales. Service revenues climbed 32.9% year over year to $627.6 million, outpacing product growth and reflecting demand across Vertiv's installed infrastructure base.

The company highlighted strong global pipeline momentum and expects another year of robust order growth. Management cited accelerating activity in the Americas, improving momentum in EMEA and broad-based strength across APAC. Pricing is expected to remain favorable and exceed inflation in 2026.

VRT’s Profitability Expands on Operating ExecutionSelling, general and administrative expenses increased 25% year over year to $494.4 million. 

Adjusted operating profit surged 51% year over year to $738 million, exceeding the midpoint of guidance by $28 million.

Adjusted operating margin expanded 410 basis points to 22.6% and came in 140 basis points above guidance. Operational execution, productivity and favorable price-cost performance drove the improvement, partly offset by tariff impacts and continued investments in capacity and engineering research and development.

Americas adjusted operating profit increased 48.6% year over year to $571 million. APAC’s adjusted operating profit surged 61.5% to $96 million, while EMEA’s adjusted operating profit rose 19.2% to $124 million.

Vertiv’s Cash Flow Strengthens Financial FlexibilityAs of June 30, 2026, cash and cash equivalents were $2.81 billion, $300 million in short-term investments and $2.94 billion in long-term debt. Liquidity totaled $5.6 billion, while net leverage was negative 0.1 times, reflecting a net cash position.

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $1.10 billion compared with $322.9 million a year earlier. Adjusted free cash flow increased 234% to $925 million, aided by higher adjusted operating profit, working-capital efficiency and lower cash interest.

VRT’s AI Investments Support Capacity ExpansionCapital expenditures are expected to reach about 4% of 2026 sales, the high end of management's range. Vertiv is expanding manufacturing capacity globally while investing in future power architectures, advanced thermal systems, services and converged infrastructure for next-generation AI data centers.

The company is also advancing power systems that support both traditional alternating-current infrastructure and emerging 800-volt direct-current designs. Its thermal portfolio includes closed-loop cooling and fluid-management services intended to reduce ongoing water usage and lower water needs during data-center commissioning.

Vertiv Raises 2026 Guidance Across Key MetricsFor the third quarter of 2026, Vertiv expects net sales of $3.65 billion to $3.85 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.77 to $1.83 per share. Adjusted operating profit is projected to be between $898 million and $938 million, with an adjusted operating margin of 24% to 25%.

For 2026, net sales are now forecasted to be in the range of $13.8 billion to $14.2 billion, up $250 million at the midpoint from the prior guidance. Adjusted earnings are projected to be in the range of $6.65 to $6.75 per share, while adjusted operating profit is expected to be between $3.29 billion and $3.37 billion. Adjusted free cash flow guidance was raised to $2.4 billion-$2.6 billion.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, estimates review flatlined during the past month.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Vertiv has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. Following the exact same course, the stock has a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook Vertiv has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerVertiv belongs to the Zacks Computers - IT Services industry. Another stock from the same industry, ServiceNow (NOW - Free Report) , has gained 25.8% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended June 2026.

ServiceNow reported revenues of $3.99 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +24%. EPS of $0.90 for the same period compares with $0.82 a year ago.

ServiceNow is expected to post earnings of $1.03 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +7.3%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged.

ServiceNow has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of F.

Key Takeaways Voya's Retirement fee-based revenues grew 10%, while defined-contribution inflows reached $8.1 billion.Investment Management operating earnings rose 12% to $57 million, with $1.2 billion of Q2 net inflows.Wealth Management revenues increased 12%, while assets reached $33 billion, up 60% year over year. Shares of Voya Financial, Inc. (VOYA - Free Report) have gained 48.6% in the past six months, outperforming the industry’s growth of 22.2%.

Growth in the Retirement and Investment Management businesses, improved Employee Benefits segment performance, strategic acquisitions and partnerships, record net flows and strong excess capital generation are driving the stock. The momentum is likely to continue, supported by sustained strength in its core businesses, strategic acquisitions and ongoing share repurchases.

Shares of Voya Financial have outperformed its peers, including Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA - Free Report) , Primerica, Inc. (PRI - Free Report) and Brighthouse Financial, Inc (BHF - Free Report) , which have gained 21.4%, 15.7% and 25.7%, respectively, in the past six months.

6-Month Price Performance: VOYA, RGA, PRI, BHF & Industry

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VOYA’s Attractive ValuationVoya Financial shares are trading at a price-to-book value of 1.43X, lower than the industry average of 2.26X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VOYA’s Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Voya Financial’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a 4.5% year-over-year increase. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.31 billion, implying a 2.3% year-over-year decline. The consensus estimate for 2027 EPS and revenues indicates an increase of 23.2% and 12%, respectively, from the corresponding 2026 estimates.  

Earnings have grown 8.8% in the past five years, better than the industry average of 4.9%. The expected long-term earnings growth rate is 11.2%.

Mixed Analyst Sentiment on VOYAThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has moved south 0.8%, while the metric for 2027 has moved north 1.2%, in the past 30 days.

Factors Acting in Favor of VOYAVoya Financial’s Retirement business remains a key growth driver, supported by strong participant growth and rising fee-based revenues. Defined-contribution net inflows totaled $8.1 billion in the second quarter, while fee-based revenue grew 10% year over year and accounted for more than 60% of Retirement revenues. With more than 10 million participant accounts and additional large-plan implementations expected in the second half of 2026, the shift toward fee-based revenues should support a more stable and recurring revenue stream and margin growth.

Management described the OneAmerica retirement acquisition as highly successful, generating returns above 30%. The acquisition has meaningfully strengthened the scale and earnings power of Voya’s Retirement business, which now serves nearly 10 million Retirement accounts.

Investment Management operating earnings rose 12% to $57 million, while second-quarter net inflows reached $1.2 billion. AUM stood at about $377 billion, supported by strong investment performance and demand for fixed income and private credit. VOYA continues to take strategic steps to ramp up growth in its Investment Management segment. Voya Financial’s long-term strategic partnership with Allianz Global Investors has added scale and diversification to Voya Investment Management.

Voya’s Wealth Management business is emerging as another growth opportunity. Revenues increased 12% year over year in the second quarter, while assets reached approximately $33 billion, up 60% from the prior-year period. More than 650 advisers support the company’s efforts to expand advice and wealth-management services among its retirement customers.

The insurer’s Employee Benefits segment is likely to gain from improving Stop Loss underwriting. In the second quarter of 2026, the loss ratio declined 50 pts to 74%. Higher Stop Loss pricing, tighter underwriting and better risk selection are expected to support margins, with management targeting margins by 2027.

Voya Financial incurred approximately $40 million of pretax severance costs in the second quarter of 2026 as part of its expense-reduction initiatives. However, management expects the actions to fully offset the upfront costs by year-end. The lower expense base should improve operating leverage and establish a more favorable cost structure heading into 2027.

The company’s capital levels remain strong. Voya Financial generated approximately $150 million of excess capital in the second quarter and $350 million in the first half of 2026. The company repurchased $150 million of shares in the second quarter and plans to repurchase at least another $100 million in the third quarter. Continued capital generation and buybacks should support EPS growth while enhancing shareholder returns.

Risks for VOYAVoya Financial remains exposed to market conditions, employment trends and investment performance. Weak alternative investment results and lower Retirement spread income pressured second-quarter earnings, although management expects alternative investment performance to improve in the third quarter of 2026.

VOYA faces intense competition from broker-dealers, financial advisors, diversified financial institutions and start-up financial services providers, which could result in increased pricing pressure on certain products and services.

ConclusionVoya Financial is positioned for earnings growth, supported by Wealth Management expansion, improved Employee Benefits underwriting, positive net flows and the completed OneAmerica integration. Expense savings, strong cash generation and strategic partnerships should support growth and shareholder returns, while competition and market volatility remain key risks.

Given the mixed analyst sentiment, it is wise to retain this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Bamco Inc. NY bought a new position in shares of Macerich Company (The) (NYSE:MAC – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 4,999,756 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $125,944,000. Bamco Inc. NY owned about 1.76% of Macerich at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MAC. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Macerich during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,378,836,000. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Macerich by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 15,162,075 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $245,322,000 after buying an additional 351,907 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Macerich by 17.7% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 13,555,892 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $250,242,000 after buying an additional 2,034,338 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Macerich by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,608,318 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $122,008,000 after buying an additional 70,132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centersquare Investment Management LLC increased its position in Macerich by 149.6% during the fourth quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 6,354,661 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $117,307,000 after buying an additional 3,808,336 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.38% of the company’s stock.

Macerich Stock Performance NYSE MAC opened at $24.20 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $25.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Macerich Company has a twelve month low of $16.03 and a twelve month high of $26.67. The company has a market capitalization of $6.86 billion, a PE ratio of -37.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 2.07.

Macerich (NYSE:MAC – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.10) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $249.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $239.77 million. Macerich had a negative net margin of 16.85% and a negative return on equity of 6.26%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Macerich Company will post 1.49 earnings per share for the current year. Macerich Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. Macerich’s payout ratio is presently -104.62%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have recently issued reports on MAC shares. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Macerich from $24.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Macerich from $21.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Macerich to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Griffin Securities set a $26.00 target price on shares of Macerich in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Macerich from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $20.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $25.75.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Macerich

About Macerich (Free Report)

The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, development, ownership and management of regional shopping centers in the United States. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the company focuses on high-quality retail properties, including enclosed malls, open-air centers and mixed-use lifestyle destinations. Since its establishment as a REIT in 1994, Macerich has pursued a disciplined strategy of investing in properties that serve strong consumer demographics and offer long-term growth potential.

Macerich’s core activities encompass property and asset management, leasing, marketing and redevelopment services.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Macerich Williams-Sonoma’s Quarter Gave Bulls More Than Just a Beat-and-Raise Alcoa’s Gallium Project Opens a New Door Beyond Aluminum Oura’s $16 Billion IPO Could Put a New Price on Wearable Tech Can Tesla’s Flying Roadster Distract From Its Real Risks? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Macerich Company (The) (NYSE:MAC – Free Report).

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BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Vontier Corporation (NYSE:VNT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 13,390,185 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $388,315,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 9.51% of Vontier at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of Vontier in the third quarter worth approximately $58,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vontier during the first quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Vontier by 82.8% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,665 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 754 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its holdings in Vontier by 5,897.1% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,000 after buying an additional 2,064 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Vontier by 152.5% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 1,591 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.83% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In VNT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Vontier from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $39.00 target price on shares of Vontier in a report on Friday, August 7th. Evercore set a $36.00 price target on shares of Vontier in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Argus cut shares of Vontier from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vontier from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Vontier Vontier Stock Performance Shares of Vontier stock opened at $33.38 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $33.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.15. Vontier Corporation has a 12 month low of $27.25 and a 12 month high of $48.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33.

Vontier (NYSE:VNT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $756.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $747.12 million. Vontier had a return on equity of 38.57% and a net margin of 11.34%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. Vontier has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.450-3.550 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.820-0.860 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Vontier Corporation will post 3.49 EPS for the current year.

Vontier Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.025 dividend. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. Vontier’s payout ratio is 4.15%.

Vontier announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, May 19th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 25.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

About Vontier (Free Report)

Vontier is a global industrial technology company focused on advancing mobility infrastructure and transportation solutions. Established as a standalone public company in October 2020 through the spin-off of Fortive’s mobility and transportation platforms, Vontier is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company’s mission centers on delivering innovative products and services that help customers meet evolving demands in fuel retail, fleet management, and automotive service.

The company’s diversified portfolio spans several well-known brands.

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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Amphenol (APH - Free Report) . Shares have added about 1% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Amphenol due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Amphenol Corporation before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

Amphenol’s Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/YAmphenol reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.35 per share, up 66.7% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13%.

Revenues surged 55% year over year to $8.76 billion and surpassed the consensus mark by 5.51%. Growth was driven by strong organic performance across most end markets, exceptional IT datacom demand and acquisition contributions. Orders reached a record $10.7 billion, resulting in a book-to-bill ratio of 1.23:1.

APH Sees Broad-Based Demand StrengthOrganic net sales increased 30% year over year, while constant-currency sales advanced 54%. Acquisitions contributed 24 percentage points to reported growth, underscoring the combined impact of internal expansion and portfolio additions.

Communications Solutions led the performance with 42% organic growth. Harsh Environment Solutions and Interconnect and Sensor Systems delivered organic growth of 22% and 13%, respectively. Foreign currency movements added roughly one percentage point to consolidated growth.

Amphenol’s Segments Post Strong GrowthCommunications Solutions revenues jumped 85% year over year to $5.38 billion. The segment remained the company’s largest business, benefiting from strong demand for high-speed connectivity applications, particularly in the IT datacom market.

Harsh Environment Solutions sales increased 28.5% year over year to $1.86 billion. Interconnect and Sensor Systems revenues rose 17.2% year over year to $1.52 billion. The broad segment expansion reflected Amphenol’s diversified exposure to communications, industrial, defense, aerospace, automotive and other electronics markets.

The company completed the acquisitions of El.Com and Wilder Technologies during the quarter. El.Com, which generates annual sales of approximately $150 million, expands Amphenol’s complex interconnect and high-voltage cable capabilities. Wilder Technologies contributes high-performance test and measurement solutions for IT datacom applications.

APH Expands Margins on Scale and TariffsAdjusted operating income was $2.61 billion, up 80.2% year over year. Adjusted operating margin improved 420 basis points (bps) year over year to 29.8%.

Communications Solutions’ operating margin increased 300 bps to 33.6%. Harsh Environment Solutions’ margin expanded 490 bps to 30.1%, while the Interconnect and Sensor Systems margin rose 150 bps to 21%.

Amphenol Generates Solid Cash FlowAmphenol ended June with $4.73 billion in cash and cash equivalents. Including short-term investments, total cash and investments were $5.42 billion. Long-term debt, excluding the current portion, stood at $17.18 billion following the company’s acquisition activity.

Operating cash flow totaled $1.56 billion, up from $1.42 billion in the prior-year quarter. Free cash flow increased to $1.21 billion from $1.12 billion, despite capital expenditures rising to $355.5 million.

Capital returns remained substantial. APH repurchased 1.5 million shares for $208 million and paid $307 million in dividends, returning a combined $515 million to shareholders during the quarter.

APH Benefits From Stronger CommScope ResultsAmphenol raised its expectations for the acquired CommScope business following better-than-anticipated performance. The operation is now projected to generate full-year sales of $4.6 billion and contribute 30 cents to adjusted earnings per share in 2026.

The revised outlook compares favorably with the previous expectations of $4.1 billion in revenues and 15 cents of adjusted earnings accretion. The improvement highlights the earnings leverage from the acquisition as Amphenol integrates the connectivity and cable operations.

Amphenol Issues Upbeat Q3 GuidanceFor the third quarter of 2026, Amphenol expects revenues between $9.3 billion and $9.4 billion. The range implies year-over-year growth of 50-52%, assuming current market conditions and constant exchange rates.

Adjusted earnings are projected between $1.40 and $1.42 per share, representing growth of 51-53% from the prior-year quarter. The guidance excludes any additional tariff recoveries, making underlying demand and acquisition execution central to the upcoming quarter’s performance.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, estimates revision have trended upward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted 9.72% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Amphenol has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a score of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. It comes with little surprise Amphenol has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.