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SAP Bets $1B on AI Acquisitions to Lock In Enterprise DataSAP NYSE: SAP reported a strong second quarter for 2026, with management highlighting accelerating current cloud backlog growth, continued cloud revenue gains and rising customer interest in the company’s artificial intelligence offerings.

Chief Executive Officer Christian Klein called the quarter “outstanding,” pointing to SAP’s Sapphire customer conference, where the company launched its “autonomous enterprise” strategy. Klein said the event produced record attendance, added to SAP’s sales pipeline and generated positive feedback from customers on the company’s AI roadmap.

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Giants Costco, Sanofi, and SAP Raise Dividends by Over 10%Current cloud backlog rose 26% at constant currencies to nearly EUR 23 billion, an acceleration from the first quarter. Klein said AI and SAP Business Data Cloud were included as key elements in more than 90% of SAP’s 50 largest deals during the quarter, which he said gave the company confidence heading into the second half of the year.

Cloud revenue increased 24% to EUR 6.3 billion, supported by continued migrations from on-premise ERP systems to cloud ERP. Total revenue rose 11% to EUR 9.9 billion. SAP reported non-IFRS operating profit of EUR 2.7 billion, up 9% year over year at constant currencies.

Cloud ERP and Backlog Remain Central to Growth 3 Undervalued European Tech Stocks to Buy After the CeasefireChief Financial Officer Dominik Asam said SAP’s cloud ERP suite revenue increased 27% in the quarter and now represents 88% of total cloud revenue. Software license revenue declined 32%, reflecting the company’s continued shift away from traditional on-premise licensing.

Asam said cloud revenue performance was particularly strong in Asia-Pacific and Japan and in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while the Americas delivered solid results. He cited Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, India, South Korea and Spain as having outstanding performance, with Australia, Singapore and the U.S. described as particularly strong.

Management said SAP’s indirect channel continued to grow faster than direct cloud revenue, reflecting changes in its go-to-market strategy over the past two years.

AI Strategy Focuses on Agents, Data and Governance Klein used much of the call to outline SAP’s AI strategy, which centers on the company’s Business AI Platform, Joule Studio, SAP Business Data Cloud and a new user experience called Joule Work. He said the platform is designed to help customers build, govern and operate AI agents across business processes while maintaining data privacy, compliance and sovereignty requirements.

Klein said SAP is integrating multiple large language models into Joule Studio, including models from Anthropic, Cohere, Google, Mistral AI and OpenAI, as well as open-weight models. He said SAP’s approach is intended to avoid customer lock-in to a single AI model and allow customers to select models based on cost and performance.

The company also discussed several recent acquisitions intended to strengthen its AI and data architecture. Klein said Dremio’s Apache Iceberg-native technology will help SAP bring SAP and non-SAP data together in an enterprise lakehouse, while Reltio will support master data governance. Prior Labs, he said, will help SAP agents generate tabular predictions using SAP and non-SAP data.

Klein said SAP plans to release close to 50 assistants by the end of the third quarter and more than 400 autonomous suite agents by the end of the year. The company also plans to launch three additional ERP migration assistants with 10 underlying agents later this quarter.

Customer Examples Highlight AI Adoption SAP executives cited several customer examples to illustrate early AI adoption. Klein said SAP and Amadeus developed an AI agent that autonomously reconciles unstructured payment data and has already cleared about 40,000 incorrect transactions. He also said Northcote moved from a legacy BW system to SAP Business Data Cloud, cutting BI solution build time by about 75% and report creation time by 50%.

In another example, Klein said Lemvigh-Müller, working with NTT Data, deployed custom AI agents to verify purchase orders, achieving more than 90% touchless processing and 98% matching accuracy.

Klein said customers including Shell, Morgan Stanley, Samsonite Group, Vonovia, Eli Lilly, Shoprite Group and Electrolux signed RISE with SAP deals in the quarter. He also cited momentum for GROW with SAP among companies including Aloha, Gooroo Crédito, Modular Data Centers and Tecumseh Energy Services.

Profit Outlook Adjusted for Acquisitions SAP maintained its outlook for top-line metrics and free cash flow, but Asam said the company is lowering its operating profit outlook by EUR 0.1 billion to reflect the dilutive impact of the Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions. He said SAP still expects to offset the effect of the Reltio acquisition on non-IFRS operating income.

Asam said Reltio contributed less than one percentage point to constant-currency current cloud backlog growth in the quarter. He said Dremio and Prior Labs will have a negligible impact on revenue and current cloud backlog, but will weigh on second-half 2026 operating profit by a “very low triple-digit million euro amount.”

Free cash flow in the quarter was EUR 3 billion. IFRS operating profit rose 8% to EUR 2.6 billion, while IFRS earnings per share increased 30% to EUR 1.89. Non-IFRS earnings per share increased 6% to EUR 1.59.

Management Addresses Costs and Macro Uncertainty During the question-and-answer portion of the call, analysts pressed management on slower operating profit growth in the quarter and the cost of AI investments. Asam said the second quarter should not be viewed in isolation, noting that first-half operating leverage remained within SAP’s framework. He cited higher research and development investments, marketing spending tied to the autonomous enterprise launch, stock-based compensation effects and acquisition dilution as factors in the quarter.

Klein said SAP is seeing productivity gains from AI, including average productivity improvements of up to 30% in development. He said the company is adjusting hiring plans as AI usage increases and is working to shift development priorities from traditional SaaS feature requests toward agentic AI development.

Management also addressed macroeconomic uncertainty, particularly the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Asam said the situation continues to weigh on customer sentiment and decision-making, especially in affected industries and supply chains. However, Klein said SAP did not see broad-based deal delays in the second quarter, though some Middle East deals were delayed.

Asam said SAP still expects a slight deceleration in current cloud backlog growth over the course of the year, while noting that the second half typically accounts for the largest share of annual bookings. He said the company’s priorities for the remainder of the year are to sustain cloud momentum, deliver on operating leverage commitments and close the year strongly.

About SAP (NYSE:SAP)SAP SE is a global enterprise software company headquartered in Walldorf, Germany. Founded in 1972 by five former IBM engineers, the company's name is an acronym for Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung (Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing). SAP develops and sells software and services that help organizations manage business processes across finance, human resources, procurement, manufacturing, supply chain and customer relationships.

SAP's product portfolio spans on‑premises and cloud offerings, anchored by its enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions such as SAP S/4HANA and the SAP HANA in‑memory database and platform.

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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VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Eli Lilly & Co.'s next-generation weight-loss shot retatrutide didn't increase overall heart risk in a new study, helping dispel concerns over its potential. The company plans to file for US Food and Drug Administration approval early next year, later than investors hoped, due to the complexity of the approval pathway.

3 Waste Stocks Turning AI Investments Into GrowthReliance NYSE: RS reported what executives described as another strong quarter, with record tons sold, sharply higher year-over-year sales and stronger profitability supported by favorable pricing, improving demand across several end markets and initial contributions from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security border wall contract.

On the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call, President and Chief Executive Officer Karla Lewis said Reliance achieved its “second highest quarterly revenue” and “record quarterly tons sold,” while continuing to outperform broader industry shipment trends. Lewis attributed the performance to the company’s scale, product and end-market diversification, value-added service offerings and relationships with domestic mills.

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Trash to Treasure: 3 Waste Removal Stocks to Minimize Volatility“Market conditions remained favorable, supported by improving customer activity, extended mill lead times, and strong pricing across our broad product portfolio,” Lewis said.

Shipments and Pricing Exceed Expectations Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Koch said tons sold increased 7% from the first quarter and 10.8% from the second quarter of 2025, exceeding the company’s prior expectations for sequential growth of 1% to 3% and year-over-year growth of 4.5% to 6.5%.

Can RSG Stock Turn Guidance Into Gains in 2026?Koch said the sequential increase included a 5.1 percentage point contribution from the U.S. border wall contract. Carbon steel products led shipment growth, while aluminum and stainless-steel products also contributed at higher per-ton profitability levels.

Reliance’s average selling price rose 7.8% from the first quarter, also exceeding the company’s forecast for a 1.5% to 3.5% increase. Koch said pricing for carbon steel and aluminum products continued to move higher amid constrained supply, extended lead times and strengthening demand.

Chief Financial Officer Arthur Ajemyan said sales increased 27% year over year. Gross profit was $1.3 billion, up 11% from the first quarter and 20% from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP pre-tax income rose 40% year over year to $429 million, and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 42% to $6.27.

Border Wall Contract Adds to Earnings The DHS border wall contract was a notable contributor to the quarter. Ajemyan said the project added $0.41 per share to second-quarter earnings. While the project created a roughly 40 basis point headwind to gross profit margin, he said lower-than-average operating costs per ton more than offset that impact and added about 30 basis points to pre-tax income margin.

Lewis said shipments under the contract began in April and ramped faster than expected. During the question-and-answer portion of the call, she said third-quarter shipments are expected to be higher and close to a full run rate, which she said could be sustained through following quarters, subject to metal supply and customer inventory pulls.

Lewis also said the first phase of the project is expected to generate about $1.4 billion in sales through mid-2027. A potential second phase of roughly $800 million to $900 million is subject to the customer opting in and is not guaranteed, though Lewis said Reliance believes the customer will “probably execute that extension.”

End-Market Demand Broadens Reliance said non-residential construction and general manufacturing each represented about one-third of second-quarter sales. Koch said non-residential construction demand remained strong, driven by data center and related energy infrastructure projects, heavy civil work and public infrastructure. The border wall project also increased the company’s presence in the market.

In general manufacturing, Koch cited strong year-over-year shipment growth tied to industrial machinery, including data center equipment, along with shipbuilding, military, consumer products and construction machinery.

Aerospace products accounted for about 9% of second-quarter sales. Koch said commercial aerospace showed early improvement as OEM build rates increased, though elevated inventories persisted. Defense and space-related aerospace activity remained strong. Automotive represented about 4% of sales, and Koch said demand improved as the company’s toll processing operations adapted to variable market conditions.

Lewis said customer optimism is building across infrastructure, semiconductor, general manufacturing and aerospace markets. She also pointed to momentum from data centers, power infrastructure, military spending and reshoring.

LIFO Expense Rises on Higher Metal Costs Higher carbon and aluminum product costs led Reliance to raise its full-year LIFO expense outlook to $300 million from $150 million. The company recorded second-quarter LIFO expense of $112.5 million, above its prior estimate of $37.5 million, and expects to record $75 million of LIFO expense in the third quarter.

Ajemyan said aluminum was a notable driver of the increase, with roughly $100 million of the updated $300 million annual LIFO estimate tied to aluminum. He said aluminum pricing has nearly doubled from pre-tariff levels and has created “some distortion” in percentage margins, though gross profit per unit and overall gross profit dollars have increased.

At the end of the quarter, Reliance’s LIFO reserve was approximately $700 million. Ajemyan said that reserve remains available to support future operating results and help mitigate the impact of future metal price declines.

Balance Sheet and Third-Quarter Outlook Reliance generated about $162 million in operating cash flow during the second quarter despite higher working capital needs from increased shipments and metal pricing. The company funded $93 million of capital expenditures and paid $64 million in dividends. It did not repurchase shares during the quarter and had approximately $529 million remaining under its current buyback authorization.

Total debt was $1.7 billion at quarter-end, and net debt to EBITDA was 0.9. Lewis said the company’s balance sheet and liquidity remain competitive advantages, supporting growth investments, stockholder returns and disciplined capital deployment. Reliance maintained its full-year 2026 capital expenditure outlook of about $300 million, with roughly half allocated to strategic growth investments.

For the third quarter of 2026, Reliance expects non-GAAP earnings per diluted share of $6.40 to $6.60, including an estimated $75 million of LIFO expense, or about $1.10 per share. Ajemyan said the company expects demand and pricing to remain healthy, while noting risks tied to trade policy, the U.S.-Iran conflict and normal seasonality.

About Reliance (NYSE:RS)Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co NYSE: RS is a leading metals service center company that distributes and processes a broad array of metal products. The company offers cut-to-length, shearing, blanking, sawing, bending, machining and value-added services for carbon and alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, titanium and specialty metal alloys. Its products serve diverse end markets, including energy, infrastructure, general manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and defense.

Founded in 1939 in Los Angeles, Reliance Steel & Aluminum has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.

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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, /PRNewswire/ -- National shareholder rights firm Hagens Berman alerts investors in Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX) that the alleged class period in the ongoing securities class action litigation has been expanded. A new lawsuit now covers investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Roblox common stock between October 31, 2024 through April 30, 2026, inclusive.

National shareholder rights firm Hagens Berman is investigating the legal claims that Roblox and its co-defendants violated the federal securities laws. The firm encourages Roblox investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.

Class Period: Oct. 31, 2024 – Apr. 30, 2026
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Aug. 7, 2026
Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/rblx
Contact the Firm Now: [email protected]
                                       844-916-0895

Roblox Corporation (RBLX) Securities Class Action:

The primary focus of the litigation is on the propriety of Roblox's disclosures about its commitment toward protecting the safety of young users of its platform and the recent the impact on its business and prospects of the age-check verification rollout aimed at increasing safety within certain social features on its platform. The rollout began in November 2025.

During the Class Period, Roblox and its senior management have assured investors that "safety would be paramount[,]" "building safety into our products has been a huge effort[,]" and "[o]ur approach to safety includes multiple proactive measures as well as parental controls[.]" They have also emphasized that "b]ecause our Platform includes children aged 5 and over, our safety and civility policies are purpose-built to be strict."

Investors slowly learned the truth through a series of disclosures beginning on October 30, 2025. That day, the Company revealed that it would be instituting enhanced age verification technology globally beginning in January 2026. On this news, the price of the Company's common stock declined 16% from $133.74 per share to $113.00 per share, wiping out $13 billion in market value.

Then, on April 30, 2026, Roblox revealed a steep deceleration in year-over-year and sequential DAU growth, slashed its 2026 revenue guidance (reflecting ongoing shrinkage in DAU growth), and severely cut its 2026 bookings growth midpoint from 24% to just 10%, investors glimpsed what was really going on.

Roblox said just 51% of its global DAUs age checked and also said that "as a result of age check […] we have seen a reduction in app store ratings, and we believe this may be contributing to a reduction in organic sign-ups that typically flow from app stores." Roblox also said its lowered prospects are the result of "continued friction" resulting from the age-check rollout.

"We're focused on when Roblox and its management knew of the adverse consequences of the age-check rollout and whether they intentionally misled investors it," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the firm's investigation.

If you invested in Roblox and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that will assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now.

If you'd like more information and answers to other frequently asked questions about the Roblox case and the firm's investigation, read more.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Roblox should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].

About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman's team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. 

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.

SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP

BURLINGAME, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPST), the leading artificial intelligence (AI) lending marketplace, today announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has granted conditional approval for the company to establish Upstart Bank, N.A. The charter would allow Upstart to reduce operational, regulatory, and financial complexity for itself as well as for its third-party capital partners. The conditional approval follows Upstart's application,.

Ovintiv (OVV - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.74 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.91 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.02 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -8.90%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this energy company would post earnings of $1.85 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2, delivering a surprise of +8.11%.

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

Ovintiv, which belongs to the Zacks Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - Canadian industry, posted revenues of $3.01 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 28.21%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.32 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Ovintiv shares have added about 54.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for Ovintiv?While Ovintiv has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

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

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.36 on $2.09 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $7.08 on $9.13 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - Canadian is currently in the bottom 3% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 6.

This oil and natural gas company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.43 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +180.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 32% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Canadian Natural Resources' revenues are expected to be $9.25 billion, up 47.2% from the year-ago quarter.

Rocket Lab (RKLB +0.43%) is on a roll -- not that you could tell from the stock price.

Shares of the tiny, U.S.- and New Zealand-based Space Exploration Technologies lookalike are down 32% so far this month. Last month, however, Rocket Lab got some great news from the folks down at NASA: two new contracts to launch sun- and Earth-science missions for the space agency.

Plus, future contracts could help generate up to $300 million for Rocket Lab.

Image source: Rocket Lab.

Two wins for Rocket Lab The missions in question, announced June 25, are called PolSIR (Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer) and TSIS-2, and both are due to launch next year (meaning revenue generated from the missions will fall within a single year).

Rocket Lab will launch PolSIR on two separate Electron small rockets, each carrying an identical CubeSat. Its mission: to study ice clouds at high altitudes in the tropics and subtropics. The data they generate will help NASA make more accurate predictions of global weather patterns.

TSIS-2 (Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2) has a different mission. Here, a single Electron rocket will carry a single satellite to "the top of Earth's atmosphere," where it will study both the sun's brightness and how solar energy is distributed across ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths. NASA hopes this data will help it measure the health of Earth's ozone layer and predict ground-level air quality.

What the missions mean for Rocket Lab in dollars and cents Specific price tags weren't provided for either mission, so they're probably small -- but here's the upper limit: NASA noted that both missions run under the aegis of its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract, which permits NASA to buy launch services valued up to $300 million total over a 10-year ordering period.

If I were to venture a guess, I suspect Rocket Lab's actual take from these two missions will approximate its usual Electron rocket launch cost. We've seen those recently priced as high as $9.5 million, so times three launches for the three satellites involved in the two missions equals $28.5 million, give or take.

It's not a large fortune -- but, when combined in a single year, it's enough to raise Rocket Lab's annual revenue by about 4%.

More importantly, winning the NASA VADR contracts demonstrates momentum at Rocket Lab, setting the stage for Rocket Lab to bring in even more business. Announcing PolSIR and TSIS-2, Rocket Lab was quick to point out that it also has "an astrophysics mission to study the formation and evolution of galaxies" in the works (Aspera) mission, as well as a demonstration of in-space refueling technologies (LOXSAT) later this year, that will use an Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft as its carrier -- yielding revenue both for the launch and for the satellite being launched.

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Rocket Lab's stock price may be down, but its prospects keep going up.

On July 23, 2026, Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc (KTOS) shares rose 3.2% to a current price of $49.44. The stock has seen significant volatility over t

Molina Healthcare, Inc. (MOH) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Warren Buffett officially retired as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB +0.30%)(BRKA +0.53%) at the end of 2025 and is now just the chair of the board. At 95 years young, many investors assumed that Buffett would not be making any more investment decisions, delegating his previous capital allocator role to new CEO Greg Abel and the range of leaders at the business.

This is not the case. In an interview with CNBC, Buffett said he personally initiated Berkshire's latest investment in Alphabet (GOOG -6.88%)(GOOGL -7.12%), the parent company of Google, YouTube, and Google Cloud, which is now one of the largest stock positions in the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio.

Here's exactly what Buffett said, and what it means for the future of Berkshire Hathaway.

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Depending on the day, Berkshire Hathaway's investment in Alphabet is worth around $30 billion. This includes its direct stock purchases, as well as a $10 billion private placement in June 2026 as part of Alphabet's capital raise.

Many assumed that Greg Abel made the capital allocation decision for these Alphabet investments. While he still has the final say as the CEO, Buffett was the one who initiated the idea for Berkshire, according to his latest interview with CNBC. He made it clear that he and Abel are on the same page, but Buffett is not sitting on the sidelines entirely when it comes to capital allocation for the conglomerate he spent decades building.

Even though Alphabet is now a Berkshire position worth tens of billions, Buffett said there are still four or five other stocks Berkshire owns that he likes as better businesses. These are likely the conglomerate's largest positions, such as Apple, Coca-Cola, and American Express.

Image source: Getty Images.

Alphabet's AI infrastructure opportunity Berkshire's investment in Alphabet is not necessarily because it is a winning artificial intelligence (AI) stock. Buffett said it was to make up for the mistake of not investing in the owner of Google Search earlier in its life as a publicly traded company, especially when some of Berkshire Hathaway's subsidiaries, like Geico, were heavy users of its advertising services.

Now, Alphabet has the opportunity to deploy hundreds of billions of dollars in capital over the coming years to retain its position as a leading internet platform and, increasingly, an AI player. The company is still seeing strong revenue growth from Google Search while benefiting from spending on its Google Cloud infrastructure services and the Gemini chatbot.

Overall revenue grew 22% year over year last quarter, an astounding rate of growth for a business of Alphabet's size. Similar levels of growth are expected in the upcoming quarterly earnings, which will be released on July 22 after the stock market closes.

GOOG Total Return Level data by YCharts

Is Alphabet stock a buy? Alphabet has extended its growth runway by investing heavily in AI. For example, Google Cloud is now growing revenue at a 60% year-over-year rate, hitting $20 billion in sales just last quarter. This has supercharged Alphabet's share price, which is up 81% in the last 12 months alone. In the last 10 years, Alphabet has produced a cumulative total return of 846%.

Even though it now trades at a market cap of $4 trillion (or higher, depending on the day), the stock still trades at a reasonable multiple of earnings. Alphabet has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 26, which is below many of the other large technology players, and is actually below the current S&P 500 average of 29.

The company needs to continue growing to justify this valuation, but you might not find a better big-tech stock to buy than Alphabet right now.

On July 23, 2026, Flowserve Corp (FLS) shares rose 4.5% today, currently trading at $71.66. This performance comes against the backdrop of a 52-week range of $4

WSFS Financial (WSFS - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.66 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.51 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.27 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +9.93%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank holding company would post earnings of $1.48 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.45, delivering a surprise of -2.03%.

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

WSFS, which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Savings and Loan industry, posted revenues of $282.47 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.90%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $267.5 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

WSFS shares have added about 42.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for WSFS?While WSFS has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

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

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.55 on $285.02 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.32 on $1.13 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Savings and Loan is currently in the top 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the same industry, Northwest Bancshares (NWBI - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 27.

This holding company for Northwest Savings Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.33 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +10%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Northwest Bancshares' revenues are expected to be $178.55 million, up 18.7% from the year-ago quarter.

Ameris Bancorp (ABCB - Free Report) reported $334.36 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 10.8%. EPS of $1.60 for the same period compares to $1.59 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $322.17 million, representing a surprise of +3.79%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -3.61%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.66.

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

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

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

Net interest margin (TE): 3.9% compared to the 3.8% average estimate based on three analysts.Efficiency ratio: 74.5% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 49.3%.Book value per share (period end): $60.96 versus the two-analyst average estimate of $62.03.Average Balances - Total Earning Assets: $26.21 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $26.11 billion.Net charge-offs as a percent of average loans (annualized): 0.2% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 0.2%.Net Interest Income (TE): $253.44 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $248.83 million.Total Non-Interest Income: $73.53 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $73.67 million.Net Interest Income: $252.48 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $249.35 million.View all Key Company Metrics for Ameris Bancorp here>>>

Shares of Ameris Bancorp have returned +0.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.

SLM NASDAQ: SLM, known as Sallie Mae, reported second-quarter 2026 GAAP diluted earnings of $0.29 per share and said early indicators from the first peak season following Federal PLUS reform are tracking at the high end of expectations or better.

Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Witter said the company has spent the past year preparing for changes in the higher education financing market after Federal PLUS reform “created the potential for a $4.5 billion-$5 billion increase in annual originations for Sallie Mae over the next several years.” He said Sallie Mae has completed planned product and capability updates ahead of peak season, including enhancements to its medical, dental, law and MBA products and the launch of a new parent loan.

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“While peak season is just beginning and it is too early for definitive conclusions, the application and volume trends for these new products ... are at the higher end of our expectations or better,” Witter said. He added that the trends, if sustained, support the company’s 2026 origination estimates and its longer-term view of the opportunity from PLUS program changes.

Originations Rise as Credit Quality Holds Steady Sallie Mae reported second-quarter loan originations of $716 million, up nearly 4.5% from the prior-year quarter. Witter said origination credit quality improved modestly year over year, with average FICO scores rising to 755 from 754, while cosigner rates remained strong at 84%.

The company also emphasized its position with school partners. Witter said Sallie Mae remains a preferred lender for more than 2,100 schools and has focused on supporting those relationships as the financing landscape changes.

Net Interest Income Falls, but Fee Revenue Grows Co-President and Chief Financial Officer Peter Graham said Sallie Mae generated $333 million of net interest income and $45 million of other income in the quarter. Net interest income declined by $44 million from the year-ago period, while other income increased by $16 million, driven by recurring program management fees from the company’s strategic partnership and growth in servicing fee revenue.

Net interest margin was 4.75% for the quarter. Graham said the moderation was expected and primarily reflected higher liquidity levels following a loan sale completed in late March. He said the company expects margin expansion to resume in the second half as excess liquidity is deployed into peak-season originations.

“As a result, we believe the second quarter will likely represent the low point for margin this year,” Graham said. In response to an analyst question, he said the company expects to normalize closer to its long-term target range of around 5%, though not necessarily far above that level in 2026.

Debt Resolution Activity Weighs on Recoveries Credit remained a major focus of the call. Witter said Sallie Mae has identified activity affecting a small borrower segment that the company believes has both the willingness and capacity to repay but is moving directly through delinquency to default. He said many of those borrowers appear to be engaging with debt resolution providers whose services are marketed as consolidation or refinancing solutions.

Witter said Sallie Mae does not believe many of those practices are in customers’ best interests and has taken steps to increase control over post-default recoveries. The company previously estimated a potential roughly $25 million impact to 2026 recoveries from the change in recovery practices, but Witter described the issue as “largely a timing dynamic.”

Net charge-offs were $113 million in the quarter, up from $94 million in the prior-year quarter. Witter said about $16 million of the year-over-year increase was attributable to the misaligned third-party debt resolution practices and related changes in recovery strategy. He said the company does not view the increase as a broad-based weakening in credit.

Private education loans delinquent 30 days or more were 3.7% of loans in repayment, up from 3.5% a year earlier but down from 4% at the end of the first quarter. The provision for credit losses was $126 million, down from $149 million in the year-ago quarter, and the reserve rate was 5.89%, down six basis points from the prior-year period.

Witter also pointed to continued performance from loan modification programs. He said borrowers in active modification cohorts have payment success rates above 80% over six- and 12-month periods, while more than 75% of borrowers exiting the programs are consistently making payments after three and six months.

Expenses Rise as Company Invests for Growth Non-interest expenses were $195 million, up $28 million from the prior-year quarter. Graham said most of the increase reflected one-time investments in product enhancements and strategic initiatives tied to expected growth from federal lending reforms. The efficiency ratio was 48.6%, up seven percentage points year over year.

Graham said revenue growth from servicing and recurring program management fees offset a significant portion of those investments. In the Q&A session, he said the company still expects the rate of expense growth in 2027 to be roughly half the rate from 2025 to 2026, while noting that management would like to do better.

Guidance Updated, Buybacks Continue Sallie Mae narrowed its 2026 net charge-off guidance range, maintaining the high end at $385 million and raising the low end to $365 million. The company affirmed all other guidance metrics. Graham said the expected $25 million potential impact from recovery changes has been partially offset by slightly better-than-expected performance in the broader portfolio.

The company also continued to return capital to shareholders. Graham said Sallie Mae completed a $200 million accelerated share repurchase program during the second quarter, repurchasing 9.3 million shares. Year to date, the company has repurchased about 13 million shares, or 6.5% of shares outstanding at the end of 2025, at an average price of $21.95 per share.

Since 2020, Graham said Sallie Mae has reduced shares outstanding by approximately 59% at an average price of $17.19 per share. The company ended the quarter with $242 million remaining under its repurchase authorization, which it expects to substantially deploy during the remainder of 2026.

Sallie Mae ended the quarter with liquidity equal to 18.6% of total assets. Total risk-based capital was 13.1%, and Common Equity Tier 1 capital was 11.8%.

During the Q&A session, Graham said discussions with a potential second loan sale partner are progressing and could close in the third quarter or early fourth quarter. He said the existing partnership with KKR is performing according to plan and that both KKR and the potential second partner have expressed interest in building capabilities for graduate loan products.

About SLM (NASDAQ:SLM)SLM Corporation, operating as Sallie Mae Bank, is a leading U.S.-based consumer banking company specializing in education financing and related banking products. The company provides a range of private student loans for undergraduate and graduate studies, Parent PLUS loans, and specialized financing for career and certificate programs. In addition to its core lending services, Sallie Mae offers deposit products including savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and credit cards tailored to students and young adults.

Founded in 1972 as the Student Loan Marketing Association—a government-sponsored enterprise—Sallie Mae was privatized in 2004 and has since focused on expanding its private education loan offerings and digital banking solutions.

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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Sallie Mae (SLM - Free Report) reported $332.82 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 11.7%. EPS of $0.29 for the same period compares to $0.32 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -6.31% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $355.22 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.46, the EPS surprise was -36.96%.

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

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

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

Net Interest Margin: 4.8% versus 5.1% estimated by two analysts on average.Net Interest Income: $332.82 million versus $355.48 million estimated by two analysts on average.Gains (losses) on sales of loans, net: $14.94 million versus $10.57 million estimated by two analysts on average.Other income: $45.35 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $46.42 million.Total Non-Interest Income: $68.29 million versus $56.98 million estimated by two analysts on average.View all Key Company Metrics for Sallie Mae here>>>

Shares of Sallie Mae have returned +5.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

, /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ: PODD) between February 21, 2025 and May 26, 2026, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 31, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

So what: If you purchased Insulet securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

What to do next: To join the Insulet Corporation class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/insulet-corporation/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 31, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases.  Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Insulet's manufacturing controls and procedures were defective; (2) the foregoing created a foreseeable heightened risk that one or more Insulet products would be found to be in violation of applicable safety regulations and/or pose a risk of injury; and (3) as  a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. 

To join the Insulet class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/insulet-corporation/join   or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

     Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

In the latest close session, NRG Energy (NRG - Free Report) was up +2.15% at $142.99. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.21%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.97%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 2.15%.

The power company's shares have seen a decrease of 1.57% over the last month, not keeping up with the Utilities sector's gain of 2.14% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.42%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of NRG Energy in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on August 4, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.78, reflecting a 5.95% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $6.06 billion, down 10.14% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $8.85 per share and revenue of $35.58 billion, which would represent changes of +9.67% and +15.85%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for NRG Energy. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.98% lower. Right now, NRG Energy possesses a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).

With respect to valuation, NRG Energy is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 15.82. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 18.4, which means NRG Energy is trading at a discount to the group.

The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 152, finds itself in the bottom 39% echelons of all 250+ industries.

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

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

For the quarter ended June 2026, SouthState (SSB - Free Report) reported revenue of $672.68 million, up 1.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.35, compared to $2.30 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $677.15 million, representing a surprise of -0.66%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +0.86%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.33.

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

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

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

Efficiency Ratio: 50% compared to the 52.5% average estimate based on four analysts.Net Interest Margin (Non-Tax Equivalent): 3.8% versus the four-analyst average estimate of 3.8%.Average Balance - Total interest-earning assets: $61.13 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $61.42 billion.Total nonperforming assets: $287.39 million compared to the $320.33 million average estimate based on three analysts.Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans (annualized): 0.1% compared to the 0.1% average estimate based on three analysts.Net Interest Income: $575.95 million compared to the $575.87 million average estimate based on four analysts.Total Noninterest Income: $96.73 million versus $101.25 million estimated by four analysts on average.Net interest income, tax equivalent (Non-GAAP): $576.7 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $576.45 million.Trust and investment services income: $15.16 million versus $14.56 million estimated by two analysts on average.Fees on deposit accounts: $41.57 million compared to the $40.98 million average estimate based on two analysts.Mortgage banking income: $4.89 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $9.37 million.Total correspondent banking and capital market income: $20.81 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $21.11 million.View all Key Company Metrics for SouthState here>>>

Shares of SouthState have returned +2.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO - Free Report) came out with quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $0.69 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.68 per share. This compares to FFO of $0.64 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an FFO surprise of +1.47%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post FFO of $0.67 per share when it actually produced FFO of $0.69, delivering a surprise of +2.99%.

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

Phillips Edison & Company, which belongs to the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry, posted revenues of $189.62 million for the quarter ended June 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.45%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $177.75 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future FFO expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Phillips Edison & Company shares have added about 21.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for Phillips Edison & Company?While Phillips Edison & Company has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's FFO outlook. Not only does this include current consensus FFO expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of estimate revisions.

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

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus FFO estimate is $0.69 on $193.5 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.76 on $769.95 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, REIT and Equity Trust - Retail is currently in the top 30% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the same industry, Tanger (SKT - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 4.

This factory outlet mall operator is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.62 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +6.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Tanger's revenues are expected to be $142.51 million, up 6.8% from the year-ago quarter.

Origin Bancorp NYSE: OBK reported stronger second-quarter earnings as management said its “Optimize Origin” initiative is translating into improved profitability, disciplined growth and stronger client acquisition across its footprint.

The company reported diluted earnings per share of $1.09 and net income of $33.8 million for the second quarter. Chief Financial Officer Wally Wallace said the result represented Origin’s strongest quarterly earnings performance since the fourth quarter of 2021. Return on average assets was 1.35%, above the company’s near-term run-rate objective of 1.15%, while pre-tax, pre-provision return on average assets was 1.73%.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Drake Mills said the quarter reflected progress from work begun about 18 months ago under Optimize Origin, which he described as a strategy focused on stronger financial performance, capital allocation, technology investment, talent recruitment and client service.

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“What encourages me most is the consistency of our performance,” Mills said. “Optimize Origin has become the way we operate.”

Loan Growth Led by Texas and Southeast Markets President and CEO of Origin Bank Lance Hall said the company continued to benefit from what management described as disruption across its markets, particularly in banker and client acquisition. Since April 1, Origin added 12 experienced bankers, following 15 additions in the first quarter. The company also expanded into Birmingham, Alabama, with a local team of experienced bankers and added production talent in North Texas, Houston, East Texas and Mississippi.

Hall said year-to-date growth included $196 million in commercial and industrial and owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, $167 million in other commercial real estate categories and $61 million in mortgage warehouse lending. Through the first half of the year, Texas and Southeast markets generated $323 million of loan growth, including about $250 million from Texas on approximately $860 million of new loan production.

Wallace said total loans grew 2.7% sequentially in the quarter and 1.9% excluding mortgage warehouse loans. Management said it continues to target loan and deposit growth in the mid- to high-single-digit range for the year, while tracking toward the higher end of that range.

During the question-and-answer session, Hall said the primary drivers of loan growth were Texas and the Southeast, though all markets contributed. He said more than 50% of year-to-date loan growth has come from C&I lending, and that the company’s average loan size remains about $590,000. Hall said new loans in the most recent month were coming in at about 6.4%.

Hall also said the company is seeing pricing and term pressure from competitors, including more frequent offers of non-recourse structures, but said Origin intends to remain conservative in its credit approach.

Deposit Mix Improves as Noninterest-Bearing Balances Rise Origin’s total deposits declined 0.6% during the quarter, which Wallace said was consistent with seasonal trends. However, noninterest-bearing deposits increased 9.6% sequentially and 5.2% on an average basis, ending the quarter at 26% of total deposits, or 25% on an average basis.

Hall said noninterest-bearing deposit growth was evidence that Origin’s bankers are winning primary banking relationships. Deposit account openings increased more than 36% year over year in the first half of the year, and June account openings were up 82% year over year. In response to an analyst question, Hall said the company opened more than 1,800 new deposit accounts in June, compared with just under 1,000 a year earlier.

Hall attributed the growth to a combination of lift-outs, market disruption and dissatisfaction among clients of some competitors. He said new deposit costs were about 2.7%.

Margin Expands, Net Interest Income Outlook Raised Wallace said net interest margin expanded 21 basis points during the quarter to 3.92%, exceeding the company’s expectations. Net interest income rose 5.7% sequentially to $92.2 million, despite a 1% decline in average earning assets. The margin improvement was driven by stronger loan yields, slightly lower deposit costs and the runoff of excess liquidity tied to normal seasonality.

Wallace said Origin removed any Federal Reserve rate actions from its forecast for the remainder of the year and expects margin to remain relatively flat. Combined with balance sheet growth expectations, the company now anticipates net interest income growth in the high-single digits for both the full year and fourth-quarter-over-fourth-quarter basis.

In response to a question from Raymond James analyst Michael Rose, Wallace said the quarter included about three basis points of benefit from interest reversals or recoveries on nonaccrual loans. He also noted that approximately $250 million of fixed-rate loans are expected to reprice or pay off in the back half of the year, with the company picking up about 160 to 170 basis points based on current pricing.

Credit Metrics Improve Chief Risk Officer Jim Crotwell said Origin experienced “sound and improving credit metrics” during the quarter. Total past dues 30 to 89 days and accruing declined to 0.06%, the lowest level in the past five quarters. Net charge-offs totaled $454,000, benefiting from $2 million in recoveries, and annualized net charge-offs were 0.02% for the quarter and 0.08% year to date.

Nonperforming assets declined $9 million to 0.98% of loans, also the lowest level in the past five quarters. Classified assets decreased to 1.79% from 1.97% in the prior quarter. Origin’s allowance for credit losses declined $827,000 to $98.2 million, or 1.30% of total loans net of mortgage warehouse, down from 1.34%.

Crotwell said the company continues to have capacity to grow acquisition, development and construction, and commercial real estate lending, with ADC loans at 51% of total risk-based capital and CRE at 237%.

Capital Return and Outlook Wallace said tangible book value increased sequentially to $36.37, marking the 15th consecutive quarter of growth. The tangible common equity ratio ended the quarter at 11.1%. Origin repurchased 217,034 shares during the quarter at an average price of $46.60, and its board increased the share repurchase authorization by $100 million, leaving $121.6 million remaining.

The company also continued returning capital through its recently increased quarterly dividend. Wallace said Origin’s balance sheet, earnings profile and capital position give it flexibility to invest in growth and return capital to shareholders.

Management also addressed the company’s crossing of the $10 billion asset threshold. Hall said Origin has “completely crossed it” and that the Durbin Amendment impact is expected to begin mid-year next year, with an estimated effect of $4 million to $4.5 million. He said the company is working to offset that impact and has most of the related cost behind it.

Mills said Origin remains focused on becoming a top-quartile performer over the next three years, while continuing to invest in talent, technology, automation and artificial intelligence. He said the company will pursue growth opportunities but not at the expense of the return targets it is attempting to achieve.

“The results we’re discussing today aren’t the destination,” Mills said. “It’s evidence that the transformation is working.”

About Origin Bancorp (NYSE:OBK)Origin Bancorp, Inc NYSE: OBK is a bank holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is the parent of Origin Bank, a full-service commercial banking franchise. The company provides a broad range of financial products and services to individuals, small and middle-market businesses, and institutional clients across the southeastern United States.

Through Origin Bank, the company offers a variety of deposit products, including checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit.

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

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

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

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Buy, Hold, or Wait: 3 Small-Cap Stocks Telling Different StoriesBoston Beer NYSE: SAM said second-quarter demand remained challenging as declines in Twisted Tea and Truly continued to weigh on volume, even as Sun Cruiser and Angry Orchard posted growth and gross margin improved.

On the company’s 2026 second-quarter earnings call, Founder, CEO and Chairman Jim Koch said the broader beer market improved modestly in the first half of the year but remained uneven. Boston Beer estimates the combined beer and “beyond beer” market declined 2% in volume in the first half, compared with a 4% decline for full-year 2025. Koch said the category was nearly flat in the first quarter, softened in the second quarter and saw May as “particularly challenging,” before improving in June on drinking occasions tied to the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

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Tap Into Molson Coors Stock: A Top Beverage Value Play“We anticipate industry volume headwinds for the remainder of 2026 as consumers remain under pressure from the cumulative effects of inflation and a significant increase in gas prices,” Koch said.

Volume declines continue, but margins improve Chief Financial Officer Diego Reynoso said second-quarter depletions declined 6% from the prior year, while shipments decreased 4.5%. The declines were driven primarily by lower volume in Twisted Tea, Truly, Samuel Adams, Hard MTN DEW and Dogfish Head, partially offset by increases in Sun Cruiser and Angry Orchard.

Constellation Brands Stock Q1 2025: Crushing Anheuser-Busch?Revenue for the quarter fell 3.3%, reflecting lower volume, partially offset by price increases and favorable product mix. Reynoso said positive mix was driven by strong growth in Sun Cruiser.

Gross margin improved to 50.4%, up 60 basis points year over year. Reynoso attributed the improvement to brewery efficiencies, favorable product mix, procurement savings and price increases, partly offset by higher commodity, tariff and energy-related costs.

Advertising, promotional and selling expenses rose $26.2 million, or 16.4%, from the prior year. That included $17.5 million of increased local brand marketing and point-of-sale investments, along with an $8.6 million freight cost increase. General and administrative expenses rose $3.1 million, primarily from higher legal fees and salary and benefit costs.

Excluding litigation-related expenses, Boston Beer reported second-quarter non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.65. Reynoso said year-to-date pre-tax litigation expenses plus related fees totaled $198.1 million, tied to previously discussed supplier dispute litigation. He said the company intends to pursue available post-trial motions and appellate remedies and does not expect the matter to have a material impact on operating plans.

Sun Cruiser offsets some pressure from Twisted Tea Koch said Boston Beer’s portfolio continues to lag the pace of improvement in the broader category, with continued market share challenges in Twisted Tea and Truly. However, Sun Cruiser delivered triple-digit depletion growth in the quarter, and Angry Orchard continued to grow.

For hard tea, Koch said a key priority is improving share trends and growing volume through both Twisted Tea and Sun Cruiser. On a combined basis, Twisted Tea and Sun Cruiser volume was “very slightly positive” year to date through 29 weeks, while revenue was growing.

Twisted Tea remains dominant in malt-based hard tea, with more than 85% share and no single competitor above 5%, according to Koch. Still, the brand is under pressure from broader flavored malt beverage headwinds, reduced feature and display activity and competition from spirits-based hard teas. Koch said 12-packs remain the largest volume headwind, affected by lower display activity and consumer movement away from larger pack sizes.

Boston Beer is using advertising, partnerships, new pack sizes, expanded Twisted Tea Extreme distribution and targeted pricing adjustments to address the pressure. Koch said Twisted Tea Singles, Twisted Tea Light and Twisted Tea Extreme all gained share within the FMB category.

Sun Cruiser, meanwhile, has become a top-five spirits ready-to-drink brand and is among the fastest-growing brands by volume in combined measured on- and off-premise channels, Koch said. He described the brand as revenue- and margin-accretive, with strong distribution opportunities still ahead. In response to an analyst question, Koch said Sun Cruiser is much larger than syndicated data indicates because of its strength in on-premise and independent accounts.

Truly remains challenged, Angry Orchard grows Truly retained its No. 2 share position in hard seltzer, but Koch said volume and share trends remain challenged. Within the portfolio, high-ABV Truly Unruly and the Wild Berry flavor are outperforming other styles. Koch said soccer-related promotions and new brand creative improved marketplace presence, particularly displays, but consumer demand has not met expectations.

“We are adjusting the level and timing of our investments in Truly as we reassess the most effective approach to accelerating brand performance,” Koch said.

Angry Orchard grew for the fifth consecutive quarter, led by Angry Orchard Crisp and Crisp Imperial. Koch said Crisp Imperial volume rose more than 60% in the second quarter in measured off-premise channels.

Samuel Adams launched limited-edition retro packaging and “Drink Like It’s 1776” programming tied to America’s 250th anniversary. Koch said Boston Beer’s taprooms in Boston saw record summer sales as soccer fans visited during World Cup-related activity. Dogfish Head slightly lost share and declined after four quarters of growth, though the company is continuing to support its Grateful Dead Beer collaboration and Minute series IPAs.

Guidance maintained as ad spending plans are reduced Boston Beer maintained its full-year volume guidance for shipments and depletions to be down low single digits to down mid-single digits. Reynoso said depletions declined 5% year over year through the first 29 weeks, and current company trends would point to the lower end of the full-year range unless category and share trends improve.

The company raised the low end of its gross margin outlook and now expects full-year gross margin of 48.5% to 50%. Boston Beer continues to expect price increases of 1% to 2%, with additional benefit from mix. Its non-GAAP EPS guidance remains $8.50 to $10.50, with an expected non-GAAP effective tax rate of about 29% to 30%.

Boston Beer lowered its planned incremental advertising, promotional and selling expense range by $20 million. The company now expects those expenses, excluding freight changes, to be flat to up $20 million versus the prior year, compared with a previous expectation of up $20 million to $40 million. Koch said the reduction came from lower-performing advertising, primarily in Truly.

Reynoso said the company expects third-quarter shipments to decline low to mid-single digits, followed by modest shipment growth in the fourth quarter, partly reflecting prior-year comparisons related to supply chain improvements and automated replenishment changes.

Cash flow supports buybacks and investment Boston Beer ended the quarter with $266 million in cash and $150 million available under its credit line. Reynoso said those balances, along with projected operating cash flow, support operating investments, shareholder returns and potential litigation-related payments.

The company reduced its 2026 capital expenditure outlook to $60 million to $80 million from $70 million to $90 million, with investments focused on brewery capabilities, efficiencies and innovation support. Boston Beer repurchased $48.5 million of shares during the 26 weeks ended June 27 and another $5.6 million through July 17. As of July 18, it had approximately $174 million remaining under its $1.6 billion share repurchase authorization.

About Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM)The Boston Beer Company, Inc NYSE: SAM is a leading craft brewer headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Since its founding in 1984 by Jim Koch, the company has focused on producing high-quality, distinctive beers and beverages for retail, on-premise, and distribution partners across the United States. Its operations include brewing, packaging, marketing and distribution, supported by a network of wholly owned brewing facilities and strategic partnerships with regional breweries.

Boston Beer's flagship brand, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, helped establish the modern U.S.

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Comfort Systems (FIX - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $12.53 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.38 per share. This compares to earnings of $6.53 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +20.71%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this heating, ventilation and air conditioning company would post earnings of $7.19 per share when it actually produced earnings of $10.51, delivering a surprise of +46.18%.

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

Comfort Systems, which belongs to the Zacks Building Products - Air Conditioner and Heating industry, posted revenues of $3.27 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.96%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.17 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Comfort Systems shares have added about 91.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.6%.

What's Next for Comfort Systems?While Comfort Systems has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

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

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $10.79 on $2.98 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $43.09 on $11.89 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Building Products - Air Conditioner and Heating is currently in the top 20% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, Carrier Global (CARR - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 28.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.83 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -9.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.4% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Carrier Global's revenues are expected to be $6.02 billion, down 1.5% from the year-ago quarter.

First Interstate BancSystem (FIBK - Free Report) reported $265.3 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.3%. EPS of $0.87 for the same period compares to $0.69 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +7.58% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $246.6 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.64, the EPS surprise was +35.94%.

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

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

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

Net FTE interest margin ratio: 3.5% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 3.5%.Efficiency Ratio: 59% compared to the 63.7% average estimate based on two analysts.Mortgage banking revenues: $1.5 million compared to the $1.57 million average estimate based on two analysts.Total noninterest Income: $61.7 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $42.52 million.Net Interest Income: $202.2 million compared to the $203.43 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for First Interstate BancSystem here>>>

Shares of First Interstate BancSystem have returned +1.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Columbia Banking (COLB - Free Report) reported $677 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 32.5%. EPS of $0.76 for the same period compares to $0.76 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $688.41 million, representing a surprise of -1.66%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +4.11%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.73.

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

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

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

Net charge-offs to average loans and leases (annualized): 0.3% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 0.3%.Average Balance - Total interest-earning assets: $60.28 billion versus $60.69 billion estimated by three analysts on average.Efficiency Ratio: 55.2% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 52.8%.Net Interest Margin: 3.9% compared to the 4% average estimate based on three analysts.Total non-performing loans and leases: $268 million versus $267.74 million estimated by two analysts on average.Total non-performing assets: $273 million compared to the $270.77 million average estimate based on two analysts.Net Interest Income: $589 million compared to the $603.86 million average estimate based on three analysts.Total noninterest income: $88 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $83.68 million.Service charges on deposits: $23 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $20.35 million.Net interest income (FTE): $592 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $605.01 million.Financial services and trust revenue: $15 million compared to the $15.11 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for Columbia Banking here>>>

Shares of Columbia Banking have returned +3.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.