MP Materials uzavřela s Dow dohody o rozšíření výroby magnetů, rafinace a výstavbě druhého závodu. Dow má garantovat alespoň 140 milionů USD EBITDA a odkoupit veškeré magnety z 10X Facility, pokud tyto objemy nebudou komerčně syndikovány se souhlasem DoD.
Key Takeaways MP Materials signed agreements to expand magnet production, refining and a second manufacturing facility.MP secured DoW support, including magnet purchases, EBITDA backing and NdPr price floor protection.MP has long-term supply deals with Apple and General Motors to support magnet production and sales. MP Materials (MP - Free Report) is steadily building an integrated domestic rare earth supply chain spanning mining, refining, metal production and magnet manufacturing. This strategy aligns closely with U.S. national priorities to localize production of critical materials used in electric vehicles, defense systems, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
A major step in this strategy came in July 2025, when MP Materials entered into definitive agreements with the United States Department of War (DoW) to accelerate the build-out of an end-to-end U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain. Under the agreement, the company will expand its Independence Facility, construct its second magnet manufacturing facility in Northlake, TX (known as the 10X Facility) and boost its heavy rare earth elements (HREE) refining capability at Mountain Pass.
Per the DoW Offtake Agreement, the department has guaranteed that the 10X Facility will generate at least $140 million of EBITDA and has committed to purchase all magnets produced at the facility, unless those volumes are commercially syndicated with DoD approval. MP Materials also entered into a price floor protection agreement with the DoW for the neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) products produced at Mountain Pass that are sold or produced and stockpiled starting in the fourth quarter of 2025.
MP Materials estimates more than $1.25 billion for the 10X projects, supported by approximately $200 million of state and local incentive packages, as well as a 10-year magnet offtake agreement with the DoW. The 10X Facility is expected to begin commissioning in 2028. On completion, it will produce an estimated 7,000 metric tons (MTs) of magnets per year. Combined with Independence Facility’s 3,000 MTs per year of magnets, the company’s overall U.S. rare earth magnet annual production capacity will expand to an estimated 10,000 MTs.
The company is also securing long-term commercial customers alongside government support. MP Materials entered into a definitive, long-term supply agreement with Apple (AAPL - Free Report) in July 2025 for the development, manufacture and supply of magnets from its Independence Facility, as well as the development and installation of scaled recycling capabilities at Mountain Pass to produce the contained rare earths from post-industrial and post-consumer recycled rare earth feedstocks. In connection with the agreement and subject to achieving specified milestones, Apple agreed to make prepayments in the aggregate amount of $200 million for the purchase of magnets from the company.
In April 2022, MP Materials entered into a long-term agreement with General Motors (GM - Free Report) to supply magnets and precursor products manufactured at the Independence Facility. The Magnetics segment began generating revenues from the sales of magnetic precursor products to General Motors in the first quarter of 2025. As of March 31, 2026, the company had sold $87.9 million of magnetic precursor products to General Motors and expects to complete the remaining $62.1 million commitment within the next year. Following the fulfillment of this agreement, the company anticipates transitioning to sales of finished magnets to General Motors, which are expected to begin in 2026.
Energy Fuels (UUUU - Free Report) is pursuing a similar strategy to capitalize on the growing emphasis on domestic critical mineral supply chains. In addition to its uranium business, Energy Fuels has been expanding its rare earth operations. Energy Fuels recently secured a conditional commitment for up to $725 million in financing from the U.S. Office of Strategic Capital. The financing is intended to support the expansion of critical mineral processing capabilities at the company's White Mesa Mill in Utah and the development of a rare earth metals and alloys manufacturing facility in the United States. Energy Fuels has also announced the acquisition of VAC Group, which would significantly strengthen its downstream magnet manufacturing capabilities.
MP’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesMP Materials’ shares have declined 24.6% over the past six months compared with the industry’s 0.5% dip.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MP is trading at a forward 12-month price/sales multiple of 14.61X, a significant premium to the industry’s 1.59X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MP Materials’ 2026 earnings is pegged at 22 cents per share, indicating an improvement from the loss of 24 cents in 2025. The estimate for 2027 is $1.04 per share, indicating a 372% year-over-year improvement.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The revision activity for 2026 and 2027 estimates is shown in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Odvolací soud v USA obnovil více než 500 žalob proti Kenvue kvůli údajnému spojení Tylenolu s autismem a ADHD. Akcie Kenvue v odpoledním obchodování klesly o 1,8 %.
A person poses with Tylenol in this illustration picture taken in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, U.S. September 24, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah Beier Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
SummaryCompaniesDecision restores more than 500 lawsuitsPanel says doctors used methodologies other scientists also useKenvue defends Tylenol, sees no scientific link to autism and ADHDShares of Kenvue fallNEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday revived more than 500 private lawsuits against Tylenol maker Kenvue (KVUE.N), opens new tab over the painkiller's alleged link to autism.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said a district court judge improperly excluded expert testimony from three doctors offered by parents and guardians who tied Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
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There is no firm scientific evidence of such a link. The issue drew greater attention after President Donald Trump and top U.S. health officials in September suggested a link to autism.
In a 64-page decision for a three-judge panel, Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi said the testimony from the three doctors, including the dean of Harvard University's School of Public Health, reflected methodologies used by other scientists, and "constitute acceptable interpretations of scientific evidence where scientists may, and in fact do, disagree."
Calabresi stressed that the appeals court was not deciding whether using acetaminophen causes autism or ADHD, or whether elected officials should do more to protect public health.
Doctors and medical societies consider acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, the preferred means to treat pain and fever during pregnancy.
Many retailers and pharmacy operators including CVS (CVS.N), opens new tab, Kroger (KR.N), opens new tab, Target (TGT.N), opens new tab, Walgreens and Walmart (WMT.O), opens new tab were also named as defendants.
KENVUE DEFENDS TYLENOL'S SAFETYIn a statement on Monday, Kenvue maintained that Tylenol is safe, and said the decision "does not change the fact that credible, independent science shows no proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder."
Kenvue plans to again try to show in court that the opinions of the plaintiffs' experts are unreliable.
In afternoon trading, Kenvue shares traded down 1.8% at $19.13, while Kimberly-Clark shares fell 2.7% to $109.34.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), opens new tab, Kenvue's former parent, made Tylenol for more than 60 years and has also defended its safety.
Kenvue agreed last November to be acquired by Kleenex tissue maker Kimberly-Clark (KMB.O), opens new tab for more than $40 billion. The transaction is expected to close this year. Kimberly-Clark did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
HARVARD DEAN'S TESTIMONY ALLOWEDThe appeals court said the doctors whose testimony was wrongly excluded included Harvard public health dean Andrea Baccarelli; Eric Hollander, a psychiatry professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Brandon Pearson, a toxicologist at Columbia University.
"We are pleased that the panel unanimously found that our key experts reliably applied their scientific methods and principles," Ashley Keller, a lawyer for the parents, said in an email.
Experts often play a key role in product liability lawsuits such as the Tylenol cases.
Kenvue is based in Summit, New Jersey, and was spun off in 2023 by Johnson & Johnson.
The private lawsuits were dismissed in December 2024 by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan, who criticized the methodology of the plaintiffs' expert witnesses.
Monday's decision returns the lawsuits to Cote for further proceedings.
Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Diana Novak Jones in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski, Nia Williams and David Gregorio
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Alto Ingredients plánuje v pekinském dry millu zvýšit roční kapacitu o zhruba 5 milionů galonů, tedy asi o 8 %. Vyšší výroba má být plně spuštěna od čtvrtého čtvrtletí.
Key Takeaways Alto Ingredients plans to raise Pekin dry mill capacity by about 5 million gallons, or roughly 8%. ALTO expects higher output to improve asset utilization and expand Section 45Z tax credit eligibility. ALTO expects the higher production run rate to be fully realized beginning in the fourth quarter. Alto Ingredients, Inc. (ALTO - Free Report) is betting that a targeted operational upgrade can unlock meaningful production gains without the expense of building new capacity. In the first-quarter 2026 earnings call, management announced plans to debottleneck its Pekin dry mill during a scheduled June maintenance outage. The project is expected to increase the plant's annual production capacity by about 5 million gallons, or roughly 8%, with the higher run rate expected to be fully realized beginning in the fourth quarter.
The significance of the initiative extends beyond simply producing more gallons. By removing operational constraints at one of its most efficient facilities, Alto Ingredients aims to improve asset utilization and spread fixed costs over higher production volumes. That approach could enhance operating efficiency while requiring far less capital than constructing new production capacity.
The project could also provide an additional financial benefit. Higher output from the Pekin dry mill is expected to increase the number of gallons eligible for Section 45Z clean fuel tax credits, creating another source of incremental earnings alongside the added production. The debottlenecking project is part of Alto Ingredients’ near-term strategy to maximize the value of its existing assets while capturing greater benefits from the clean fuel incentive program.
The project is scheduled alongside a planned maintenance outage, helping limit additional disruption. If completed on time, it could improve capacity and operating efficiency through targeted upgrades to existing assets.
How ALTO's Capacity Expansion Strategy Compares With PeersGevo, Inc. (GEVO - Free Report) is also advancing a debottlenecking project at its Gevo North Dakota facility to boost low-carbon ethanol output. In the first quarter of 2026, Gevo completed the necessary equipment tie-ins during a planned shutdown, enabling the project to progress without disrupting planned production. Gevo continues to target an annual low-carbon ethanol production capacity of about 75 million gallons beginning next year.
Green Plains Inc. (GPRE - Free Report) is prioritizing incremental improvements across its ethanol network through efficiency and reliability projects. To improve plant performance and lower carbon intensity, Green Plains is investing in low-energy distillation upgrades, grain storage and yield-enhancement projects. Green Plains is focused on optimizing operations across its broader production footprint.
ALTO Stock Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Alto Ingredients have surged 346.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 14.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, ALTO trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.43, lower than the industry’s average of 3.31.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Alto Ingredients’ 2026 and 2027 earnings per share implies a year-over-year rise of 671.4% and 53.7%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Alto Ingredients currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Petrobras dokončila převzetí Block 3 u São Tomé a Príncipe a stala se operátorem s 75% podílem. V oblasti chce vést seismické studie a další průzkum kvůli dlouhodobému růstu zásob.
Key Takeaways Petrobras completed the Block 3 deal and became the operator with a 75% participating interest.PBR will lead seismic studies, geological analysis and future exploration planning for Block 3.Petrobras sees Block 3 as part of its strategy to pursue long-term reserve growth internationally. Petrobras (PBR - Free Report) has officially completed the acquisition of the interest in operatorship of Block 3, an offshore exploration block located in the waters of São Tomé and Príncipe, Africa. The transaction marks another strategic milestone in the company's international exploration efforts, reinforcing its commitment to identifying high-potential oil and gas opportunities beyond Brazil.
With the acquisition finalized, Petrobras strengthens its role in one of West Africa's emerging exploration regions. The company will be able to evaluate new hydrocarbon prospects through its extensive offshore expertise. The development aligns with the company's broader objective of securing future energy resources and maintaining a balanced exploration portfolio.
Petrobras Takes Control of the Block 3 ConsortiumThe completion of the transaction results in a new consortium structure for Block 3. Brazil's largest oil and gas company has assumed the role of operator and now holds a 75% participating interest, giving it responsibility for managing all exploration activities and future operational decisions.
The remaining ownership is shared between Oranto, which holds a 15% stake, and the National Petroleum Agency of São Tomé and Príncipe, which retains the remaining 10% interest. This partnership combines Petrobras' technical capabilities with regional participation, creating a collaborative framework for advancing exploration in the offshore block.
As operator, Petrobras will oversee exploration planning, geological studies, seismic interpretation, environmental management and any future drilling programs undertaken within the concession area.
Why Block 3 Matters in West Africa's Energy LandscapeThe offshore basin surrounding São Tomé and Príncipe has attracted increasing attention from international energy companies over the past several years. Located within the Gulf of Guinea, the region shares geological characteristics with neighboring offshore provinces that have produced significant oil discoveries.
Although exploration activity remains at an earlier stage than in more established African producing regions, the basin offers considerable upside potential. Modern seismic technology and improved geological understanding continue to increase confidence in identifying commercially viable hydrocarbon systems across the area.
For Petrobras, entering Block 3 provides exposure to a frontier basin where successful exploration could unlock substantial long-term opportunities.
Leveraging Petrobras' Offshore Exploration ExpertisePetrobras has built a global reputation for developing complex offshore oil and gas projects, particularly in deepwater and ultra-deepwater environments. Decades of technological innovation have enabled the company to become one of the industry's leaders in offshore exploration and production.
Its experience includes advanced seismic imaging, reservoir evaluation, subsea engineering, floating production systems and high-efficiency drilling operations. These capabilities will play an important role in assessing the geological potential of Block 3.
The company's technical knowledge also supports efficient project planning by integrating geological interpretation with operational execution, helping reduce uncertainty during the exploration phase.
Supporting Reserve Growth Through International ExplorationMaintaining a healthy reserve base is essential for any integrated energy company seeking sustainable production over the coming decades. As producing fields mature, replacing reserves through new discoveries becomes increasingly important.
The Block 3 acquisition contributes to Petrobras' strategy of pursuing exploration opportunities capable of supporting future reserve additions. Rather than relying solely on existing producing assets, the company continues to evaluate frontier regions that offer meaningful long-term potential.
International projects complement Petrobras' domestic portfolio by providing access to diverse geological environments and expanding its inventory of exploration opportunities.
Expanding Petrobras' Global FootprintAlthough Brazil remains Petrobras' primary operating market, selective international expansion allows it to apply technical expertise in promising offshore regions around the world.
Africa continues to present attractive exploration opportunities due to its diverse geological basins and growing investment interest. By increasing its presence in São Tomé and Príncipe, Petrobras strengthens international portfolio while gaining access to an area with significant exploration potential.
This measured expansion strategy enables the company to diversify its asset base without compromising the disciplined investment philosophy.
What Comes Next for Block 3With the acquisition complete, Petrobras is expected to begin detailed technical evaluations of Block 3. The next phases will likely include seismic data interpretation, geological modeling, prospect identification and exploration planning aimed at determining the block's commercial potential.
If exploration results prove encouraging, future activities could progress toward exploratory drilling and resource appraisal. Each stage will be supported by technical analysis designed to improve understanding of the basin and identify prospects with the highest probability of success.
The timeline for these activities will depend on regulatory approvals, operational planning and exploration findings.
Petrobras Reinforces Its Long-Term Growth StrategyThe completion of the Block 3 acquisition represents more than an ownership transaction — this reflects Petrobras' continued commitment to expanding its exploration opportunities through carefully selected international investments. By becoming the operator with a 75% interest, the company gains greater control over exploration activities in one of Africa's promising offshore regions while leveraging decades of offshore expertise.
As Petrobras advances technical studies and exploration planning, Block 3 has the potential to become an important component of the company's future reserve growth strategy. Combined with its strong operational capabilities, disciplined investment approach and collaborative partnerships, this acquisition further strengthens Petrobras' position as a leading global offshore energy company focused on sustainable long-term development.
PBR's Zacks Rank & Key PicksCurrently, PBR has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Investors interested in the energy sector might consider some better-ranked stocks, such as Par Pacific (PARR - Free Report) , Paramount Resources (PRMRF - Free Report) , both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and Cenovus Energy (CVE - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Par Pacific is valued at 3.3 billion. It is an energy company that owns and operates refining, logistics and retail assets. Par Pacific operates across Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountain region.
Paramount Resources is valued at $2.9 billion. It is a Canadian energy producer focused on the exploration, development and production of natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids. Paramount Resources operates in Western Canada.
Cenovus Energy is valued at $49.12 billion. It is an integrated Canadian energy company engaged in oil sands production, conventional oil and natural gas development, refining and downstream operations. Cenovus Energy operates across North America.
FuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) shares climbed about 11% after the company appointed former Disney+ president Alisa Bowen as its new chief executive officer, replacing co-founder David Gandler.
The company announced that Bowen assumed the role on July 10, bringing nearly three decades of experience across media, digital products and operations.
She spent almost 10 years at The Walt Disney Company, where she most recently served as president of Disney+ and helped lead the expansion of Disney’s streaming businesses, including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
Before joining Disney, Bowen held leadership roles at News Corporation, Dow Jones and Thomson Reuters.
Fubo chairman Andy Bird said that Bowen’s appointment comes at a key point for the company following its combination with Hulu + Live TV last year. He highlighted her experience building streaming platforms and driving subscriber growth and profitability.
“Alisa is a proven operator who brings nearly 30 years of product, digital and operational experience, including leadership across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+,” Bird said.
“She has an established track record of driving global subscriber growth and profitability, and we look forward to benefiting from her experience and expertise as Fubo enters its next chapter.”
Bowen said that she intends to focus on expanding Fubo’s strategy across sports, news and entertainment while accelerating growth and profitability.
Gandler, who co-founded Fubo and led the company for 11 years, resigned from the board and will not stand for re-election at the company’s annual meeting on July 28.
The leadership transition follows Fubo’s integration with Hulu + Live TV, a move that expanded the company’s streaming offering and strengthened its relationship with Disney’s content ecosystem.
Planet Labs pokračuje v prudkém poklesu a akcie jsou na nejnižší úrovni od 19. března. Firma přitom v prvním čtvrtletí zvýšila tržby o 42 % na 94,2 milionu USD.
Planet Labs stock continued its strong downward trend last week, reaching its lowest level since March 19. PL has dropped by 50% from its highest point this year, with the market capitalization falling from over $18.40 billion in May to the current $9.28 billion, and technicals suggest that it has more downside to go.
The ongoing PL stock retreat has coincided with that of other companies in the space industry. SpaceX stock has plunged to a record low, while Rocket Lab fell by 47% from its highest point this year. The Procure Space ETF (UFO) dropped from the year-to-date high of $68.3 to $46.
PL stock has plunged in the past few weeks, even after the company published strong financial results. Its recent results showed that its revenue and backlog continued rising in the last quarter.
Planet Labs revenue jumped by 42% in the first quarter to $94.2 million, with the percentage of recurring annual contract value (ACV) soaring to 99%.
The company’s gross margin softened a bit to 54%, with its net loss soaring to $138.9 million from the $12.6 million it lost a year earlier. This loss jumped because of a $106 million revaluation loss from a change in fair value of warrant liabilities related to stock appreciation.
Planet Labs expects the company’s growth will continue in the foreseeable future, helped by the rising demand from government agencies and corporations. The average estimate among analysts is that its revenue jumped by 42% in the second quarter to $104 million, followed by 40% in the second quarter.
Planet Labs annual revenue is expected to continue rising by over 40% to $436 million, followed by $570 million next year. This growth will likely be because of the Pelican-11 satellite, which is designed to validate new technologies and capabilities in a bid to boost the quality of images.
Most notably, analysts expect the company will become profitable in the coming years. The average estimate is that the company will breakeven in terms of EPS as soon as next year.
Planet Labs stock has dropped because of the rising fears of dilution after the company entered an equity distribution plan to sell up to $1.5 billion of its Class A common stock from time to time. This likely explains why the company has a short interest of 12.4%.
Planet Labs stock chart | Source: TradingView
The daily chart shows that the Planet Labs stock has been in a freefall in the past few weeks, moving from a high of $51.60 in May to the current $26.
It is attempting to drop below the key support level of $26.25, a move that will invalidate the forming of the double-bottom pattern.
It is attempting to move below the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA), which are about to cross each other, forming a mini death cross.
The stock will likely continue falling, potentially to the key support level at $20, down by 23% from the current level. It will likely bounce back later this year as investors rotate back to space companies.
READ MORE: Wedbush makes a strong case for buying the dip in Planet Labs stock
Berger Montague podala na Futu Holdings hromadnou žalobu kvůli údajným regulatorním sankcím. Akcie po zveřejnění klesly o 27,5 % a poté o dalších 4,8 %.
, /PRNewswire/ -- National plaintiffs' law firm Berger Montague PC announces a class action lawsuit against Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU) ("Futu" or the "Company") on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired Futu securities during the period from May 24, 2023 through May 27, 2026 (the "Class Period").
Investor Deadline: Investors who purchased or acquired Futu securities during the Class Period may, no later than August 25, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. To learn your rights, CLICK HERE.
Futu, headquartered in Hong Kong, is an online brokerage company that provides securities trading, investment, and wealth management services to retail investors.
On May 22, 2026, Reuters reported that the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and seven other government agencies had launched a crackdown targeting brokers allegedly operating without approval. Futu subsequently disclosed that it had received a Notification Letter from the CSRC proposing approximately RMB1.85 billion (approximately US$271 million) in confiscation of alleged illegal gains and fines, as well as a proposed personal fine against the Company's founder and CEO, Li Hua.
Following these disclosures, Futu's stock price fell $34.10 per share, or 27.5%.
Then, on May 28, 2026, Futu disclosed quarterly financial results reflecting the proposed regulatory penalties in its reported earnings, including approximately RMB470 million in confiscation of alleged illegal gains and approximately RMB1.38 billion in fines recorded as "Others, net."
Following this disclosure, the Company's stock price declined an additional $5.31 per share, or 4.8%.
If you are a Futu investor and would like to learn more about this action, CLICK HERE or please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at [email protected] or (215) 875-3015, or Caitlin Adorni at [email protected] or (267) 764-4865.
About Berger Montague
Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. With more than $2.4 billion in 2025 post-trial judgments alone, the Firm is a leader in the fields of complex litigation, antitrust, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For over 55 years, Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago; Malvern, PA; Minneapolis; San Diego; San Francisco; Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.
For more information or to discuss your rights, please contact:
Andrew Abramowitz
Berger Montague
(215) 875-3015
[email protected]
FAA opět povolila SpaceX létat se Starship poté, co firma určila pravděpodobnou příčinu květnového selhání stupně Super Heavy. Další test může přijít už ve čtvrtek a ponese první satelity Starlink třetí generace.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared SpaceX to fly Starship prototypes again, after the company identified the probable cause of the failure of the rocket system’s booster stage during a flight in May.
SpaceX said over the weekend that the next flight of Starship could happen as soon as this Thursday, July 16. It would be the second-ever launch of the third version, or V3, of Starship. SpaceX also said that this Starship will carry the first third-generation Starlink satellites to space. Previously, Starship had only carried dummy versions of the larger, more powerful internet satellites.
This is SpaceX’s second test flight of its Starship system, and its first as a public company, testing the market’s appetite for the company’s “fly, fail, fix” approach to rocket development that often ends in fireballs — or, as CEO Elon Musk calls the explosions: “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” SpaceX completed its IPO and publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange on June 12, making it one of the 10 most valuable companies in the world and raising nearly $86 billion, a record.
SpaceX’s first test launch of the V3 Starship on May 22 was largely successful. The company’s Super Heavy booster lifted the 407-foot rocket into space before the upper stage section separated and deployed 20 satellite simulators along with two modified Starlinks that recorded footage of the Starship exterior.
The new third-generation booster was supposed to return to Earth and perform a simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico. But its engines didn’t properly re-ignite, and it instead plummeted into the water below.
The problem happened at that moment of booster separation, according to SpaceX and the FAA. SpaceX said in a post published over the weekend that “slight differences in engine startup on the ship” caused the Booster to turn 90 degrees in the wrong direction. SpaceX said it has modified this engine startup sequence to allow the booster to “more reliably flip in the desired direction” and that the booster has been modified to “improve re-light reliability.”
The FAA said in a statement Monday that the most probable root causes of the Super Heavy booster failure were “heat effects on propulsion system components during the [rocket’s] ascent and erroneous engine alarm system settings.” SpaceX said in its post that it has made changes to Starship’s engine alarm and abort systems that should reduce the chance of a similar failure in the future.
While the first upper stage of Starship V3 was able to successfully deploy its test payload in May and simulate a landing in the Gulf — a milestone SpaceX had struggled to reach before — it also did so while losing one of the three Raptor engines that are meant to be used in the vacuum of space. SpaceX said over the weekend that it has made “[s]everal hardware and operational modifications” to prevent this from happening again.
This next Starship test flight will see the company launch the first of its V3 Starlink satellites to space, which are supposed to increase the satellite network’s capacity and user speeds. SpaceX is planning to deploy 20 of these new satellites during the launch. They are designed to connect with the larger Starlink constellation “via high-capacity lasers” and then burn up in the atmosphere roughly 20 minutes after they are deployed, according to SpaceX. Six of them will be equipped with cameras to photograph the exterior of Starship.
The V3 versions of both Starship and Starlink are crucial to SpaceX’s future. Starlink was the only profitable part of SpaceX’s business in the run-up to its IPO, and SpaceX needs Starship to become a fully reusable rocket system to even attempt its galaxy-brained plans for space-based data centers and interplanetary travel.
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Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.
You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.
Meta tlačí inzerenty do nástrojů s AI, ale kampaně pak často generují nesmyslné obrázky a úpravy produktů. Inzerenti říkají, že musejí každou kampaň ručně kontrolovat, aby se AI omylem nezapnula.
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Meta is pushing advertisers to use its AI tools — and results are proving chaotic: strangely twisted limbs, gibberish writing, or entirely changed products.
Meta's response to brands: That's on you, not us.
The tech giant has inserted a slew of AI features into its ad products in recent months. Working as designed, they can help make tweaks to ads that improve their likelihood of being clicked. But advertisers say the tools are clunky and generate misrepresentations and absurdities.
Business Insider spoke with eight advertisers and agency execs who said dealing with Meta AI problems had become routine.
Jessica Gleim, an ads consultant who works with female-founded brands, told Business Insider she regularly sees odd outcomes in Meta's AI creative recommendations for ads she's working on.
For one of her clients, a pajama brand, Meta recommended new assets that altered the actual product. The brand was promoting a pajama dress, and Meta suggested a new image with a shirt and pants. For another client, a networking group for women in Montana, Meta had a new vision for those ads: adding men.
Meta AI's suggested changes to a women's group ad included adding a man. BI "It's not usable to help my clients grow their business," Gleim said.
While some of Meta's AI ad features are turned off by default, advertisers say they have been prone to bugs that accidentally turn them on. Karissa Tuccio, executive director of social and influencer at Mediassociates, said a bug that toggled AI settings on had regularly affected most of the 15 clients for whom she handles Meta advertising. She said she had flagged the bug to her Meta rep as recently as Thursday.
Meta's AI completely changed the product in this suggested ad tweak that Gleim encountered. BI Outdoor retailer REI drew consumer backlash last month for running an Instagram ad depicting a nonsensical bike with two handlebars. REI said Meta had "auto-enrolled" it in an AI feature that spat out an "inaccurate" and "inappropriate" image.
A Meta spokesperson said that the company's terms of service state that "AI can make mistakes and that it is the advertiser's responsibility to review the AI outputs."
Advertisers' chief complaint about Meta's AI ad tools is simple: They feel they have to double-check all the AI features for each campaign to make sure nothing is inadvertently switched on or has gone haywire. With some advertisers and agencies running hundreds or thousands of ads at any given time, the extra steps required to wrangle the AI tools create more work.
REI's AI ad accident drew a big online backlash from customers. BI "We somehow accepted that as a new standard operating procedure," said Rok Hladnik, CEO of the marketing agency Flat Circle, which manages around $200 million in annual Meta ad spending for numerous direct-to-consumer brands.
Brands and advertisers say that while AI failures can be an amusing talking point on the internet, they can pose real problems for a brand.
"When the AI starts generating weird creative or making unapproved changes, it can quietly damage brand perception — especially for anyone who cares about consistency," said Robert Webster, CEO of TAU Marketing, which manages around $500 million in annual ad spending across various platforms.
A Valentine's Day surpriseAround Valentine's Day, photographer and marketer Abigail Hogue was uploading an ad campaign to Meta. She works with a small business, Quite Literally Books, and had shot the creative assets for the holiday campaign with chocolates, macarons, candles, and books. Hogue was proud of the work she'd done.
"About 12 hours later, when everything was approved and started to run, I started getting some messages from friends and people that I knew and screenshots of some of these ads that were running, cheekily accusing me of AI slop," Hogue said.
The text on the products in the images was "garbled," and the "actual products look like knockoff iterations of themselves," she said.
Abigail Hogue was horrified at how Meta's AI altered her ad. Quite Literally Books; BI When Hogue saw the AI ad, she went into a panic and edited the campaign in Meta's Ads Manager, turned off all AI creative enhancements, and then republished the ads.
She then spent hours in a back-and-forth with Meta customer service. Representatives told her it was a "sporadic" and "one-off occurrence," and also said it was a "glitch," according to screenshots of their exchange viewed by Business Insider. She requested a refund, and Meta acknowledged her request. Quite Literally Books said it hadn't received a refund as of Friday afternoon.
Other advertisers have told Business Insider about their strange Meta AI ads, ranging from an unrealistic granny in loungewear to a model whose leg appeared to be completely bent the wrong way.
Luke Jonas, chief growth officer of the marketing agency Nest Commerce, emphasized the importance of keeping a human in the loop when testing AI-generated ads.
"A machine optimizing for 6 million advertisers will occasionally give you two handlebars," Jonas said, referencing the REI ad.
While two advertisers said Meta appeared to have fixed a bug that was toggling AI settings on for their clients, Mediassociates' Tuccio said a similar issue persisted for her as of last week.
Tuccio said a Meta rep told her last week that Meta had developed a quality-control dashboard for big advertisers to ensure their ads don't go live with unwanted AI enhancements.
"She mentioned, 'If you guys have a big launch coming up, you can send me all the ad IDs, and we have an internal dash that will check to make sure all of the enhancements have been fully turned off,'" Tuccio said. "So that leads me to believe it has not been resolved."
'Meta's still the best platform'Starting last month, Meta began automatically applying an "AI info label" to ads when they use its AI tools — or third-party tools like Midjourney or Dall-E — to create or significantly edit their ads. To see it, users must click the three dots above an ad, select "about this ad," and then tap on "AI info." Google added labels last week to indicate whether ads were created or edited using AI.
Meta is also improving its AI image generation models. Last week, it began rolling out Muse Image, a model developed by its Superintelligence Labs, which can help advertisers develop their creative assets. (Following backlash, Meta on Friday removed a feature in Muse Image that let users generate AI images from other people's public Instagram posts, saying it "missed the mark.")
Still, advertisers say Meta's basic design encourages relinquishing control to the system, which can lead to disastrous results.
"The defaults are aggressive, the toggles are easy to miss, and the system is clearly designed to reduce friction so more money flows through the platform with less manual intervention," TAU's Webster said.
Meta says "millions of advertisers are finding value and improved performance using our Advantage+ creative tools to support ad creation." The Meta spokesperson added that the company's AI image generation tool, which creates variations based on a seed image provided by the advertiser, is turned off by default.
Meta isn't alone in automatically modifying advertisers' creative. Google's Performance Max and AI Max products also use AI to scrape ad copy from brand websites and automatically crop or shorten videos for placements such as YouTube Shorts. Some of these AI automation features are enabled by default, though Google has largely avoided the kind of high-profile issues Meta has seen.
Danny Weisman, cofounder of Obsessed Media, said the main complaint he's heard about Google from brands is that ads made with its AI tools could turn out looking "ugly."
"It's not like someone's hand is missing," he said.
Meta's ad business, which pulled in around $196 billion in revenue last year, remains essential to most brands' customer acquisition strategies. Its reach of 3.5 billion daily active users and highly sophisticated ad targeting platform make it difficult to quit, even if problems arise.
"That means it can make unpopular decisions that boost its own profits with near impunity, because most advertisers cannot realistically walk away," TAU's Webster said.
Then there's the simple truth: Meta ads generally get results.
"Meta's still the best platform," Gleim said. "It has the most robust options. It has the most data."
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Lara O'Reilly You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Lara O'Reilly is the anchor of the CMO Insider newsletter.She is a senior correspondent who has covered the digital advertising, marketing, and media industries since 2010. Her current beat includes big tech companies like Alphabet, and Meta, and adtech firms, agencies, publishers, the creator economy, and CMOs.Lara has previously worked as a reporter and executive producer at titles including The Wall Street Journal, Digiday, Yahoo Finance, and Marketing Week. She was previously Business Insider's senior global advertising editor from 2014 to 2017.Lara was named "Digital Journalist of the Year" by the London Press Club in 2016.Lara is a regular guest on TV and radio and has appeared on outlets such as the BBC, NPR, SiriusXM's Wharton Business Daily, and CTV Television Network. She also frequently speaks on stage at major events such as Web Summit, IFA, VivaTech, Advertising Week, and Cannes Lions.To get in touch with Lara O'Reilly, email [email protected] or contact her on Signal at @loreilly.71Check out Insider's source guide for tips on sharing information securely.Read some of Lara's recent work below:
Inside Amazon's plan to clobber rivals The Trade Desk and Google in a key area of advertisingMeet Cindy Rose, the former lawyer and top Microsoft exec set to become CEO of ad giant WPPHow X CEO Linda Yaccarino went from Elon Musk's fixer to out of a job in 2 yearsInside the political reckoning shaking up the ad industryMeet the 'reclusive' tech billionaire making an audacious bid to buy TikTokTop marketers are under a ton of pressure. They told me how they're trying to make themselves recession-proof.Big Tech workers got too used to perks. The pampering is over.
Sydney Bradley You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Sydney Bradley has been covering media and tech for Business Insider since 2020. She breaks news and writes extensively about Instagram and Facebook, as well as new platforms and startups shaping social media, dating apps, the creator economy, venture capital, and tech culture.Sydney's reporting on Instagram was nominated as a finalist for the 2021 Los Angeles Press Club National Entertainment Journalism Awards.She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in American Studies. You can follow Sydney's work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at @sydneykbradley.Have a tip? You can also contact her via encrypted messaging app Signal (@sydneykbradley.123), encrypted email ([email protected]), or standard email ([email protected]). Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.Selected stories:
Young founders are going viral modeDeath isn't the end: Meta patented an AI that lets you keep posting from beyond the graveDating apps are betting millions that AI will convince you to fall back in love with themHitting the social media jackpot is harder than ever — and it's changing the creator economyBig Tech's AI obsession is rattling creatorsNew startups race to bring back the 'old internet' vibes of the 2000sThe mysterious demise of a $1 billion social shopping appThe loneliness epidemic has given rise to a new crop of startups aiming to help people connect in real lifeIt's not just you — no one is posting on social media anymoreHow Instagram's unpredictable changes are giving influencers whiplashWhy YouTube subscriber counts have become an unreliable 'vanity metric' in the era of short videoInside the week that changed Facebook forever
Lucia Moses You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Lucia Moses covers the media and entertainment business, with a focus on creators. She's broken stories about MrBeast's business ambitions, Google's movie initiative, and Netflix's push into podcasts.Her reporting has won the Los Angeles Press Club's National Entertainment Journalism Awards.She previously worked at Digiday and Adweek and graduated from Cornell University.Reach her at [email protected], X at @lmoses, LinkedIn, or via phone/text/Signal at (917) 209-8549.Popular articles
MrBeast tries to cut down on his massive spending without killing the magicTikToker Khaby Lame's $975 million deal is riding on a crashing stockActors speak out against AI-generated promos that put them in fake sex scenesRob McElhenney is betting on himselfDisney has a kid crisisWhy Hollywood should be terrified of YouTube, not NetflixAmazon Studios is growing fast and spending big on shows like 'Citadel,' but insiders say unclear creative direction, leadership shifts, and tech bureaucracy threaten to drive away staff and talent
Meta po několika dnech stáhla novou funkci AI obrázků na Instagramu, která se automaticky zapínala u veřejných účtů, po silné kritice kvůli soukromí. Společnost uvedla, že už není dostupná.
Meta yanked its new Instagram AI image feature – which automatically opted in photos from all public accounts – just a few days after launch following heated backlash over privacy concerns.
“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said in a statement Friday.
“We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available.”
Meta yanked its new Instagram AI image feature just a few days after launch following heated backlash. ZUMAPRESS.com The Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp owner last Tuesday launched Muse Image, its first AI image generator meant to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Google’s Nano Banana 2.
Meta’s Superintelligence Labs folded the new bot into Instagram and automatically enrolled all public accounts, meaning anyone on the internet could simply tag your username in an AI prompt and generate an image using your likeness.
Instagram accounts would not be notified about content created using the AI image tool, so your photos and videos could be transformed by other users without your knowledge – unless you manually turned off the feature in settings.
“This is diabolical,” one user wrote in a post on X, complaining that they were unable to turn off the feature. “It keeps automatically toggling it back on. I can’t turn it off unless I go private.”
Another user complained: “Basically now anyone can clone your voice, face easily on Insta. And even if you figure this privacy setting out and switch it off, some are reporting it turns on by itself. So I have a simple recommendation as always. Stop using Meta’s products.”
Many online blasted Meta for automatically enrolling public accounts, with one writing, “Classic Instagram making us do homework just to keep our privacy,” while another wrote, “If a feature requires harvesting my identity, it should never start as a ‘yes.’”
Others argued that Meta had likely automatically enrolled accounts because the public remains skeptical of artificial intelligence.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives for a trial over whether social media apps are deliberately addictive for children in Los Angeles on Feb. 18. AP Photo/Ryan Sun “AI features like this in Meta and Google services are opt in by default because they get to show their reports as NUMBER GO UP, after pouring billions into AI that NO ONE WANTS!” one infuriated user wrote.
“Damn theyre [sic] trying real hard to force their slop down eveyrone’s [sic] throat,” another jibed.
Yet another asked: “How is there not 1 [sic] sensible human on that leadership team to say, ‘Oh wait, our customers hate this slop. Maybe we shouldn’t force it on them?’”
People also shared difficulties turning off the feature through the web browser version of Instagram, saying they needed to download the app to opt-out of the tool.
Emmy-winning actor and “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder slammed the feature in a post on Instagram, as did SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and workers.
After Meta scrapped the feature, a spokesperson for the union said: “With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do.”
It’s not the first AI image generator to face backlash, after Elon Musk’s Grok launched a similar tool earlier this year.
His AI company is currently facing a class-action lawsuit and an EU privacy investigation after Grok allowed users to “nudify” images of real women and children on social-media platform X.
Apple reportedly privately threatened to remove Grok from its App Store in January over the deepfake controversy.
SummaryTesla, Inc. delivered 480,126 vehicles, exceeding consensus by 18%, while deliveries outpaced production, signaling healthy inventory reduction ahead of earnings.Consecutive EPS surprises, including a 17.15% Q1 beat, alongside consistent revenue outperformance have strengthened confidence in Tesla's near-term fundamentals.Analysts continue raising TSLA forecasts, with Q2 EPS estimates up 8.89% and revenue expectations climbing 4.8% over the past month.Consensus projects newer vehicle deliveries to surge 546% by FY30, supporting a higher-margin product mix beyond the mature Model 3/Y lineup.Robotaxi expansion, regulatory scrutiny, and widely dispersed earnings estimates remain key TSLA risks that could challenge Tesla's long-term valuation assumptions. LPETTET/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Investment Thesis The market has finally started to catch up with what has been happening at Tesla, Inc. (TSLA). While it was skeptical about the stock during the last few months due to
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Coca-Cola mění digitální nástroje v klíčovou součást zapojení zákazníků a propojuje obaly s interaktivními zážitky i daty o nákupním chování. Data zároveň řídí inovace, cílený marketing a lokální kampaně napříč značkami.
Key Takeaways Coca-Cola is making digital capabilities core pillars of its consumer engagement strategy.Connected packaging links interactive experiences with insights, purchases and retailer campaigns.Consumer data guides innovation, targeted marketing and localized campaigns across global brands. The Coca-Cola Company's (KO - Free Report) digital transformation is evolving from a marketing support tool into a core pillar of its consumer engagement strategy. In first-quarter 2026, management repeatedly emphasized that digital capabilities are helping the company become more consumer-centric by delivering greater precision in how it reaches, understands and serves consumers. Rather than relying on broad campaigns, Coca-Cola is using data, personalization and connected experiences to strengthen engagement and encourage repeat purchases.
A key element of this strategy is connected packaging. Through the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour campaign, consumers can scan Coca-Cola packages to access interactive experiences, games, music, ticket giveaways and personalized content. Beyond driving engagement, these interactions provide valuable consumer insights that help Coca-Cola tailor future campaigns and product offerings more effectively. Management believes that this creates a direct link between brand engagement and purchase behavior while strengthening retailer partnerships through transaction-focused campaigns.
Digital capabilities also complement Coca-Cola's broader "4 I's" framework of insights, innovation, intimacy and integrated execution. Consumer data is shaping product innovation, such as the launch of Coca-Cola Zero Zero in Europe after identifying that many consumers seek caffeine-free beverages during evening occasions. The company is pairing these insights with targeted packaging, pricing and marketing to improve trial and repeat purchases. Similar localized digital campaigns support Sprite, Fuze Tea and regional brands across the global markets.
Importantly, Coca-Cola is embedding digital engagement across its distribution network rather than limiting it to marketing. Management noted that digital tools are helping connect consumers, retailers and bottling partners while improving execution at scale. As Coca-Cola continues integrating personalized experiences with its extensive global reach, its digital investments could deepen consumer relationships, improve campaign effectiveness and create a stronger platform for sustained long-term engagement.
Is Digital Push Driving Growth for PEP & MNST?Digital engagement is becoming a key competitive battleground in the beverage industry, prompting investors to assess whether PepsiCo Inc. (PEP - Free Report) and Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST - Free Report) are converting technology investments into stronger consumer growth.
PepsiCo is strengthening consumer engagement by combining digital activation with major global partnerships and personalized brand experiences. The company plans to leverage its FIFA, UEFA Champions League and Formula 1 sponsorships to create incremental consumer occasions, while expanding engagement through customized communications tailored to local markets and celebrations. It is also increasing consumer interactions around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reinforcing digital and experiential marketing as key drivers of brand relevance and long-term growth.
Monster Beverage is using digital transformation primarily to strengthen its commercial and operational capabilities while supporting consumer engagement through expanding e-commerce and innovation. The company reported record monthly sales at a key online retailer in March and said that it is modernizing enterprise platforms, commercial operations and supply chains through its digital transformation initiative, including an SAP S/4HANA upgrade. These efforts aim to enhance execution, improve consumer reach and support long-term growth.
Zacks Rundown for Coca-ColaKO shares have rallied 19.4% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 12.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Coca-Cola is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.69X, higher than the industry’s 19.25X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 8.7% and 6.9%, respectively. Earnings estimates for both 2026 and 2027 have been unchanged in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Coca-Cola currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Alphabet zvýšil letošní kapitálové výdaje na 180 až 190 miliard USD a varuje, že v roce 2027 výrazně porostou. Volný peněžní tok v 1. čtvrtletí klesl na 10,116 miliardy USD, meziročně o 46,63 %.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG | GOOG Price Prediction) told investors on its Q1 2026 earnings call that it now expects to spend $180 billion to $190 billion on capital expenditures this year, raised from a prior range of $175 billion to $185 billion. That is guidance, not a reported result. Management also said 2027 CapEx will “significantly increase compared to 2026.”
The company that built a nearly $2 trillion valuation on high-margin advertising is now pouring an ad-industry’s worth of cash into AI infrastructure every twelve months. If the company can grow its overall advertising revenue toward the $1 trillion level as many think is possible, this is a stock that’s trading at a relatively cheap level, though the jury remains out on this front.
What It Means Alphabet spent $35.67 billion on capex in a single quarter, more than double the year-ago figure. As a result, free cash flow unsurprisingly fell to $10.116 billion, down 46.63% year over year.
For a business that historically converted ad dollars into cash at industry-leading rates, that swing is the story behind the story. The bull rebuttal is that ads are still growing. That’s evidenced by Search and Other revenue climbed 19% to $60.4 billion, and consolidated revenue reached $109.9 billion, up 22%.
That said, I do think the overall revenue and earnings growth mix supporting the company’s fundamentals may be fraying. Google Network advertising fell 4% to roughly $7 billion. YouTube ad growth cooled to 11%. And CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the company is “compute constrained in the near term“, adding that “cloud revenue would have been higher if you were able to meet the demand.” The ad monopoly is funding an infrastructure war it did not choose.
Market Reaction Shares are up 13.65% year to date, closing at $356.18 on July 2, 2026, from $313.39 to end 2025. Over one year the stock has risen 98.71%. However, momentum has stalled recently, with a one-month stock price change of -0.56%, and Reddit chatter in late June was dominated by a post asking “Why did GOOG stock fall so much?” that drew 335 upvotes and 338 comments in r/investing.
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Bear Case Three data points define the risk. First, the ad engine is uneven. Google Network revenue fell from $7,256 million to $6,971 million year over year, and YouTube’s 11% growth is a step down from the pace investors have priced in.
Second, the cash cost of defending Search is exploding. Free cash flow at $10.116 billion against Q1 capex of $35.67 billion is a compression the ad business has never had to absorb. Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler flagged upside from Gemini raising ad coverage above the historical 20% of queries, but that upside is the assumption, not the reported outcome.
Third, sentiment is fragile at the top of the AI food chain. Reddit sentiment cratered to 39 (bearish) on June 23 after the departure of AI researchers to competitors, including Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer to IPO-bound OpenAI. Prediction markets on Polymarket give Alphabet only a 15.5% probability of finishing 2026 as the largest company in the world by market cap, and only a 5.3% probability of holding that spot on July 31, 2026.
Vanguard’s 2026 outlook, meanwhile, warns of the “typical underestimation of creative destruction from new entrants into the sector, which erodes aggregate profitability” in tech-heavy growth stocks. Alphabet earned $132.17 billion in 2025 net income on $402.96 billion in revenue. Defending that base against generative AI substitution now costs a rising share of it.
Bottom Line Long-term holders should watch two lines: -Google Network’s return to growth (or a second quarter of decline), and free cash flow, which cannot stay near $10 billion a quarter if capex heads toward $190 billion annually and beyond in 2027. Alphabet raised its dividend 5% to $0.22 per share and paid on June 15, 2026, so shareholders are still getting a raise. They are also underwriting the largest infrastructure buildout in the company’s history to protect an ad franchise that is starting to show hairline cracks.
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AMD posiluje spolupráci s 5C na výstavbě datacenter nové generace a tím se podle článku přibližuje přímé konkurenci NVIDIA. Dohoda rozšiřuje její roli z dodavatele hardwaru na komplexního hráče v oblasti AI infrastruktury.
It’s not so much that Advanced Micro Devices’NASDAQ: AMD 5C partnership changes the narrative as it strengthens and accelerates it. The deal to collaborate on next-gen data center construction amounts to the missing link in a chain of events that positions the company as a viable, direct competitor to NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA.
Advanced Micro Devices Today
AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
$541.38 -16.51 (-2.96%)
As of 12:27 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$141.90▼
$584.73P/E Ratio177.15
Price Target$458.92
Up until now, AMD was a hardware vendor working hard to develop a full AI stack. Now, the company is a full-stack operator that not only produces AI-capable GPUs, the CPUs to drive their operations, and rack-scale server solutions, but also delivers large-scale, hyperscale next-gen data centers for targeted (custom) markets.
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Some takeaways for investors to consider include the newly acquired addressable market share. Advanced Micro Devices can deliver next-gen data centers equipped with the most advanced cooling systems and efficiency ratings on a turnkey basis, in NVIDIA’s home territory. The 5C collaboration also improves long-term visibility, as AMD hardware anchors massive datacenter buildouts already underway in Ohio and Memphis. More importantly, the move sets AMD up as a premier vendor to the neocloud industry, enabling it to turn around datacenter investments quickly—to monetize AI, the goal of so many tech companies today.
Analyst Sentiment Trends Strengthen: AMD to $700 This YearAlthough no revisions or changes in sentiment were triggered by the news, analysts responded well, strengthening conviction in the trend. They view the move as a positive step, strategically positioning the company as a co-architect of AI infrastructure, elevating it from a mere hardware vendor. This makes AMD a viable alternative to NVIDIA, with demand metrics suggesting more than enough room for both to operate. Not only is GPU demand exceeding capacity, but AMD’s product provides advantages that make it well-suited for inference.
Current Price$530.68High Forecast$700.00Average Forecast$458.92Low Forecast$235.00Advanced Micro Devices Stock Forecast Details
As it stands, MarketBeat tracks 44 analysts with current coverage and strong tailwinds within the data. Analyst coverage is increasing; the number of analysts covering AMD is quickly approaching NVIDIA’s 54. Analyst sentiment is also firming, and the consensus price target is trending higher.
The Moderate Buy rating comes with a 68% Buy-side bias, and while the consensus price target lags price action as of mid-July, the trend points to the high end of $700, 25% upside from the early-July highs.
Institutions, the visible reflection of analysts' sentiment, own more than 70% of the stock, have accumulated on a trailing 12-month basis, and ramped buying activity to more than $2 to $1 in early Q3.
Valuation and Execution Remain AMD's Key Risks Amid Hypergrowth ForecastsRisks for AMD remain the same: valuation and execution. Advanced Micro Devices' Q2 rally priced in a significant growth surge, putting the stock at a high 75x the current-year outlook.
However, even in this scenario, the price-to-earnings (P/E) valuation will fall to value levels within four years, and the forward forecasts are far too low despite their robust nature. Forecasts suggest accelerating double-digit hypergrowth over the next two to three years, with revenue reaching $200 billion early in the next decade. Assuming AMD’s AI empire experiences demand comparable to NVIDIA's, its annualized revenue will hit $200 billion within the next few quarters, soon after the MI450 and Helios releases.
Advanced Micro Devices Has a Major Catalyst AheadAMD’s Q2 2026 earnings report could provide several catalysts. Not only is revenue expected to surge by 50%, but growth will likely outperform MarketBeat’s reported consensus, and then there is the guidance. The guidance will likely include news about the MI450 lineup, hyperscale demand, and forecasts that include MI450 sales. Assuming the news confirms strong demand, AMD shares are set to rally and could advance significantly in a very short time.
The technical setup is robust. AMD’s share price advanced approximately 185% in the April-June timeframe, producing strong MACD convergences and extreme peaks on the weekly and monthly charts. The signals reveal a market as strong as it’s ever been, one that is strengthening ahead of its catalyst. In this scenario, new highs are likely and can trigger another wave of capital inflows. Technical targets equate to the rally’s magnitude, approximately $350, putting this stock in the $900 range within months of the fresh high.
AMD’s long-term outlook is equally robust. The company is well-established in other AI-critical markets including embedded, personal computing, and the edge. With this in play, the company has several growth engines to drive revenue in upcoming years, with the AI application age only just beginning. Boiled down, AI applications are the single largest growth driver for the business, affecting demand across segments. The high-volume nature of inference makes it dependent on high-efficiency hardware, a key advantage provided by AMD, with many applications already moving to the edge.
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Nvidia odmítla zprávy o zpoždění architektury Kyber a uvedla, že plán zůstává beze změny, s uvedením na trh ve druhé polovině roku 2027. Akcie otevřely 6. července na 194,42 USD a 10. července uzavřely na 210,96 USD.
On July 5, the semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis company SemiAnalysis issued a statement suggesting that Nvidia (NVDA 2.39%) could be facing a more than one-year delay in an important product launch.
The chipmaker was quick to respond, and the stock price has climbed since CEO Jensen Huang's company issued a statement that pushed back against those claims.
Image source: Getty Images.
Nvidia's response to the Kyber delay claim The reporting suggested Nvidia's Kyber rack architecture, which is designed to pack 144 of the company's GPUs into a single server so that they can work as one powerful system, was experiencing delays that would push its launch out to 2028.
Nvidia responded, telling Yahoo! Finance that the roadmap for Kyber was still "intact," which would put its launch window in the second half of 2027. The market appeared to absorb the initial news without any major fallout for the stock price. Shares of Nvidia opened at $194.42 on July 6 and closed at $210.96 on July 10. The chipmaker maintains its position as the world's most valuable publicly traded company by market cap.
During the period when the talk of a potential Kyber delay was circulating, however, another surprise was unfolding.
The challenges of being successful Nvidia has been the face of the AI trade; as of this writing, the stock price is up more than 900% over the past five years. But even as the chipmaker keeps beating expectations in its quarterly earnings reports, the bar has been set so high from its previous successes that it's becoming increasingly difficult for it to impress the markets.
Nvidia recently traded at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.2; the last time its forward P/E was around that level was in June 2019.
At first glance, that seems like a disconnect. Unlike in 2019, there is now an active race to win AI, with companies spending hundreds of billions of dollars each year on AI infrastructure.
Nvidia is generating more revenue than it ever has before, and demand for its wares is not slowing down. Yet its future earnings are still being valued at roughly the same level on a medium-term basis as they were in 2019. There is, however, a valid reason why the markets are becoming less bullish on Nvidia.
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What the market is saying Nvidia is clearly a dominant player in the AI hardware space, but what the market is asking now is, how much future growth is there left for it to capture? The forward P/E isn't so much a knock on Nvidia's operations, but rather a question of how much bigger the world's largest company can get.
As all AI roads still mostly run through Nvidia, it's a company that can still reward long-term shareholders. The caveat, however, is that investors should keep their expectations reasonable. As of the start of this month, the entire value of the U.S. stock market was about $75 trillion.
Nvidia's market cap is now about $5 trillion. If it were to climb by another 900% (as it did over the last five years), it would be worth $50 trillion. That would be an unreasonable share of the economy for any company to hold, showing why maintaining rapid growth from here will be far more of a challenge than it previously was.
AT&T a Ericsson předvedly živý test detekce dronů přes 5G mimo AT&T Stadium s využitím Massive MIMO a AI. Síť dokázala v reálném čase sledovat polohu, výšku i rychlost více dronů, které létaly ve výšce 300 až 400 stop.
Key Takeaways T demonstrated live 5G drone detection with Ericsson using Massive MIMO radios outside AT&T Stadium.AT&T used AI and signal processing to track drone location, altitude and speed in real time.T plans to advance network sensing with Ericsson for enterprises, governments and public venues. AT&T Inc. (T - Free Report) , in collaboration with Ericsson (ERIC - Free Report) , has demonstrated advanced drone detection during a live trial outside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The initiative highlighted how AT&T’s existing 5G infrastructure can support real-time environmental sensing, marking a key step toward future 6G capabilities.
AT&T used Ericsson's Massive MIMO radios to detect, locate and track multiple drones flying at altitudes of 300 to 400 feet. AI-powered sensing and advanced signal processing enabled the network to generate real-time information on each drone's location, altitude and speed. The trial showed how the company's existing 5G network can enhance monitoring for large venues, critical infrastructure and public-sector applications without the need for dedicated sensing systems.
The project reflects AT&T's efforts to expand sensing capabilities through software enhancements and advanced radio technologies. The company also sees network-based sensing improving event operations by providing better visibility into vehicle movement, enhancing coordination of temporary infrastructure and increasing public-sector awareness of low-altitude drone activity.
AT&T will continue working with Ericsson to advance Integrated Sensing and Communication. The collaboration aims to expand practical network sensing applications for enterprises, governments and major public venues while supporting the evolution of next-generation wireless technologies.
How Are Competitors Performing to Improve Connectivity?AT&T faces stiff competition from Verizon Communications, Inc. (VZ - Free Report) and T-Mobile, US, Inc. (TMUS - Free Report) . Verizon is strengthening its connectivity by expanding its 5G network, enhancing fiber infrastructure and using AI to optimize network performance. The company is advancing private 5G and edge computing solutions to deliver faster, more reliable and secure connectivity. Verizon’s strong network meets the growing demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
T-Mobile is improving connectivity by enhancing its nationwide 5G network and expanding coverage to more areas. The company is growing its T-Satellite service to help customers stay connected in places without traditional cellular coverage. T-Mobile has expanded its collaboration with Qualcomm to accelerate the evolution from 5G Advanced to 6G.
T’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesAT&T shares have lost 22.2% over the past year against the industry’s growth of 94.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AT&T trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 1.11, below the industry tally of 8.87.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for 2026 have increased 0.4% to $2.32 over the past 60 days, while the same for 2027 have increased 0.4% to $2.54.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AT&T currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Bank of America (BAC) oznámí výsledky za 2Q26 14. července; výnosy mají meziročně vzrůst o 15,7 % na 30,62 miliardy USD a EPS na 1,13 USD. Trh čeká podporu od vyššího čistého úrokového výnosu, investičního bankovnictví i obchodování.
Key Takeaways BAC will report 2Q26 results on July 14, with revenues and earnings expected to rise y/y.BAC may benefit from higher NII, solid investment banking fees and strong trading activity in Q2.Investors should watch guidance and management commentary before initiating any new position in the stock. Bank of America (BAC - Free Report) is scheduled to announce second-quarter 2026 results on July 14, before the opening bell.
The company began 2026 on a positive note, with robust trading and investment banking (IB) performance driving first-quarter results. BAC’s upcoming quarterly results are also expected to be solid despite rate uncertainty and lingering geopolitical headwinds. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $30.62 billion, indicating 15.7% year-over-year growth.
In the past seven days, the consensus estimate for earnings for the to-be-reported quarter has been revised higher to $1.13. The figure suggests a 27% rise from the prior-year quarter, as higher net interest income (NII) and solid capital markets business are likely to have supported BAC’s bottom-line growth.
Estimate Revision Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bank of America has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company’s earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 7.3%.
Earnings Surprise History
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Key Drivers of Bank of America’s Q2 PerformanceNII: The interest rate environment remained supportive for Bank of America’s NII in the second quarter. The Federal Reserve paused its rate-cutting cycle and has signaled the possibility of a rate hike later this year as inflation remains stubbornly above its target. Sustained healthy lending yields have been favorable for banks, including BAC.
Building on the momentum seen in the first quarter, Bank of America’s lending activity is expected to have strengthened further in the to-be-reported quarter. According to the Federal Reserve’s latest data, the demand for commercial and industrial loans, and consumer credit remained resilient in the second quarter, while the demand for real estate loans was comparatively modest.
Thus, robust loan growth, combined with easing deposit and funding costs, is likely to have supported BAC’s NII growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter tax-equivalent NII is $16.24 billion, indicating a 9.6% increase from the year-ago quarter’s actual.
IB Fees: After a record-setting first quarter, global deal-making activity moderated amid geopolitical uncertainty, persistent valuation gaps, slowing economic growth, elevated inflation and interest rates, and a stubbornly high backlog of private equity exits. Nevertheless, strategic buyers remained active, pursuing transactions aimed at enhancing scale, strengthening resilience and improving supply-chain security in response to the challenging operating environment.
Hence, while deal value declined in the second quarter (as only a handful of big transactions dominated the space), the volume of global mergers and acquisitions (M&As) improved year over year. This is expected to have supported Bank of America’s advisory fees.
Then, the second quarter saw strong IPO activity and equity issuances, including a blockbuster mega offering from SpaceX and Google parent Alphabet Inc. Likewise, global bond issuance volume was solid, driven by corporate refinancing and infrastructure builds. Thus, growth in BAC’s underwriting fees (accounting for almost 40% of total IB fees) is expected to have been strong in the to-be-reported quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BAC’s total IB income of $1.96 billion for the second quarter indicates a rise of 37% from the prior-year quarter’s actual.
Trading Income: Client activity and market volatility were strong in the second quarter, though both were less pronounced compared with the preceding quarter. Trading conditions were influenced by shifting expectations around artificial intelligence, persistent geopolitical tensions, lingering inflation concerns and a more hawkish stance from the Fed. Volatility was high in equity markets and other asset classes, including commodities, bonds and foreign exchange. Thus, BAC is likely to have recorded a strong trading performance this time as well.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for market making and similar activities of $3.93 billion for the to-be-reported quarter suggests a 24.5% rise on a year-over-year basis. Management anticipates trading revenues in the second quarter to increase 15% year over year.
Expenses: While Bank of America managed expenses prudently in the past, expansion into new markets by opening financial centers and efforts to digitize operations and upgrade existing financial centers are expected to have kept non-interest expenses elevated in the to-be-reported quarter.
Asset Quality: After setting aside a modest amount for potential loan losses in the first quarter, Bank of America is likely to have maintained a similar provisioning trend in the quarter under review. Although the period began with concerns related to the Middle East conflict, oil price volatility and persistent inflation, the subsequent ceasefire helped drive a meaningful decline in crude prices. This, coupled with resilient economic growth and broadly stable credit conditions, is expected to have supported a decline in the company’s provision for credit losses.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for non-performing loans and leases of $6.68 billion implies an 11.6% increase from the prior-year quarter.
What Our Model Reveals About BAC’s Q2 EarningsPer our proven model, the chances of an earnings beat for BAC are high this time. 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, which is the case here, as you can see below.
Bank of America has an Earnings ESP of +0.64%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
BAC’s Price Performance & Valuation AnalysisIn the second quarter, BAC shares gained 15.6%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index. In the same time frame, shares of two of its close peers JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) and Citigroup (C - Free Report) rallied 10.8% and 21.4%, respectively.
2Q26 Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Both JPMorgan and Citigroup are slated to announce quarterly numbers on the same day as BAC.
Let us check out the value Bank of America offers investors at current levels. BAC stock is trading at a 12-month trailing price-to-tangible book (P/TB) of 2.14X. This is below the industry’s 3.38X. This shows that the stock is relatively inexpensive.
Price-to-Tangible Book (TTM)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The BAC stock is trading at a discount compared with JPMorgan, which has a P/TB of 3.27X. However, Citigroup has a P/TB of 1.47X, making it inexpensive compared with Bank of America.
How to Approach BAC Shares Before Q2 Earnings?Bank of America is well-positioned to continue to benefit from its vast scale, extensive capital markets operations and international footprint (which will drive significant fee income).
Given the industry-wide solid lending scenario, along with stabilizing funding costs and the possibility of a rate hike later this year, the company’s NII growth is expected to be robust. Management expects NII (FTE basis) to grow in the upper end of 6-8% in 2026.
BAC’s aggressive branch expansion across the United States as part of a broader strategy to solidify customer relationships and tap into new markets will further drive interest income growth over time. This will also help capitalize on cross-selling opportunities.
However, while Bank of America’s outlook remains constructive, investors may want to avoid rushing to buy the stock. Instead, they should closely watch management’s commentary on how geopolitical risk and market volatility affect the company’s performance and how the firm plans to navigate the current environment. Any revisions to BAC’s 2026 guidance for NII, IB, non-interest expenses and asset quality will be especially important, given the recent macro developments. Broader macroeconomic and policy trends that could materially shape the company’s performance trajectory should also be carefully considered.
Existing shareholders may hold BAC stock, given its strong fundamentals and proven resilience. Potential investors should carefully weigh these factors and assess their risk tolerance before initiating new positions.
Walmart+ ve 1. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2027 zvýšil příjmy z členských poplatků dvouciferným tempem a přidal rekordní počet nových členů. Členové utrácejí čtyřikrát více a na e-shop chodí sedmkrát častěji než nečlenové.
Key Takeaways Walmart fee revenues rose at a double-digit rate, with record first-quarter net additions. Members spend four times more and make seven times more annual e-commerce visits than non-members. WMT can reach about 60% of the U.S. population with delivery in 30 minutes or less. Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) is steadily expanding the role of Walmart+ within its omnichannel strategy, making membership an increasingly important source of recurring revenues and customer engagement. As shoppers place greater value on convenience and savings, the program is helping deepen interaction across the company’s digital and physical retail network.
The first quarter of fiscal 2027 reflected continued momentum. Walmart+ membership fee revenues increased at a double-digit rate, while net additions reached a record first-quarter high. The program also contributed to Walmart U.S. adjusted operating income, which rose 5.7% during the quarter, alongside improved e-commerce economics and other income benefits.
The value of Walmart+ extends beyond membership fees. Members generally spend four times more than non-members and make seven times more e-commerce visits annually. Those engagement trends complement Walmart’s broader digital performance, with Walmart U.S. e-commerce sales increasing 26%, supported by store-fulfilled delivery, marketplace and advertising.
Convenience is also strengthening the membership proposition. More than 36% of U.S. store-fulfilled deliveries were completed in less than three hours, while Walmart can now reach approximately 60% of the U.S. population with deliveries in 30 minutes or less. Faster fulfillment is supporting greater engagement and making the program more useful for everyday purchases.
Walmart+ is also becoming more relevant as consumers seek additional savings. Members increased their use of fuel benefits during the quarter as gasoline prices remained elevated.
The latest results suggest that Walmart+ is becoming a more meaningful part of WMT’s business model. By combining recurring fee revenues with higher spending, stronger digital activity and greater convenience, the program is supporting the company’s broader omnichannel momentum.
What Do the Latest Metrics Say About Walmart?Walmart, which competes with Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) and Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) , has seen its shares rally 18.9% over the past year compared with the industry’s 16.4% growth. Shares of Costco have dipped 6.6%, while Target has gained 28.9% in the aforementioned period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Walmart's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 37.22, higher than the industry’s 33.98. The company is trading at a premium to Target (with a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 15.73) while trading at a discount to Costco (41.3).
Senátorka Elizabeth Warrenová poslala Jamieho Dimona dopis s dotazy na jeho dlouhodobý vztah JPMorgan s Jeffreyem Epsteinem a na to, co o něm věděl. Banka tvrdí, že se Dimon s Epsteinem nikdy nesetkal a že od něj nepřijímal rady.
ToplineSen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter last week to JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon inquiring about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the Senate Banking Committee confirmed Monday, as the Epstein files have raised new questions about Epstein’s business dealings with the bank and what Dimon knew about it.
Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Jamie Dimon speaks at the Statue of Liberty in New York City, on July 1, 2026.
AFP via Getty Images
Key FactsThe Senate Banking Committee published Warren’s letter Monday, after the Financial Times first reported late Sunday she had reached out to the billionaire.
Warren questioned JPMorgan Chase’s “extended business relationship” with Epstein, who was known to have banked with the institution between 1998 and 2013, paying some $8 billion in fees to the bank and opening at least 134 accounts.
Dimon testified in 2023 he never met or knew Epstein, but emails in the Epstein files show Epstein and then-UK Business Secretary Peter Mandelson strategizing on having Dimon urge the UK government not to approve a new tax on bankers’ bonuses—which he ultimately did, though it’s unclear if he was at all influenced by Epstein and Mandelson to do so.
Warren also cited a 2010 email in which Epstein’s assistant asked the financier about a meeting with Mandelson, Dimon and JPMorgan Chase executive Jes Staley.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. spokesperson Patricia Wexler told Forbes that Dimon never attended the 2010 meeting and the bank "found no evidence that he was even invited to attend,” also saying about the UK policy, “Jamie regularly speaks his mind on bad, anti-growth policy and has his own views. At no point did he take counsel from [Epstein], directly or indirectly.”
What to Watch forWarren’s letter asks Dimon for a response by July 24, though that is not legally binding. More information about Epstein’s relationship with JPMorgan Chase could also come out on July 23, when the House Oversight Committee will interview Staley as part of its ongoing probe into Epstein and his alleged crimes.
Forbes ValuationForbes values Dimon’s net worth at $3 billion as of Monday morning.
What Has JPMorgan Chase Said About Epstein?Dimon “never met with [Epstein], never emailed him, and was not involved in any decisions about his account. There are over a million pages of emails and other documents that have been produced in this case and not one comes even close to suggesting otherwise,” Wexler told Forbes in an email Monday, referencing litigation that has been brought against JPMorgan Chase by the U.S. Virgin Islands and Epstein accusers. “Any association with the man was a mistake and we regret it, but we would not have continued doing business with him had we believed he was engaged in ongoing crimes,” Wexler added about the bank’s relationship with Epstein, noting it stopped doing business with him in 2013, which she said was “years before his federal sex trafficking arrest and years after the government had damning information they kept from us.”
Dear Mr. Dimon: I am writing to request information regarding JPMorgan Chase & Co’s (“JPMorgan”) extended business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and your knowledge of the bank’s activities. You have maintained that you don’t recall knowing anything about Jeffrey Epstein and did not know Epstein was a client of JPMorgan prior to his 2019 arrest. But according to new information released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Mr. Epstein was in touch with former U.K. Business Secretary Peter Mandelson to discuss the possibility of you calling then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling regarding a tax on bankers’ bonuses—a call you reportedly made. These resurfaced emails and related reporting raise serious questions regarding the extent of the bank’s relationship with Epstein, and your knowledge of these ties. It is critical that Congress and the American public fully understand the extent of any interactions the bank and you had with Epstein.
Epstein’s client relationship with JPMorgan spanned from 1998 to 2013, overlapping with your tenure as CEO, which began in 2006. During this period, Epstein would become a highly profitable client for the bank. In 2003, JPMorgan is reported to have made $8 million in fees off Epstein, “the biggest revenue generator” among a certain class of investor clients. Epstein (and his companies and associates) opened at least 134 accounts, processed over $1 billion in transactions, and brought in several lucrative clients. Additionally, Epstein reportedly developed close relationships with several top JPMorgan executives, including Jes Staley, who was then the head of JPMorgan’s private banking division and is often reported as once being one of your long-standing “lieutenant[s].”
JPMorgan’s relationship with Epstein landed the bank in legal trouble. In 2023, the bank agreed to pay “$290 million to sexual abuse victims of Jeffrey Epstein who claimed that the bank ignored warnings about the disgraced financier.” In addition, JPMorgan “agreed to pay $75 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to settle claims that it did nothing to deter a sex-trafficking operation that Mr. Epstein ran from his private island in the U.S. territory.” In neither case did JPMorgan admit to wrongdoing or liability.
As part of those legal challenges, lawyers uncovered emails between Jes Staley and Epstein suggesting that you planned to meet with Epstein. In June 2009, for example, Epstein asked Staley via email if he “want[ed] to organize either you, or you and Jamie, quietly” at “71st Street,” Epstein’s New York mansion. Lawyers also identified a February 2010 email exchange between Epstein and his assistant, Lesley Groff, discussing an apparent “evening appointment” with you: Groff asked Epstein, “Shall I have Lynn prepare heavy snacks for your evening appointments with [redacted attendee], Jes Staley and Jamie Dimon?” During a 2023 deposition regarding your knowledge of the bank’s interactions with Epstein, you were repeatedly asked whether you ever met Epstein or if any JPMorgan employee had raised any information about Epstein to your attention. You stated, “I have never had an appointment with Jeff Epstein. I’ve never met Jeff Epstein. I never knew Jeff Epstein. I never went to Jeff Epstein’s house. I never had a meal with Jeff Epstein.” You also said that you “had never even heard of the guy, pretty much” prior to 2019.
Yet newly released emails by the DOJ and subsequent reporting reveal additional information about Epstein’s relationship with JPMorgan—including an effort to push you to weigh in on British tax policy on behalf of JPMorgan. According to reports, several emails indicate that in December 2009, Epstein and then-U.K. Business Secretary Peter Mandelson advised one another on how to approach the U.K. Treasury regarding a proposed one-time, 50% tax on bankers’ bonuses above £25,000. For example, on December 15, Epstein asked Mandelson if the proposal could be limited to cash bonuses, rather than the more valuable, non-cash compensation, such as share options. Minutes later, Mandelson responded that he was “[t]rying hard to amend.” In a follow-up exchange, Epstein appears to direct Mandelson to “amend it, deliver the message personally to [D]imon.”
In other email exchanges between Epstein and Mandelson, the two men appear to strategize as to how you, as JPMorgan’s CEO, could apply pressure on then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, who proposed the tax. On December 17, Epstein asked Mandelson if “jamie,” apparently referring to you, should call Darling one more time, to which Mandelson advised, “Yes and mildly threaten.” And on December 29, you reportedly made the call. As Darling recounted in his memoir, “Mr. Dimon was very, very angry.. he said that his bank bought a lot of UK debt and he wondered if that was now such a good idea. . . . He went on to say they were thinking of building a new office in London but they had to reconsider that now.” It is unclear what influence, if any, Epstein’s engagement with Mandelson had—directly or indirectly—on your decision to call Darling.
Furthermore, files released by the DOJ reveal that the redacted individual from Lesley Groff’s February 2010 email about a proposed meeting between you and Epstein was, in fact, Peter Mandelson. In full, Groff asks Epstein, “Shall I have Lynn prepare ‘heavy snacks’ for your evening appointments with Peter Mandelson, Jes Staley and Jamie Dimon? Or is this to be a nice sit down dinner at 9pm?”
In light of this new reporting and the release of new materials by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I seek additional information regarding JPMorgan and your relationship with Epstein. I request answers to the following questions no later than July 24, 2026:
1. Did you, or any other JPMorgan employee, direct or otherwise collaborate with Epstein to lobby U.K. officials regarding the bankers’ bonus tax proposal? If so, was Epstein compensated by you, Jes Staley, or JPMorgan, directly or indirectly, for this service?
2. Did you ever call then-Chancellor Darling regarding the U.K. bankers’ bonus tax?
3. Did Epstein or any JPMorgan employee, advise you to “mildly threaten” then-Chancellor Darling to reduce the bonus tax? If applicable, which JPMorgan employee?
4. Please provide copies of JPMorgan’s policies and procedures related to retaining external lobbyists in both the U.K. and U.S.
5. Provide copies of any communications, including but not limited to emails, texts, or phone records, between you and Peter Mandelson, Jes Staley and Alistair Darling regarding the U.K. bankers’ bonus tax proposal.
6. During Epstein’s 15-year long relationship with JPMorgan, you served as CEO for about seven years. At one point, Epstein became one of JPMorgan’s most profitable clients – opening at least 134 accounts, processing over $1 billion in transactions, and recruiting other wealthy clients. You have repeatedly denied under oath that you did not know Epstein existed until his 2019 arrest and that you have never met with Epstein. In your experience, is it typical that a CEO would not have any awareness of their firm’s top clients?
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Warren
Ranking Member
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Ford uzavřel s odborovým svazem Unifor předběžnou tříletou dohodu pro více než 5 000 kanadských pracovníků, která má snížit riziko stávky. Dohodu ještě musí ratifikovat členové.
Key Takeaways Ford reached a tentative three-year Unifor deal covering more than 5,000 Canadian workers.Ford Pro grew EBIT by $376 million as software subscriptions jumped 30% to 879,000 in Q1.Ford targets recovering half of lost truck volume as Novelis ramps production in late 2026. Ford (F - Free Report) is heading into the back half of 2026 with one less risk on the table. It has announced a tentative three-year agreement with Unifor covering more than 5,000 Canadian workers, with talks centered on better pay, benefits and job protections. The deal still needs member ratification, but landing it well ahead of the Sept. 20 contract expiration matters. That takes strike risk off the table at a time when the auto industry is already grappling with the electric vehicle (EV) transition and shifting demand.
Ford is up 9% year to date, outpacing the industry’s loss over the same period. The stock has also outperformed its closest peers, General Motors (GM - Free Report) and Stellantis (STLA - Free Report) , which witnessed their shares decline over the same timeframe.
YTD Price Performance Comparison Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The stock is trading at 8.05X forward earnings (at a huge discount relative to the industry), with a Value Score of A. Yes, there are a few challenges in Ford’s path, including losses in its EV business, ongoing recalls and tariff costs, but there are various factors working in favor of the stock.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ford’s 2026 and 2027 EPS implies year-over-year growth of 50% and 12%, respectively. The consensus mark for 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Here are four key reasons why we are bullish on Ford stock.
Ford Pro Is the Key Growth EngineFord's commercial vehicle and services unit, Ford Pro, is turning into the company's most important segment. Even with wholesale volumes down 10% in the last reported quarter due to supply issues, the unit still grew EBIT by $376 million year over year and held an 11.4% margin — a sign the business is getting structurally stronger, not weaker. Software subscriptions jumped 30% year over year to 879,000 in the first quarter, and the ServiceTitan partnership is deepening Ford's digital lock-in with commercial customers. Management expects $6.5-$7.5 billion in EBIT from Ford Pro this year.
Ford Energy Adds a New Growth LegFord is building an energy storage business beyond vehicles. The company plans to invest $1.5 billion in 2026 toward 20 GWh of battery storage capacity by 2027, split across its Kentucky and Michigan facilities. This isn't just an EV side-project — it's a real attempt to diversify revenues using Ford's existing manufacturing scale. The unit landed its first major customer in May, a five-year battery storage supply deal with EDF Power Solutions North America.
Ford’s Novelis Supply Problem Is ResolvingA major drag on Ford's results has been the aluminum shortage caused by fires at supplier Novelis's Oswego, NY, plant, which supplies material for F-Series trucks. That disruption cost Ford roughly 100,000 trucks in 2025 and around $2 billion in losses. The good news is that Novelis restarted operations at Oswego last month, and Ford is targeting recovery of about half the lost truck volume as production ramps in the second half of 2026. Both Ford Pro and Ford Blue should benefit as truck output normalizes.
Ford’s Balance Sheet StrengthFord closed the first quarter of 2026 with $22 billion in cash and $43.1 billion in total liquidity— a strong cushion while it funds EV development, energy storage and software simultaneously. That gives management room to execute even if the macro backdrop worsens. On top of that, Ford's dividend yield sits above 4%, more than triple the S&P 500 average, boding well for income investors.
Last WordFord's story is shifting from a legacy automaker weighed down by EV losses to a diversified industrial platform with real margin drivers. Labor stability, a recovering supply chain, and two emerging high-margin businesses in Ford Pro and Ford Energy give the stock multiple paths to upside that the market hasn't fully priced in. Trading at a steep discount to the industry while paying a 4%+ dividend, Ford offers a rare combination of value, growth and income. We recommend buying Ford stock at current levels.
The stock sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
GE Aerospace letos vzrostla asi o 43 % a investoři čekají na výsledky, které mají ukázat, zda firma obhájí vysoké ocenění. Analytici ve 2. čtvrtletí čekají tržby 11,85 miliardy USD a EPS 1,85 USD.
GE Aerospace stock has rallied strongly over the past year, gaining about 43% as robust demand for commercial aviation and sustained defense spending in the United States and other key markets continued to support growth. The stock was trading at around $359 in pre-market trading, with investors awaiting the company's earnings report for fresh insight into its financial performance and whether it can justify its premium valuation.
GE Aerospace, one of the biggest industrial companies in the United States, has done well in the past few years, helped by its growing market share in the civil aviation and defense spending in the US and other allied countries.
The company will publish its financial results later this week, shedding more color on its business during the quarter. Data compiled by Yahoo Finance shows that the average estimate among analysts is that its revenue jumped by 16.7% in the second quarter to $11.85 billion.
Analysts also suspect that earnings per share (EPS) is expected to jump to $1.85 from the previous $1.66. Historically, the company has a long track record of doing better than what analysts expect.
Most notably, GE Aerospace’s annual revenue is expected to continue growing, with the annual figure expected to come in at $48.8 billion, followed by $53.76 billion next year.
A potential catalyst for the company is that it received some orders during President Donald Trump's trip to China. Chinese companies ordered 200 Boeing aircraft and related equipment, with many of them being powered by CFM, a joint venture of GE and Safran.
Valuation concerns remain A major concern among analysts and investors is that the company has become highly overvalued, with most metrics being much higher than other companies, including fast-growing companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Micron.
SeekingAlpha data shows that the company has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 47, higher than the sector median of 20. Including growth, the forward PEG ratio is 3.14, also higher than the sector median of 1.68.
The same valuation figure is also visible when using the discounted free cash flow (DCF) approach. A report by Simply Wall St. estimates that the company’s fair value is $248, meaning that it is 44.6% overvalued.
As such,the company will need to provide strong revenue, earnings, and backlog numbers to justify the valuation.
Analysts are largely optimistic about the company, with Susquehanna’s Charles Minervino hiking the target from $380 to $430. Sheila Kahyaoglu, a top analyst from Jefferies, hiked the target from $365 to $455, while Citigroup hiked to $431.
GE Aerospace stock chart | Source: TradingView
The daily chart shows that the GE Aerospace stock jumped to a high of $383 on July 2nd, and then pulled back to the current $359.
This price remains slightly above the important support of $347, its highest point on February 24. It was the upper side of the cup-and-handle pattern, a common bullish continuation sign in technical analysis.
Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the stock drops and retests the support at $347, and then resumes the uptrend. In the future, despite the valuation concerns, the stock may jump to the key resistance level of $400.
READ MORE: GE stock falls 4% despite earnings beat on fuel costs, weak outlook
Verizon bude pro nově vyráběné vozy BMW Group v USA dodávat 5G Standalone a LTE konektivitu. Podpoří tím ConnectedDrive, telematiku, infotainment i bezpečný přenos dat.
Key Takeaways Verizon will provide 5G Standalone and LTE connectivity for newly built BMW Group vehicles in the U.S.VZ's network will support ConnectedDrive with telematics, infotainment and secure data transmission.Verizon expands its automotive portfolio through a stronger KDDI partnership and 5G Standalone rollout. Verizon Communications (VZ - Free Report) has partnered with KDDI Corporation (KDDIY - Free Report) to provide connectivity for newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles in the United States. The agreement strengthens the company’s position in enterprise wireless services while expanding its presence in the connected vehicle market.
Under the agreement, Verizon will provide 5G Standalone and LTE connectivity for new BMW, MINI and other BMW Group vehicles in the United States, supporting the automaker's ConnectedDrive platform. Its nationwide 5G infrastructure will power advanced telematics, remote functions, digital infotainment and app-based services. In collaboration with KDDI's Global Communications Platform, Verizon’s network will ensure secure, reliable data transmission, helping the automaker efficiently manage its vehicle connectivity services.
The collaboration also introduces Verizon's nationwide 5G Standalone offering for connected vehicles. Newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles will be the first to operate on the platform, powered by its 5G core and built-in 3GPP Release 16 industry standards. It further strengthens Verizon’s long-standing relationship with KDDI and expands its automotive portfolio, which includes telematics services for Volkswagen Group brands.
As vehicles become increasingly software-driven, Verizon's advanced wireless network capabilities are expected to enable connected services, real-time communication and next-generation mobility solutions.
How Are Competitors Advancing in the Automotive Industry?Verizon faces stiff competition from AT&T, Inc. (T - Free Report) and T-Mobile, US, Inc. (TMUS - Free Report) . AT&T has expanded its automotive business by bringing 5G connectivity to Rivian's upcoming R2 electric vehicle. The company has partnered with Mitsubishi Motors to bring 5G connectivity to the Outlander. AT&T continues to expand its Connected Car platform, helping automakers deliver seamless in-vehicle connectivity, infotainment and digital services through its 5G network.
T-Mobile is strengthening its presence in the automotive sector with 5G and IoT solutions for connected vehicles. The company works with automakers to support telematics, over-the-air software updates, and in-car infotainment through its nationwide 5G network. T-Mobile is advancing its 5G Standalone technology to enable faster and more reliable connectivity for future vehicles.
VZ’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesVerizon’s shares have gained 1.3% over the past year compared with the industry’s 94.8% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Verizon trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 8.24, below the industry average of 47.66.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have remained static at $4.96 and $5.25 per share, respectively, over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Verizon currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
McDonald’s je letos v minusu 9,1 % a obchoduje se téměř 20 % pod 52týdenním maximem. Firma sice získala zpět část zákazníků s nižšími příjmy, ale tlak na náklady a slabší marže v USA brzdí další růst.
Key Takeaways McDonald's shares are down 9.1% year to date and trade nearly 20% below their 52-week high.McValue helped win back some lower-income customers and lift market share across nearly all top markets.Cost inflation, falling lower-income traffic and weak U.S. restaurant margins may limit near-term upside. Shares of McDonald's Corporation (MCD - Free Report) have lost 9.1% year to date against the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry's 3.5% rise. The stock closed at $274.60 on Friday, nearly 20% below its 52-week high of $341.75 (attained on March 2, 2026). Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has advanced 11.5% year to date, highlighting MCD’s sharp underperformance relative to the broader market.
The pullback has brought the stock’s valuation to a more moderate level, drawing attention to whether the current discount provides an attractive entry point.
McDonald’s retains several structural advantages, including global scale, strong brand recognition, a predominantly franchised business model and a substantial restaurant-development pipeline. However, continued pressure on lower-income consumers, elevated operating costs and weaker profitability at U.S. company-operated restaurants temper the near-term investment case.
MCD YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MCD Stock Trades at a DiscountMcDonald’s is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 20.28, below the Zacks industry multiple of 23.01. This represents a discount of nearly 12% to the industry.
The lower multiple provides a more favorable valuation framework for investors seeking exposure to a globally scaled restaurant operator. However, the discount alone does not make MCD an outright buy. Consumer pressure, franchisee profitability and U.S. company-operated restaurant performance remain important considerations when assessing the stock.
MCD P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The key question is whether McDonald’s value strategy, menu innovation and international expansion can support traffic and earnings growth despite pressure on restaurant-level economics. Let us examine the factors shaping the investment case.
McDonald’s Value Strategy Supports Its Competitive PositionValue and affordability remain central to McDonald’s customer strategy. In the United States, the company expanded the McValue platform to include an everyday affordable-price menu featuring individual items below $3 and a $4 breakfast meal. These offerings complement the existing $5 McChicken and $6 McDouble meal deals.
The platform combines entry-level prices with bundled meal options across dayparts. McDonald’s stated that an effective value architecture requires both components: individually priced items for budget-conscious consumers and meal bundles centered on core menu offerings. The company has applied a similar approach across most of its major international markets. The United Kingdom offers Meal Deal Plus, while Germany’s McSmart platform and Australia’s McSmart Meals and Loose Change menu provide locally tailored value options.
McDonald’s reported improved value and affordability perceptions following these initiatives. The company also indicated that its value platform helped recapture some lower-income customers and supported market-share gains across nearly all of its top 10 markets.
MCD’s Marketing and Beverage Push Drive Customer EngagementMcDonald’s is pairing its value platform with culturally relevant marketing and focused menu innovation. Campaigns tied to Friends, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and KPop Demon Hunters demonstrate the company’s ability to develop promotions for different customer groups and scale selected concepts across its global system.
The FIFA World Cup provides another major marketing platform. McDonald’s has maintained a relationship with the tournament for more than three decades and has planned promotional activity across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 event.
Beverages are also becoming a more prominent part of the company’s menu strategy. McDonald’s has introduced refreshers and crafted sodas under the McCafe brand in the United States, while Germany and Canada have launched beverage platforms of their own. The company also plans to introduce additional flavors and Red Bull-infused energy drinks later in the year.
McDonald’s Restaurant Expansion Extends Its Growth RunwayRestaurant expansion remains a key component of McDonald’s long-term strategy. The company continues to target approximately 50,000 restaurants by the end of 2027. China is expected to account for a significant portion of development activity. McDonald’s remains on track to open approximately 1,000 restaurants in the market during 2026.
At the same time, the company is maintaining a returns-focused approach to capital deployment. McDonald’s is reassessing parts of its development pipeline as supply-chain disruption and higher construction costs affect project economics. The company has emphasized that development decisions will depend on expected returns for both McDonald’s and its franchisees rather than the pursuit of an absolute unit-growth target.
MCD’s Concerns: Lower-Income Traffic & Cost InflationThe lower valuation is not without cause. McDonald’s expects second-quarter comparable-sales growth in the United States and International Operated Markets to decelerate meaningfully from the first quarter. April comparable sales were slightly negative in both segments as the company lapped the highly successful Minecraft promotion from the prior year.
Consumer conditions also remain uncertain. Higher-income customers continue to spend at resilient levels, but visits from lower-income consumers are still declining. Elevated gasoline prices and broader inflationary pressure could further constrain discretionary spending among this group, despite McDonald’s improving value perception.
Profitability presents another concern. McDonald’s described its U.S. company-operated restaurant margins as unacceptable. The weakness was tied partly to additional labor investment and restrained menu pricing. The company is evaluating whether certain restaurants would generate stronger returns under franchisee ownership.
Franchisee profitability is also under pressure from beef inflation and other operating costs. McDonald’s expects low- to mid-single-digit food and paper inflation in the United States and mid-single-digit inflation across International Operated Markets. Although hedging and supplier relationships should help the company manage 2026 pressures, cost inflation could intensify toward the end of 2026 and into 2027.
MCD's Competitive Landscape Remains IntenseMcDonald’s operates in a competitive restaurant market, with peers investing in value, menu innovation, loyalty and unit expansion. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG - Free Report) is advancing restaurant execution, rewards engagement and menu innovation, while Starbucks Corporation (SBUX - Free Report) is strengthening service, beverage platforms and digital frequency through its Back to Starbucks plan. Shake Shack Inc. (SHAK - Free Report) is also expanding its premium menu, technology capabilities and restaurant footprint.
McDonald’s global scale, franchise network and established value platform remain important advantages. Nonetheless, continued execution across McValue, beverages and chicken will likely be necessary to sustain traffic and market share as competitors increase investment across similar growth areas.
MCD Stock Valuation InsightsOver the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCD’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) has declined 0.7%. During the same period, Starbucks’ estimate has increased 0.4%, while Shake Shack’s estimate has fallen 7.3%. The consensus estimate for Chipotle’s EPS has remained unchanged at $1.13 in the same time frame.
MCD’s Earnings Estimate Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Is It Time to Buy MCD Stock?McDonald’s recent underperformance has brought its valuation below the industry average, but the discount does not signal a clear near-term earnings inflection. The company’s scale, brand strength, franchise-heavy model and value-led strategy continue to support market-share resilience and long-term stability, justifying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stance for existing investors. However, persistent pressure on lower-income traffic, elevated cost inflation, weaker U.S. company-operated restaurant margins and intense competition may constrain upside in the near term.
With valuation more attractive but operating visibility still limited, MCD’s risk-reward profile appears balanced at current levels. Long-term investors may remain invested, supported by the company’s durable business model and global development runway. Prospective investors may remain selective, given the balanced risk-reward profile and limited near-term earnings visibility.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Starbucks (SBUX +2.02%) has decided it can build better software than Microsoft (MSFT +1.55%) and IBM (IBM +1.65%). If nothing else, it wants to save costs with a homemade version of some high-priced enterprise software platforms.
That is either visionary cost-cutting or a case study in corporate hubris waiting to happen.
According to an internal Starbucks presentation reviewed by Bloomberg News, the coffee chain is developing AI-powered tools to replace a Microsoft inventory-tracking system and an IBM maintenance management platform. Starbucks spends about $400 million a year on software, and Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan told employees there are "clear opportunities to reduce the spend."
The market took notice. Microsoft fell 2.4% and IBM dropped 5.2% as the Bloomberg article was published on Thursday morning. Starbucks rose more than 3% on the potentially cost-saving news. Toast (TOST +2.93%) shares enjoyed a short-lived 2.3% spike at the same time.
Image source: Getty Images.
The "we'll just build it ourselves" phase Every company goes through this. The software bills pile up, someone in the C-suite discovers that AI can write code now, and suddenly the business plan includes "proprietary platform development."
But easier to build does not mean easier to maintain. Enterprise-scale systems require ongoing security updates, integration work, and dedicated engineering headcount. Starbucks recently gave up on an AI-powered inventory tracking system and reverted to manual asset counts. That's a stark reminder that internal development comes with its own failures and costs.
To be fair, Starbucks has the scale and resources to pull this off. The grand cost-cutting plan aims to slash annual costs by more than $2 billion, and software is just a small part of this effort.
The long-term question is whether companies that pursue in-house AI builds will eventually seek out modern, vertically integrated platforms once the maintenance burden rears its ugly head.
That's where Toast comes in.
Toast is playing a different game Toast operates a cloud-based platform for restaurants that combines point-of-sale hardware, payment processing, and operational software. Wherever data or software is involved in running a single restaurant or a whole chain, Toast has integrated that issue into its comprehensive system.
The company ended Q1 2026 with 171,000 live locations, up 22% year over year, and has been expanding aggressively into enterprise accounts. Recent wins include Hungry Howie's (500 units), Papa Murphy's, and Preferred Hotels.
"We continue to see strong growth, and with the pipeline in front of us, I am confident enterprise will be a meaningful growth driver for years to come," CEO Aman Narang said in May's Q1 earnings call. "For 14 years, we have evolved from a point-of-sale solution into a comprehensive system of record, helping customers manage operations, employees, guests, and suppliers."
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Why the Starbucks situation matters for Toast investors Toast is not going to win the Starbucks account tomorrow, and probably not ever. Starbucks has a firmly established mobile app, a massive loyalty program, and the kind of global complexity that would make any outside vendor nervous. Maybe it takes a giant like IBM or Microsoft to handle the chain's inventory management.
But the Starbucks news highlights two dynamics that seem to favor specialists like Toast over the long term:
Legacy software vendors are vulnerable. Oracle (ORCL 4.30%) Simphony, the point-of-sale (POS) system Starbucks has been trying to replace for years, represents the kind of modular enterprise software that can be replaced. Large enterprises are willing to spend to solve operational pain points. The $400 million Starbucks spends annually on software represents the scale of tech operations budgets that could eventually flow to modern third-party platforms. Right now, that experiment is AI-assisted in-house development. In a few years, when the maintenance bills arrive and the original developers have moved on, some of those companies should start shopping for integrated platforms built by specialists. You know, with built-in support and maintenance contracts.
That is where Toast wants to be. The company has been embedding AI throughout its operations in recent years. As a result, Toast's engineering velocity (aka software development efficiency) is up 60%, and AI now handles 40% of customer support interactions. Toast IQ, the company's analytics and agent platform, has 40,000 weekly active locations. Pilot users of its AI marketing agent reported an 8% average increase in sales.
Today's Change
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The investment case The stock trades at about 45 times trailing earnings, which is not exactly cheap. But Toast has been profitable since 2024, has grown revenue at least 24% every year for the past six years, and just posted 21% GAAP operating margins.
The Starbucks news is not necessarily a reason to buy Toast today. But investors should watch the enterprise software market and consider which companies are positioned to benefit when the in-house AI experiments run their course.
Toast has a seat at that table. Whether it gets served remains to be seen.
IBM v 1. čtvrtletí překonala odhady: EPS činil 1,91 USD a tržby 15,917 mld. USD, meziročně +9,5 %. Vedení potvrdilo výhled růstu tržeb v konstantních měnách o více než 5 %.
At $292.59, International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM | IBM Price Prediction) is a Buy, echoing Jim Cramer’s call on Mad Money after a viewer asked for a verdict on the stock. Cramer called IBM inexpensive, praised CEO Arvind Krishna’s execution, and told viewers to buy some now and add on any panic dips.
IBM sits at the intersection of enterprise software, hybrid cloud, and mainframe infrastructure, with 96% of its software portfolio classified as enabling infrastructure, not applications. Big Blue has methodically become an AI infrastructure supplier for global corporations, and Krishna has spent years reshaping the portfolio for this moment. The stock has rebounded from early-year lows but still trails the broader market, which is the setup Cramer is pointing at.
Why the Bulls See a Cheap AI Infrastructure Compounder IBM’s Q1 2026 results strengthen the bull case. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.91 versus $1.81 expected, the fourth straight quarterly beat, on revenue of $15.917B, up 9.5% year over year. Software revenue rose 11.3% with Red Hat up 13% and Data up 19%, while IBM Z mainframe revenue surged 51% and infrastructure segment margin expanded from 8.6% to 15.8%.
Krishna is monetizing AI at the silicon layer. A fully populated mainframe can now run “about 450 billion inferences [operations] a day”, letting banks apply fraud models to every transaction instead of a 10% sample. The generative AI book of business finished 2025 above $12.5B inception-to-date. Meanwhile, management maintained guidance for more than 5% constant currency revenue growth and roughly $1 billion of incremental YoY free cash flow in 2026. At a forward P/E of 23, that is a growth business trading like a legacy one.
Why the Bears Say the Rerating Has Already Happened IBM traded as low as $212.34 in the past year and now sits near $292.94 against a 52-week high of $332.46. Consulting, roughly a third of revenue, grew just 1% in constant currency, a soft spot bears argue will worsen as clients redirect budgets toward hyperscaler-native AI stacks.
Leverage is climbing. Total debt sits at $66.4 billion after the acquisition of data-streaming platform Confluent, while cash, restricted cash, and marketable securities fell to $11.8 billion from $14.5 billion. Free cash flow did not crack in Q1. It rose to $2.2 billion, up $0.3 billion year over year, even as IBM absorbed acquisition-related spending. The bear case is balance-sheet pressure, with cash down from year-end and debt elevated after another large software deal. Composite sentiment has slid 16.59 points over seven days, and Reddit discussion has cooled from bullish readings of 65 in late June to a bearish range of 36 to 42 in early July, with one r/stocks thread framing IBM as a “forgotten” tech name.
Why Patience Has a Real Case Too The Wall Street consensus analyst target sits at $294.57, essentially where IBM stock already trades. Q2 results land soon. Polymarket assigns a 90% probability of an earnings beat but only a 48.5% probability of software revenue clearing $8.2B, leaving room for a mixed earnings report that stalls the stock.
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Patient investors can watch three things: software acceleration toward the 10% plus full-year target, whether consulting inflects above 1% constant currency, and Confluent integration progress.
What the Numbers Say About the Setup IBM trades at $292.72 against an average analyst target of $294.57, implied upside of roughly 1.6%, across 23 analysts. The ratings skew bullish: 3 Strong Buy, 12 Buy, 7 Hold, 0 Sell, and 1 Strong Sell.
Valuation is 25 trailing and 23 forward, with a 2.28% dividend yield resting on 31 consecutive years of increases. IBM is down 1.64% year to date and up 2.62% over one year, while the S&P 500 is up 10.71% year to date and 20.63% over one year.
Why the Bull Case Holds at This Price Trading above $290, the bull case leans on three catalysts over the next 12 months. Q2 results later this month are the near-term trigger, with prediction markets pricing a 90% probability of a beat. Behind it sits a software segment that management expects to grow above 10% for the full year, and a mainframe cycle where Z17 hardware placement value ran more than $1 billion ahead of Z16’s first year. Together, those catalysts give IBM two ways to rerate: stronger earnings and a higher multiple.
Buying a business growing revenue 9.5% and free cash flow 13% at a forward multiple of 23 leaves margin for error that hyperscalers do not offer. Krishna is executing on a portfolio he built for this moment, telling analysts “this is a tailwind because of the model that we picked”. The thesis breaks if software growth stalls below 8%, consulting turns negative, or the Confluent integration slips.
Cramer’s framing captures it vividly: this is a high-quality operator being priced like a legacy laggard, and the market has not caught up.
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UnitedHealth před výsledky vykazuje medvědí technické signály a po výsledcích hrozí průraz dolů. Další klíčová úroveň je 400 USD, zatímco nad 450 USD by se výhled zhoršil.
UnitedHealth Group stock has been in a strong rally this year as investors cheered its turnaround efforts and the Trump administration’s decision to boost Medicare Advantage payments by a larger-than-expected rate.
UNH jumped and peaked at $434 last week, up by 66% from its lowest point this year. This surge mirrored that of other health insurance companies like CVS, Humana, and Elevance Health.
There are signs that this rally is about to end as the UNH stock has flashed some highly bearish chart patterns ahead of its earnings report.
The daily chart shows that UNH stock has been in an uptrend in the past few months. Recently, however, this momentum has slowed, resulting in the stock forming a rising wedge pattern.
This pattern is made up of two ascending and converging trendlines, whose two lines are now nearing their confluence. In most cases, this pattern normally leads to a bearish breakout, especially when the two lines are about to converge.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO) have formed a bearish divergence pattern. This is a situation where an asset is rising, while the oscillators are moving downwards.
In this case, the RSI is approaching the neutral zone of 50, while the PPO Indicator is about to cross the zero line.
Therefore, the most likely scenario is where UnitedHealth shares make a bearish breakout after earnings this week. If this happens, the next key level to watch will be at $400.
The bearish outlook will become invalid if it jumps above the psychological level of $450. Such a move will invalidate the bearish outlook and point to further gains ahead.
UNH stock chart | Source: TradingView
UnitedHealth Group stock has jumped in the past few months as the management has implemented a turnaround strategy. This approach included management changes and a full independent review on its business operations.
The stock continued its strong rally after the Trump administration hiked Medicare Advantage payouts by over 2%, higher than what it proposed in January this year. This addition is worth over $13 billion, a notable amount since UNH has a big market share in the industry.
The company also published strong financial results and hiked its annual guidance. As a result, this week’s earnings report will provide more hints on its business and whether the changes are having results.
Yahoo Finance data shows that the expectation is that its revenue softened by 71 basis points to $110 billion. The guidance for its third quarter is expected to be $110.89 billion, with the annual revenue coming in at $444.1 billion.
There are signs that UnitedHealth has become a bit overvalued, meaning that its earnings need to be significantly higher than expected. The forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at 24.80, higher than the five-year average of 25. This likely explains why Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway decided to sell the shares.
Additionally, UNH stock is slightly higher than the consensus among analysts. This consensus is $417, higher than the current $424. In a recent note, Sidharth Sahoo, an HSBC analyst, placed his target for the stock at $380. Other analysts, including those from RBC and Morgan Stanley, hiked their targets to over $460.
Chevron uzavřel s Alinta Energy novou dlouhodobou smlouvu na dodávky 46 petajoulů plynu v letech 2027 až 2032. Plyn půjde z Gorgon, Wheatstone a North West Shelf Project.
Key Takeaways Chevron will supply 46 petajoules of gas to Alinta Energy from 2027 through 2032.CVX will source gas from Gorgon, Wheatstone and the North West Shelf Project.Chevron said Gorgon and Wheatstone supply about 40% of Western Australia's domestic gas needs. Chevron Corporation’s (CVX - Free Report) Australian affiliate, Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, has signed a new long-term natural gas supply agreement with Alinta Energy, reinforcing its commitment to supporting Western Australia's (WA) energy security. Beginning in July 2027, Chevron will supply 46 petajoules of natural gas over five years from its interests in the Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities, as well as the North West Shelf Project.
The agreement extends a partnership spanning more than four decades and ensures a reliable source of natural gas for households, businesses and industrial customers across Western Australia. It also highlights the growing importance of long-term supply contracts as the state balances rising energy demand with the transition to a lower-carbon future.
Five-Year Agreement Secures Reliable Gas SupplyUnder the agreement, Chevron will provide Alinta Energy with 46 petajoules of natural gas between 2027 and 2032. The supply will come from three of Western Australia's most significant gas assets — Gorgon, Wheatstone and the North West Shelf Project.
The long-term contract provides Alinta Energy with greater certainty over its fuel portfolio while helping ensure stable energy supplies for its retail and commercial customers.
CVX Is Supporting Western Australia's Energy SecurityChevron emphasized that its major LNG developments continue to play a vital role in the state's domestic energy market. According to the company, the Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities together supply approximately 40% of Western Australia's domestic gas needs.
Reliable natural gas remains essential for electricity generation, mining operations and other energy-intensive industries. By securing long-term supply, the agreement supports the continued availability of dependable and affordable energy throughout the state.
A Partnership Built Over Four DecadesThe latest agreement builds on a long-standing relationship between Chevron and Alinta Energy that has existed for more than 40 years. Both companies highlighted the importance of trusted partnerships in maintaining consistent gas supplies and supporting customers during an evolving energy landscape.
For Alinta Energy, access to long-term production from established projects strengthens its ability to serve households, businesses and industrial users while adapting to changing energy demands.
A Long-Term Commitment to Reliable Gas SupplyThe new agreement demonstrates Chevron's continued focus on maximizing the value of its Australian gas portfolio while supporting domestic energy needs. At the same time, it provides Alinta Energy with greater supply certainty from proven gas projects.
As Western Australia continues to require reliable energy alongside its transition toward lower-emission sources, partnerships like this are expected to remain an important part of maintaining energy security and supporting economic activity across the region.
CVX’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksChevron is one of the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies in the world, with operations that span almost every corner of the globe. Currently, CVX carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Investors interested in the energy sector may consider some top-ranked stocks like Suncor Energy Inc. (SU - Free Report) , Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (PARR - Free Report) and Imperial Oil Limited (IMO - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Alberta-based Suncor Energy is Canada's premier integrated energy company. The company's operations include oil sands development and upgrading, conventional and offshore crude oil and gas production, petroleum refining and product marketing. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SU’s 2026 earnings indicates 114.2% year-over-year growth.
Houston, TX-based Par Pacific Holdings is a growth-oriented energy company supplying conventional and renewable fuels across the western United States. Its integrated platform sources crude, refines transportation fuels and distributes products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PARR’s 2026 revenues indicates 123.8% year-over-year growth.
Calgary-based Imperial Oil is one of the largest integrated oil companies of Canada, mainly engaged in oil and gas production, petroleum products refining and marketing and chemical business. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IMO’s 2026 earnings indicates 69.2% year-over-year growth.
Carnival považuje Aljašku za klíčový motor růstu a dál do ní investuje, včetně rozšíření oblíbené chaty Denali Lodge. Firma tam provozuje 19 lodí ve čtyřech nástupních přístavech a osm lodží.
Key Takeaways Carnival operates 19 ships and eight lodges in Alaska, supporting integrated land-and-sea vacations.CCL is investing in Alaska destination assets to enhance guest experiences and pricing power.Alaska complements Carnival's long-term strategy with differentiated offerings and disciplined expansion. Carnival Corporation Ltd.’s (CCL - Free Report) Alaska business is increasingly becoming an important pillar of its long-term growth strategy. While the company continues to invest heavily in Caribbean destinations, management highlighted Alaska as one of the strongest competitive advantages due to its unmatched scale, integrated offerings and decades-long presence in the region.
The company operates in Alaska through five cruise brands, deploying 19 ships across four embarkation ports. This extensive network has helped Carnival secure preferred access to key ports, an advantage that is becoming more valuable as demand for Alaska cruises remains healthy. Unlike most competitors, Carnival also combines cruise vacations with land-based experiences through the network of lodges, rail operations and motor coaches, enabling it to offer higher-value land-and-sea vacation packages.
Management's continued investment underscores its confidence in the region. Carnival is expanding its most popular Denali lodge while maintaining eight lodge properties across Alaska, reflecting strong guest demand and expectations for sustained growth. These investments complement the company's broader strategy of strengthening destination-led experiences rather than relying solely on fleet expansion.
The Alaska business also fits well with Carnival's disciplined capital allocation approach. By enhancing existing destination assets and integrated vacation offerings, the company can improve pricing power, generate higher onboard and land-based spending, and strengthen customer loyalty without significantly increasing ship capacity.
Although near-term geopolitical issues have affected parts of Carnival's European business, management remains confident that differentiated destination portfolios, including Alaska, will support stronger earnings, cash flow and long-term shareholder value. If demand continues to build, Alaska could become an increasingly meaningful contributor to Carnival's growth.
Rivals Are Also Expanding Premium Alaska ExperiencesCarnival faces strong competition in Alaska from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL - Free Report) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH - Free Report) , both of which are investing to capitalize on rising demand for scenic and adventure-focused itineraries.
Royal Caribbean continues to strengthen its Alaska presence by deploying larger, feature-rich ships and emphasizing immersive shore excursions. Its focus on onboard innovation and premium guest experiences appeals to travelers seeking both adventure and entertainment, making Royal Caribbean a formidable competitor during the Alaska cruise season.
Norwegian Cruise Line is also expanding its footprint in the region through flexible itineraries, extended port stays and the "Freestyle Cruising" concept. The company complements its Alaska sailings with curated land excursions and nature-focused experiences that resonate with travelers looking for customized vacations.
Despite this competition, Carnival maintains a meaningful edge through its integrated land-and-sea platform, extensive lodge network, rail operations and long-standing relationships across Alaska. These assets allow the company to offer differentiated vacation packages that are difficult for rivals to replicate, reinforcing its position in one of the industry's most attractive cruise markets.
CCL’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Carnival have declined 11.1% in the past six months compared with the industry’s decrease of 4.9%.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CCL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.96X, below the industry average of 16.82X.
P/E (F12M)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCL’s 2026 sales and earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 3.9% and a decline of 1.8%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2026 have decreased in the past 30 days.
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CCL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Costco v červnu zvýšila čisté tržby o 10,6 % na 29,24 miliardy USD a srovnatelné tržby o 8,8 %. Digitálně podpořené srovnatelné tržby vzrostly o 20,9 %.
Key Takeaways Costco's June net sales rose 10.6% to $29.24 billion, while comparable sales increased 8.8%.Digitally enabled comparable sales climbed 20.9%, reinforcing growth beyond Costco's warehouses.Costco trades at 41.30 times forward earnings, well above the industry's 30.05 multiple. Costco Wholesale Corporation's (COST - Free Report) valuation remains among the highest in the retail sector, leaving little room for operational missteps. That makes monthly sales updates closely monitored by investors. June's sales results once again highlighted resilient consumer demand, decent comparable sales growth and strong digital momentum, but are these trends enough to support the stock's premium multiple going forward?
A Closer Look at Costco's June SalesFor a retailer trading at a premium multiple, the quality and consistency of growth matter as much as the pace. Costco’s June report certainly provided encouraging evidence. Net sales increased 10.6% year over year to $29.24 billion during the five weeks ended July 5, 2026. Comparable sales rose 8.8% companywide, while adjusted comparable sales, excluding gasoline price and foreign exchange impacts, advanced 7%. Those figures point to broad-based demand rather than growth driven solely by external factors.
Although June comparable sales remained strong, they moderated from the 12.5% and 11.6% growth recorded in May and April, respectively. The sequential slowdown does not undermine Costco's performance, but it highlights the broad-based growth needed to support its premium valuation.
Digital performance remained another bright spot. Costco's digitally enabled comparable sales climbed 20.9% on a reported basis and 21.5% after adjusting for fuel and currency effects. Sustained online growth of this magnitude complements warehouse traffic and reinforces the company's ability to expand sales beyond its physical footprint without compromising its value proposition.
Do Costco’s Latest Metrics Justify Its Premium Valuation?Costco trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 41.30, well above the industry’s ratio of 30.05. The premium reflects investors' confidence in the company's membership-driven business model, recurring fee income, resilient sales growth and disciplined execution. Even so, the multiple remains below its 12-month median of 46.32, indicating that valuation has moderated from historical levels.
The premium is even more evident when compared with mass-merchandise retailers. Costco continues to command a meaningful premium over Dollar General Corporation (DG - Free Report) and Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) . Costco is trading at a premium to Dollar General (forward 12-month P/E of 15.53) and Target (15.73).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Why Has Costco Stock Pulled Back?Despite another month of resilient sales growth, Costco shares have dropped 6.5% over the past month, modestly underperforming the industry's 5.6% decline. The softness may be tied to the stock’s rich valuation rather than to any deterioration in underlying fundamentals. The moderation in June’s comparable sales growth from the stronger gains recorded in May and April may have also tempered investor enthusiasm.
Over the same period, shares of Dollar General have gained 2.2%, while Target has advanced 1.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How Are Costco's Earnings Estimates Trending?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Costco’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 9.6% and 13.3%, respectively. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 7.9% rise in sales and 10.2% growth in earnings.
The consensus estimate for earnings per share for the current and next fiscal year has increased by 6 cents and 8 cents to $20.38 and $22.47, respectively, over the past 60 days. The upward revisions suggest that analysts remain confident in Costco's ability to deliver steady earnings growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Can Costco Continue to Command a Premium?Costco’s June sales once again reinforced the strength of its membership-driven business model, supported by healthy comparable sales growth and continued digital momentum. Improving earnings estimates further lend support. However, given its significant premium to the industry, Costco will need to sustain strong execution to justify its valuation and drive the stock higher.
Costco currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Realty Income vidí Evropu jako trh za 8,5 bilionu USD a v prvním čtvrtletí roku 2026 do ní vložila téměř polovinu svých investic. Evropské nákupy přinesly počáteční hotovostní výnos kolem 7 %.
Key Takeaways Realty Income sees Europe as an $8.5T commercial real estate opportunity supporting long-term growth.Europe accounted for nearly half of first-quarter 2026 investments with a 7% initial cash yield.O benefits from euro-denominated financing costs that remain below acquisition yields, supporting spreads. Realty Income’s (O - Free Report) expansion across Europe is becoming an important long-term growth driver, supported by a vast addressable market, attractive acquisition yields and greater geographic diversification.
As of March 31, 2026, the company owned or held interests in 15,571 properties across the United States, the United Kingdom and eight additional European countries, with Europe contributing roughly 20% of the annualized base rent. Management estimates the region represents an $8.5 trillion commercial real estate opportunity, the largest part of its roughly $14 trillion addressable market.
Realty Income invested approximately $1.29 billion in Europe during the first quarter of 2026, nearly matching its U.S. and other market investments of $1.33 billion. European investments generated an initial weighted-average cash yield of about 7% compared with 7.3% in the United States, highlighting the region's ability to deliver competitive returns while accounting for nearly half of quarterly investment activity.
Europe also provides access to a large pipeline of corporate-owned real estate and sale-leaseback opportunities, enabling Realty Income to acquire income-producing assets while helping businesses unlock capital. The company's broad international footprint further diversifies rental income across economies, interest-rate cycles and property markets, supporting stable cash flows.
Realty Income is also expanding beyond traditional acquisitions through development projects, loans, structured investments and joint ventures, creating additional avenues for growth and higher returns. Euro-denominated financing costs remain below acquisition yields, supporting investment spreads. However, currency fluctuations, varying legal frameworks and competition for premium assets remain key challenges.
How Are Realty Income’s Competitors Expanding?Simon Property Group (SPG - Free Report) owns 22.2% of Klépierre, which operates more than 130 shopping centers across 13 European countries. Simon's October 2025 acquisition of the remaining 12% stake in TRG simplified ownership and strengthened its balance sheet. Recent acquisitions, including Phillips Place, Brickell City Centre and outlet assets in Italy, support its focus on high-quality, brand-accretive properties.
Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT - Free Report) is expanding through acquisitions, redevelopment and joint ventures. FRT targets shopping centers in affluent, supply-constrained U.S. markets. FRT recently acquired properties in Maryland, Kansas, Nebraska and California.
Realty Income’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Realty Income have fallen 0.8% over the past three months, underperforming the broader industry and the S&P 500 Index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
In terms of forward 12-month Price/Earnings (P/E), Realty Income is currently trading at 13.98X, which is at a discount to the industry average of 16.9X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Realty Income’s estimate revisions reflect a positive trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 EPS has been revised marginally upward over the past month. The consensus estimate for 2026 calls for 4% growth year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, Realty Income carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Mobilní aplikace Etsy v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 meziročně zvýšila GMS o 11,2 % a tvoří asi 47 % celkového marketplace GMS. Firma uvádí, že uživatelé aplikace mají zhruba o 40 % vyšší celoživotní hodnotu.
Key Takeaways Etsy app GMS rose 11.2% in Q1 2026 and reached about 47% of total marketplace GMS.AI-powered profiles, feeds and recommendations improved add-to-cart activity, conversion and engagement.App users deliver about 40% higher lifetime value by visiting more often and converting at higher rates. Etsy, Inc.’s (ETSY - Free Report) mobile app is emerging as the centerpiece of the company’s marketplace transformation, with management increasingly positioning it as the primary platform to improve buyer engagement and shopping frequency. Rather than serving as just another purchase channel, the app is becoming the primary destination where Etsy is deploying personalization, machine learning and direct customer engagement to strengthen marketplace activity.
The momentum is already becoming visible. During the first quarter of 2026, mobile app Gross Merchandise Sales (“GMS”) rose 11.2% year over year, accelerating from 6.6% growth in the preceding quarter. The app now accounts for about 47% of total marketplace GMS, an increase of 240 basis points from the prior year, with app GMS continuing to outperform non-app growth. Management believes this reflects improving buyer engagement as users interact more frequently with personalized experiences.
The company is investing heavily in features that make the app more relevant for each shopper. AI-powered buyer profiles, personalized home feeds, smarter recommendations and more targeted push notifications are designed to move beyond displaying popular products and instead surface listings that align with individual tastes while encouraging exploration across new shopping occasions. Early testing has produced improvements in add-to-cart activity, conversion and overall engagement.
Management also highlighted that app users deliver approximately 40% higher lifetime value than non-app users because they visit more often, engage more deeply and convert at higher rates. While purchase frequency has not yet meaningfully accelerated, Etsy believes stronger app engagement is an important leading indicator that can gradually translate into more frequent shopping over time as the broader marketplace strategy continues to evolve.
DoorDash & Shopify: App Innovation Drives User EngagementDoorDash, Inc. (DASH - Free Report) is strengthening app engagement through AI-powered shopping enhancements and a richer end-to-end user experience. DoorDash plans to introduce agentic ordering, smarter search, personalized discovery and improved customer support to make shopping faster and more intuitive. Management also highlighted record DashPass engagement and growing membership adoption, reinforcing DoorDash’s strategy of increasing user retention and purchase frequency through a superior app experience.
Shopify Inc. (SHOP - Free Report) is also accelerating app-driven engagement by expanding AI-powered discovery and commerce capabilities. The Shopify Shop App delivered 70% GMV growth and more than 40% growth in monthly active users in the first quarter of 2026, while unique buyers increased more than 50% year over year. Shopify is further enhancing engagement through AI-powered search, personalized recommendations and Sidekick, helping merchants attract shoppers and improve conversion.
What the Latest Metrics Say About EtsyEtsy has seen its shares jump 44.8% over the past three months against the industry’s 2.4% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Etsy's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 13.79, lower than the industry’s ratio of 21.85. ETSY is also trading below its 12-month median level of 20.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Etsy's earnings per share has seen a downward revision. The consensus estimate for the current fiscal year has fallen from $5.55 to $5.41, while the estimate for the next fiscal year has declined from $6.40 to 6.29 over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Etsy currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Micron podepsal 16 dlouhodobých dodavatelských smluv na DRAM a NAND, které mají zvýšit viditelnost tržeb a stabilizovat marže. Čtrnáct dohod představuje asi 100 miliard USD minimálních tržeb.
Key Takeaways Micron has signed 16 long-term supply agreements covering key DRAM and NAND volumes.Take-or-pay terms and pricing bands aim to soften market swings and stabilize margins and cash flows.Fourteen agreements represent about $100 billion in minimum revenues, backed by $22 billion in commitments. Micron Technology, Inc. (MU - Free Report) is reshaping its business model through long-term supply contracts that aim to reduce the earnings volatility typical of the memory industry. With artificial intelligence (AI) driving unprecedented demand for DRAM and NAND, these agreements could provide greater revenue visibility while supporting stable margins and stronger cash flows.
By the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the company signed 16 Strategic Customer Agreements (SCAs) spanning data center, consumer and automotive markets. These contracts currently cover roughly 20% of Micron's DRAM volume and about one-third of its NAND volume over the contract period. Management expects these agreements to eventually account for half or more of total company revenues, significantly increasing the predictability of future sales.
The SCAs are structured as take-or-pay contracts, requiring customers to purchase committed volumes over multiple years. Most agreements include pricing bands with defined floor and ceiling prices, reducing the impact of sharp market swings while allowing pricing to adjust within agreed limits. Fourteen of the signed agreements represent approximately $100 billion in minimum contracted revenues over the remaining contract term. Customers have also committed about $22 billion through cash deposits and related financial commitments, highlighting confidence in Micron's long-term supply strategy.
These agreements come as AI-driven demand continues to outpace industry supply. Micron expects tight DRAM and NAND market conditions to extend beyond calendar year 2027, supported by limited wafer capacity and slower technology transitions. Combined with strong demand for HBM, data center SSDs and advanced memory products, the company's contract-based model should improve revenue visibility.
While memory remains a cyclical industry, these long-term supply agreements could make Micron's financial performance more stable than in previous cycles. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $126.66 billion, indicating a robust $238.9% year-over-year surge.
How Do MU's Rivals Compare on Long-Term Revenue Visibility?Micron's closest U.S.-listed competitors are Western Digital Corporation (WDC - Free Report) and Seagate Technology Holdings Plc (STX - Free Report) , though both focus primarily on storage rather than DRAM memory. Like Micron, they are benefiting from the AI-driven surge in enterprise storage demand, but their revenue visibility relies more on long-term cloud customer relationships than formal multi-year supply contracts.
Western Digital has seen strong demand for its enterprise SSDs and high-capacity HDDs, supported by AI data center investments and growing cloud deployments. The company expects continued growth as hyperscalers expand storage infrastructure for AI workloads. Western Digital’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues rose 45% year over year to $3.34 billion.
Seagate is also capitalizing on the rising demand for mass-capacity storage. Its Mozaic platform, based on heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, enables higher-capacity hard drives that help customers lower storage costs. In the last reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Seagate’s revenues jumped 44% year over year to $3.11 billion.
Nonetheless, unlike Micron's take-or-pay SCAs that lock in committed purchase volumes, Western Digital and Seagate remain more exposed to fluctuations in enterprise storage spending and hard drive pricing. This gives Micron an advantage in revenue visibility, especially as its multi-year agreements provide committed demand, pricing discipline and stronger cash flow predictability during periods of tight memory supply.
Micron’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Micron have surged around 243.1% year to date compared with the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 16.9%.
From a valuation standpoint, MU trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 6.90, significantly lower than the sector’s average of 24.80.
Micron Technology 12-Month Forward P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Micron’s fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of 791% and 107%, respectively. Bottom-line estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Micron currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Micron zvýšil svůj desetiletý investiční plán v USA na 250 miliard USD, aby rozšířil výrobní kapacity a vývoj HBM. Nedostatek HBM podle firmy přetrvává a může se protáhnout až do příští dekády.
Investors looking ahead to when the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) shortage will end can start looking a little further out. Micron’s NASDAQ: MU response to SK Hynix's bold U.S. entry reveals that HBM shortages persist and will likely linger into the next decade (as indicated by the SK Hynix CEO), and that both companies are scrambling to ramp production.
Micron Technology Today
MU
Micron Technology
$936.80 -42.50 (-4.34%)
As of 12:15 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$103.38▼
$1,255.00Dividend Yield0.06%
P/E Ratio21.24
Price Target$1,263.76
While SK Hynix will use its IPO funds to bolster U.S. capacity, Micron is using its robust cash flow and financial position to do the same. The company upped its planned 10-year investment outlook to $250 billion domestically, money to be spent on U.S.-based fabrication capacity and HBM technology advancement.
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The battle is for market share. SK Hynix commands a lion’s share of the market due to its close ties with NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA, but its dominance isn’t assured. Micron, for its part, is working to align more closely with NVIDIA’s standards to carve out a larger share of business from this single client.
Meanwhile, Micron is capturing a significant share of the second-tier AI infrastructure market, including Amazon NASDAQ: AMZN, which uses HBM for its Trainium chips, Alphabet NASDAQ: GOOGL, which uses it for its Tensor Processing Units, and Microsoft NASDAQ: MSFT, which uses HBM for its Maia architecture. Looking ahead, Micron is expected to benefit from the dual tailwinds of high demand, fixed-cost leverage, and pricing power for many years.
The latest news in DRAM and HBM sales is that price caps are being lifted or removed from long-term contracts, opening the door to maximum pricing power. While Micron has yet to follow suit, similar moves are possible. Until then, Micron is sitting pretty, providing an in-demand product with a multiyear sales bump underway and an updraft in pricing power.
Analysts Take Note, Micron Sends Strongly Bullish SignalAnalysts responded favorably to the $250 billion spending plan, with chatter highlighting the investment boost as a strongly bullish signal, reaffirming AI demand and the extended memory upcycle. Long-term revenue visibility translates not only into growth stability, but also into cash flow and capacity for capital returns.
As it stands, Micron’s dividend is a token but ultra-reliable, and the buyback program is in position for robust future increases. Among the catalysts for share prices is the potential for buybacks to start reducing the share count in the not-too-distant future.
Until then, MarketBeat tracks 38 analysts who rate Micron stock as a consensus Buy, with a 92% Buy-side bias. The trends include steady coverage, firming sentiment, and robust price target increases, with consensus forecasting nearly 30% upside as of mid-July and the high-end pegged at $2,000. The $2,000 target is significant, as it represents more than 100% upside from the mid-July trading levels and may be reached within a matter of quarters.
Institutional activity suggests the downside risk is limited in Q3. The group owns more than 80% of the stock and has bought on balance over the trailing 12 months, accelerating buying in early Q3. The early Q3 balance is greater than $2-to-$1, providing a solid support base, and is likely to remain strong, given the trends, outlook, and increased spending plans. The risk from this vector is that this group sells into the rally as the price advances, but there is little sign of that now. With analysts raising targets and the outlook strengthening, institutional support is likely to remain solid for the foreseeable future.
Triple-Digit Upside for Micron: Near, Mid, and Long-TermMicron’s valuation metrics suggest a robust upside potential in the near-, mid-, and long-term. The stock trades at a paltry 12x its current-year earnings guidance, a multiple that is lower than that of AI-critical peers and the S&P 500, which trade at least 100% higher relative to their earnings. Looking ahead, the valuation falls to about 6x as soon as the subsequent year, suggesting another 100% upside is possible within the next two to three quarters. Longer-term, the estimates fail to account for the extended HBM shortage, setting the stage for a persistent, robustly bullish cycle of analyst revisions that may last several years.
Micron’s early July price pullback is an opportunity in this scenario. While the 25% price correction is alarming, it’s a small move for this market, which remains up by approximately 700% on a trailing 12-month basis. The more critical chart detail is the preceding peak and its accompanying MACD convergence, a signal of market strength suggesting fresh highs will be set. The only question is the timing of the move, and it may be triggered soon. Micron is slated to report its fiscal Q4 results in late September, but releases from NVIDIA, the Mag Seven, and AI-critical hyperscale providers can also do the trick by affirming demand and spending trends are intact.
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Atlassian ve 3. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 zvýšil tržby z cloudu o 29 % meziročně na více než 1,1 miliardy USD a celkové tržby o 32 % na 1,8 miliardy USD. Růst táhla AI, cross-selling a migrace do cloudu.
Key Takeaways Atlassian is seeing strong cloud growth driven by AI adoption, cross-selling and customer expansion. TEAM trades at a lower forward sales multiple than ServiceNow, offering a more attractive valuation. ServiceNow is benefiting from AI adoption but faces margin pressure from multiple acquisitions. ServiceNow (NOW - Free Report) and Atlassian (TEAM - Free Report) are two of the most important enterprise cloud software companies, helping large organizations modernize operations, automate workflows and manage critical business processes.
While both benefit from long-term digital transformation trends, their business momentum and execution profiles differ meaningfully. For investors trying to choose between these two software leaders, a closer look at their fundamentals, growth outlook and risks helps determine which stock currently offers a stronger investment case.
The Case for ServiceNow StockServiceNow has been benefiting from the rising adoption of its workflows by enterprises undergoing digital transformation. The company expects to achieve $1.5 billion in AI revenues in 2026 on the back of rising adoption of ServiceNow's AI products, such as Now Assist, across its customer base, where customers are deploying AI faster and on a much larger scale.
Deals including three or more Now Assist products grew nearly 70% year over year in the first quarter, suggesting that customers are expanding AI usage across multiple workflows rather than testing a single AI feature. This bodes well for ServiceNow's prospects as customers are increasingly moving from AI pilots to full production deployments across their organizations and are now investing in AI across multiple business functions.
Now Assist is also helping ServiceNow grow other AI products. The company stated that the adoption of Now Assist is driving demand for AI Control Tower and RaptorDB Pro. In the first quarter, AI Control Tower’s average deal sizes more than doubled sequentially, while RaptorDB Pro deal volume increased 80% year over year. Rising customer adoption and higher AI revenue expectations are positioning Now Assist to become an important driver of ServiceNow's AI growth strategy.
However, ServiceNow is integrating several acquisitions at the same time, including Moveworks, Armis, Veza and Pyramid Analytics. As a result of its back-to-back acquisitions, ServiceNow will need to integrate the acquired products, employees, technologies and sales teams into its existing business. As a result, the company will incur higher costs. These costs are expected to hurt the company's profitability before the benefits of synergies from acquisitions are fully realized.
For instance, the Armis acquisition is also expected to put pressure on profitability in 2026. Management expects Armis to reduce 2026 subscription gross margin by 25 basis points, operating margin by 75 basis points and free cash flow margin by 200 basis points. For the second quarter of 2026, Armis is expected to reduce its operating margin by 125 basis points. If customer adoption is slower than expected, the revenue contribution from these businesses could take longer to materialize.
The Case for Atlassian StockAtlassian's cloud business remained a key growth driver in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. Cloud revenues increased 29% year over year to more than $1.1 billion, helping total revenues grow 32% to $1.8 billion. The strong performance was driven by higher customer adoption, cross-selling and continued demand for the company's cloud-based products.
AI is playing an important role in this growth. Management said customers using its AI product, Rovo, are growing their annual recurring revenues (ARR) at about twice the rate of customers that do not use Rovo. Rovo's credit usage is growing more than 20% month over month, while millions of users are actively using the platform. In addition, more customers are adopting Teamwork Collection, which combines Jira, Confluence, Loom and Rovo into one offering. This bundle is helping Atlassian sell more products to existing customers and increase cloud spending.
The company's cloud business is benefiting from steady enterprise adoption. Management said cloud migrations from the Data Center remain on track and are expected to contribute mid- to high-single-digit cloud growth over time. TEAM's seat expansion remains healthy, while Net Revenue Retention stayed above 120% in the third quarter, as customers continue to adopt more products and expand their spending across the Atlassian platform.
The above-mentioned factors show that Atlassian's cloud business appears well positioned for continued growth. Rising AI adoption, higher cross-selling through Teamwork Collection and ongoing cloud migrations are helping the company expand its customer relationships. If these trends continue, the cloud business is likely to remain Atlassian's biggest growth driver in the coming quarters.
How do Earnings Estimates Compare for NOW & TEAM?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOW’s 2026 EPS is pegged at $4.13, unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating year-over-year growth of 17.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TEAM’s fiscal 2026 EPS is pinned at $5.48, unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating year-over-year growth of 48.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NOW vs. TEAM: Price Performance and ValuationYear to date, shares of NOW and TEAM have plunged 29.7% and 45.2%, respectively.
NOW Vs. TEAM: YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, TEAM is trading at a forward sales multiple of 3.06X, lower than NOW’s forward sales multiple of 6.26X. TEAM’s reasonable valuation makes it more attractive for investors looking for value and stability.
NOW vs. TEAM: Forward 12-Month P/S Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Conclusion: TEAM Has an Edge Over NOWBoth ServiceNow and Atlassian are well-positioned to benefit from the AI wave. However, ServiceNow faces near-term risks, such as dilutive impact on margins as a result of its back-to-back acquisitions, which could hurt the company’s prospects in the near term.
In contrast, Atlassian shows steadier execution, where the company is witnessing strong momentum in its cloud business, driven by robust adoption of its AI products. TEAM’s reasonable valuation offers some downside protection as well, giving TEAM a clear edge over NOW.
Currently, NOW and TEAM carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
BlackBerry v 1. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2027 zvýšila tržby o 26 % na 153 mil. USD a poprvé za devět let vykázala kladný provozní cash flow. Zároveň potvrdila výhled tržeb Secure Comms na 270–280 mil. USD.
Key Takeaways BlackBerry's fiscal Q1 revenue rose 26% to $153M, with positive operating cash flow after nine years.BB reaffirmed Secure Comms revenue guidance and highlighted QNX momentum in automotive software.PANW grew revenue 31%, but integration costs and intense competition may pressure near-term profits. Cybersecurity has become one of the fastest-growing segments in enterprise technology as organizations face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. From ransomware attacks to AI-powered phishing campaigns, businesses are investing heavily in security solutions to protect their digital assets. Against this backdrop, investors continue to look for cybersecurity companies capable of delivering sustainable long-term growth.
Two companies that often attract investor attention are BlackBerry Limited (BB - Free Report) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW - Free Report) . Per a report from Fortune Business Insights, the global cybersecurity market is estimated to go from $248.3 billion in 2026 to $699.4 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 13.8%. While both operate in cybersecurity, they are at very different stages of their transformation and growth journeys. BlackBerry is reinventing itself after exiting the smartphone business, while Palo Alto Networks has established itself as a dominant force in enterprise cybersecurity.
Both help enterprises defend against cyber threats, though with different product focuses. So, which stock offers the better investment opportunity today?
The Case for BB StockBlackBerry operates primarily through two businesses –Secure Communications and Cybersecurity and QNX embedded software for automotive and industrial applications. Its cybersecurity offerings include endpoint security, identity protection, secure communications and AI-driven threat detection. Its QNX operating system powers millions of vehicles worldwide and is increasingly benefiting from trends such as connected cars and ADAS. BB delivered a strong start to fiscal 2027, with first-quarter revenue rising 26% year over year to $153 million, surpassing guidance. Its adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to about $36 million and generated a positive operating cash flow of about $5 million, marking its first positive first-quarter operating cash flow in nine years.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
One area where BlackBerry clearly differentiates itself is automotive software. As autonomous driving, software-defined vehicles and electric vehicles continue growing, QNX could become an increasingly valuable asset. QNX is driven by record development license revenue, new automotive and GEM design wins, and continued momentum in long-term opportunities such as GEM expansion, Physical AI and the Alloy Kore platform.
Secure Communications delivered its strongest quarter in years, with revenue increasing 24% year over year, driven by robust government demand and significant contract wins. Customer retention, recurring revenue and government demand for secure communications solutions continue to show encouraging momentum. A multiyear expansion with Shared Services Canada, driven by rising demand for digital sovereignty and cybersecurity, significantly boosted fiscal first-quarter revenue through the expanded deployment of Secusmart's encrypted communications solutions. Management cautioned that large government contracts have long sales cycles, making this quarter’s outsized growth unlikely to recur every quarter. Still, this unit is evolving into a stable growth business with upside from major government wins.
Recently, BB upgraded AtHoc with Microsoft Teams and Entra ID integrations for faster emergency response. AtHoc supports recurring software revenue alongside Secure Comm and QNX growth. In June, the Secure Comms arm also upgraded its Unified Endpoint Management platform, aimed at addressing the evolving needs of enterprises, governments and highly regulated industries. The company reaffirmed its full-year revenue guidance for Secure Comms of $270–$280 million, representing 4–8% growth.
Despite possessing valuable technology, BlackBerry continues to face challenges. Revenue growth has remained inconsistent over the past few years, reflecting intense competition in enterprise cybersecurity. Larger rivals with broader product portfolios have captured a significant share of new enterprise spending. Although management has streamlined operations and reduced costs, investors are still waiting for sustained revenue acceleration and stronger profitability. Investors should also recognize that automotive software follows longer development cycles than enterprise cybersecurity, meaning revenue growth tends to be slower and less predictable.
The Case for PANW StockPalo Alto continues to benefit from higher cybersecurity priority as enterprises deploy AI and look to consolidate vendors onto fewer platforms. PANW reported fiscal third-quarter revenues of $3 billion, expanding 31% year over year. The company continues to strengthen its AI-driven cybersecurity platform, leveraging advanced AI models and strategic partnerships to enhance threat detection and defense. Strong customer demand drove continued platform adoption, with 110 new platformizations during the quarter, supporting its long-term goal of surpassing 4,000 platformized customers and reaching $20 billion in next-generation security ARR by fiscal 2030.
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Post-acquisition integration remains on track, with product innovation, cost efficiencies and cross-selling driving faster-than-expected profitability. CyberArk and Chronosphere continue to strengthen growth in next-generation security, while operational efficiencies and synergy realization support the company's long-term margin and free cash flow targets. These additions expand Palo Alto’s addressable markets into identity security and observability, which management views as crucial in an agentic AI era. PANW reported RPO of $18.4 billion, 36% year over year. Around $1.8 billion came from acquired businesses. A growing RPO indicates customers are committing to larger, longer-term cybersecurity contracts. This provides excellent revenue visibility and demonstrates confidence in the company's integrated platform strategy.
The company continues to advance its platform capabilities, endpoint security and AI-native solutions. In June, PANW expanded Project Lightwell with IBM and Red Hat, integrating virtual patching and software remediation to help organizations identify vulnerabilities and reduce exposure to emerging cyber threats. Also, it partnered with Deutsche Telekom to launch Sovereign Cortex with T Security, delivering AI-driven security operations with enhanced data sovereignty controls for regulated European industries. In May, PANW completed the acquisition of Portkey, expanding its Prisma AIRS platform with capabilities to monitor, orchestrate and govern AI agents at scale. It launched Idira, an identity security platform designed to manage and secure human, machine and AI agent identities across enterprises.
However, near-term prospects for Palo Alto might be hurt by changing customer behavior. In the past few quarters, various competitors in the cybersecurity space have noticed that the companies have been breaking their cybersecurity investment plans into phases and implementing the same over longer periods of time, instead of making a single large investment. Rising integration costs from the CyberArk and Chronosphere acquisitions are expected to weigh on PANW's near-term profitability as the company integrates employees, operations and go-to-market teams.
Increasing competition from Microsoft, CrowdStrike and other cybersecurity firms is a major woe. To survive in the highly competitive cybersecurity market, each player must continually invest in broadening its capabilities. Over the past few years, Palo Alto has invested heavily to enhance its sales and marketing capabilities, particularly by increasing the sales force. This has raised its operating expenses. Slower operating leverage would weigh on it even if revenues remain on plan. Furthermore, though PANW foresees these investments to garner benefits over the long run, uncertainty about the payback period still looms.
Price Performance Trajectory for BB & PANWYear to date, BB and PANW have registered gains of 189.4% and 76.9%, respectively.
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Valuation ComparisonsBlackBerry typically trades at a much lower valuation because investors remain uncertain about its turnaround. A lower valuation can offer potential upside if management successfully accelerates growth. Palo Alto Networks commands a premium valuation.
In terms of the forward 12-month price/earnings multiple, BB is trading at 72.67X, lower than PANW's 146.44X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How Does the Zacks Consensus Estimate Compare for BB & PANW?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BB earnings for fiscal 2027 has been revised down over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Meanwhile, for PANW, there is a marginal upward estimate revision.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BB or PANW: Which Stock is the Better Buy?If BlackBerry successfully expands cybersecurity adoption while monetizing QNX more effectively, its shares could deliver healthy long-term gains. However, the path remains uncertain. Platform consolidation, AI security demand, expanding recurring revenues and cash flow, and disciplined integration support steady long-term growth for Palo Alto. However, intensifying competition, an uncertain economic environment and acquisition integration risks remain key concerns.
BB, at present, carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) while PANW has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Consequently, in terms of Zacks Rank and valuations, BB provides a more compelling risk-reward profile for investors. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
FIS v 1. čtvrtletí 2026 zvýšila pro forma tržby o 6,5 % a opakovaná roční hodnota kontraktů vzrostla meziročně o 24 %. Firma zároveň vyvíjí AI bankovní agenty a první nasazení se očekává v 2. pololetí 2026.
Key Takeaways FIS' Q1 2026 pro forma revenues grew 6.5% as recurring annual contract value rose 24% YoY.FIS is developing AI banking agents and expects first customer deployments in 2H 2026.FIS launched Project Keystone and Lyriq to support tokenized deposits, digital assets and compliant payments. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (FIS - Free Report) is strengthening its position in digital banking by expanding its capabilities in AI, digital payments and modern banking infrastructure. As financial institutions accelerate digital transformation, the company is introducing technologies that help banks improve efficiency, automate operations and enhance customer experiences. Its strong first-quarter 2026 results, including 6.5% pro forma revenue growth and 24% year-over-year rise in recurring annual contract value, highlight strong demand for its banking solutions.
AI is becoming a central pillar of FIS' strategy. Through its partnership with Anthropic, the company is developing AI agents that automate financial crime investigations and other banking workflows. FIS combines AI with banking data, compliance controls and core systems, enabling financial institutions to deploy these solutions in regulated environments. It expects the first AI agents to reach customers in the second half of 2026.
FIS is also preparing banks for the evolution of digital assets and payments. It launched Project Keystone, a tokenized deposit network involving six U.S. financial institutions, alongside its Lyriq digital asset platform. These initiatives help banks explore tokenized deposits and digital currencies while maintaining regulatory compliance. Also, products such as Money Movement Hub continue to generate healthy customer demand.
Beyond new products, FIS is prioritizing recurring revenues, strategic partnerships and investments in high-growth businesses. An increasing mix of subscription and cloud based contracts, coupled with strong commercial momentum, could support long term revenue visibility and earnings growth. As banks modernize their technology infrastructure, FIS could be well positioned to play a meaningful role in shaping the next generation of digital banking.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of FIS’ competitors in the digital banking technology solutions space are Fiserv, Inc. (FISV - Free Report) and Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (JKHY - Free Report) .
Fiserv continues to strengthen its digital banking franchise through cloud-native core banking, embedded finance and AI-enabled solutions. Its Finxact platform is helping banks modernize legacy infrastructure, while investments in digital payments and financial technology position FISV as a key competitor to FIS.
Jack Henry is expanding its digital banking ecosystem by enhancing cloud capabilities, payment technologies and AI-driven banking tools. JKHY remains well positioned among community and regional banks, where its integrated banking platform and customer-focused approach continue to support steady technology adoption.
Fidelity National’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of FIS have declined 36.8% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s fall of 11.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Fidelity National trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 6.37, significantly below the industry average of 16.77. FIS carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Fidelity National’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.28 per share, implying 9.2% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FIS stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Suncor Energy za posledních 12 měsíců vzrostla o 48,7 %, výrazně nad 24% růstem širšího energetického sektoru. Firma zároveň hlásí rekordní upstream produkci za 1. čtvrtletí 2026.
Key Takeaways Suncor Energy outperformed the broader oil and energy sector, with shares gaining 48.7% over 12 months.SU delivered record first-quarter 2026 upstream production despite temporary third-party disruptions.Suncor Energy targets 100,000 barrels per day of upstream production growth by 2028 using existing assets. Suncor Energy Inc. (SU - Free Report) has emerged as one of the strongest-performing energy stocks over the past year, driven by its disciplined capital allocation, resilient integrated business model and robust cash flow generation. Backed by healthy refining margins, efficient oil sands operations and consistent shareholder return, the company has continued to strengthen investor confidence despite a volatile commodity price environment.
Over the past 12 months, SU’s shares have rallied 48.7%, significantly outperforming the broader Oil-Energy Sector's (ZS12M) 24% rise. The stock's return, which is more than double that of the sector, reflects the market's confidence in Suncor's ability to execute its long-term strategy while delivering strong operational and financial performance.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Suncor is one of Canada's largest integrated energy companies, with operations spanning oil sands mining, conventional oil and natural gas production, petroleum refining and fuel marketing. Its integrated business model provides diversified earnings streams, helping offset volatility in commodity prices while generating stable cash flows across market cycles. The company's momentum is also reflected in analysts' improving earnings expectations.
Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for SU's earnings per share has increased 10.47% for 2026 and 10.73% for 2027, indicating growing confidence in its outlook.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Can Suncor continue to outperform after such an impressive rally, or has the stock already priced in its strengths? Let's examine the key factors driving the company's investment case and determine whether the stock still offers upside for investors.
What's Fueling Suncor's Strong Performance?Consistent Production Growth: Suncor has demonstrated that it can expand production through operational improvements rather than relying on expensive acquisitions or major greenfield developments. During the first quarter of 2026, the company delivered its highest first-quarter upstream production on record despite temporary third-party disruptions, highlighting stronger reliability, better asset utilization and continuous operational improvements across its oil sands portfolio.
Integrated Business Model: SU's fully integrated business model spans upstream production, upgrading, refining, transportation, trading and retail marketing, allowing it to capture value throughout the energy value chain. This diversified structure helps reduce earnings volatility, improves margin capture during changing market conditions and provides greater financial stability than companies that depend on only one segment of the energy business.
Leading Downstream Business: Suncor operates one of the strongest downstream businesses in North America with 511,000 barrels per day of refining capacity, approximately 1,730 Petro-Canada retail locations and export capabilities reaching 45 countries. Management highlighted industry-leading refinery utilization and strong commercial capabilities that continue to enhance profitability and generate resilient earnings across varying commodity price environments.
Operational Excellence: Suncor continues to improve operational reliability through higher upgrader utilization, stronger turnaround performance, improved mine productivity and greater regional integration across its oil sands assets. The investor presentation highlights sustained utilization above 95% and record operating performance, while management believes ongoing efficiency improvements will continue supporting stronger margins, lower costs and higher long-term cash generation.
Visible Growth Pipeline: Suncor plans to increase upstream production by approximately 100,000 barrels per day by 2028 using existing resource areas located near current operations. Management intends to deploy standardized project designs and leverage existing infrastructure to lower development costs, reduce execution risk and improve project economics compared with traditional large-scale oil sands developments.
Strong Financial Position: Suncor maintains a solid financial foundation supported by investment-grade credit ratings, approximately C$9 billion of available liquidity and conservative leverage metrics. Management explained that the temporary working capital increase reflected stronger commodity prices rather than financial weakness, reinforcing the company's ability to support growth investments while continuing substantial shareholder distributions.
Disciplined Capital Allocation: SU follows a disciplined capital allocation framework that prioritizes maintaining a strong balance sheet, investing in existing operations, paying reliable dividends, repurchasing shares and funding high-return growth projects. Management also clarified that the recent increase in share buybacks reflects confidence in the long-term business plan rather than a temporary response to favorable commodity prices.
Strong Execution Track Record: Management noted that Suncor met the previous Investor Day goals ahead of schedule by boosting upstream production, increasing downstream throughput, lowering its corporate breakeven and growing free funds flow. This strong execution reflects the company's operational strength and supports confidence in its long-term growth plans.
Suncor Stock: The Final VerdictSuncor is well positioned for sustained long-term growth, supported by consistent production expansion, ongoing operational improvements and a fully integrated business model that delivers resilient earnings across commodity cycles. The company's leading downstream operations, visible low-risk growth pipeline, disciplined capital allocation strategy and strong financial position provide a solid foundation for continued value creation and attractive shareholder returns.
Backed by management's proven execution record and continued focus on enhancing efficiency, lowering costs and increasing cash generation, Suncor is well equipped to capitalize on growth opportunities. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock represents an attractive choice for investors seeking exposure to the oil and gas sector, given its strong competitive positioning, expanding international business and improving earnings outlook.
Other Key PicksInvestors interested in the energysector might consider other top-ranked stocks, such as Par Pacific (PARR - Free Report) , Paramount Resources (PRMRF - Free Report) , both sporting a Zacks Rank #1, and Cenovus Energy (CVE - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Par Pacific is valued at 3.30 billion. It is an energy company that owns and operates refining, logistics and retail assets. Par Pacific operates across Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountain region.
Paramount Resources is valued at $2.90 billion. It is a Canadian energy producer focused on the exploration, development and production of natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids. Paramount Resources operates in Western Canada.
Cenovus Energy is valued at $49.12 billion. It is an integrated Canadian energy company engaged in oil sands production, conventional oil and natural gas development, refining and downstream operations. Cenovus Energy operates across North America.
SLB prostřednictvím společného podniku OneSubsea získala od Eni velkou zakázku na 94,6 kilometru ocelových umbilicals pro projekt Kutei North Hub v Indonésii. Zakázka patří mezi největší v subsea průmyslu.
Key Takeaways SLB's OneSubsea wins a major umbilical contract for Eni's Kutei North Hub offshore Indonesia.The project includes 94.6 kilometers of steel-tube umbilicals for water depths up to 2,200 meters.SLB will use parallel production lines to shorten delivery times and improve manufacturing efficiency. SLB N.V. (SLB - Free Report) has strengthened its deepwater business by securing a major contract through its OneSubsea joint venture from Eni North Ganal Limited for the Kutei North Hub development offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Eni North Ganal Limited is a subsidiary of Searah Limited, which is a 50/50 joint venture between Eni S.p.A. (E - Free Report) and PETRONAS that focuses on developing upstream oil and gas assets in Southeast Asia.
Under the agreement, OneSubsea will engineer, procure and manufacture 94.6 kilometers of steel-tube umbilicals for water depths of up to 2,200 meters. The steel-tube umbilical system, weighing approximately 6,700 tons, ranks among the largest umbilical contracts awarded in the subsea industry and reinforces SLB's leadership in complex offshore developments.
The project showcases SLB's advanced manufacturing capabilities by combining its Oscilay and planetary production lines, enabling parallel production that shortens delivery timelines while improving manufacturing efficiency. The contract also includes production of a 30-kilometer continuous umbilical, weighing roughly 2,100 tons, designed to withstand pressures of 10,000 psi, highlighting SLB's technical expertise in demanding deepwater environments.
The award strengthens SLB's subsea order backlog while reinforcing its long-term partnership with E. As global energy companies continue investing in offshore natural gas developments to meet rising energy demand, advanced subsea infrastructure remains critical. SLB's technical expertise, manufacturing scale and execution capabilities position the company to capture additional deepwater opportunities, supporting higher cash flow generation. This contract is expected to strengthen SLB's business model and boost investor appeal in the coming years.
SLB currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), while Eni has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) at present.
Some better-ranked stocks in the energy sector are Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE - Free Report) and National Energy Services Reunited Corp. (NESR - Free Report) . CVE currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) while NESR sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
By leveraging its fully integrated upstream and downstream operations across Canada and the United States, Cenovus consistently generates robust cash flow. To further expand production, CVE is advancing key optimization initiatives at Christina Lake North, Sunrise, West White Rose and Foster Creek.
National Energy Services Reunited delivers integrated drilling and reservoir services across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia-Pacific, helping producers maximize output and efficiency. With the rising global demand for electricity fueling a shift toward natural gas, NESR is well-positioned to capitalize on growing upstream energy investments.
Cintas má 15. července před otevřením trhu oznámit výsledky za 4. fiskální čtvrtletí; tržby se čekají na 2,88 miliardy USD, tedy o 7,8 % meziročně výše.
Key Takeaways Cintas is expected to report fiscal Q4 revenues of $2.88 billion, up 7.8% year over year. CTAS may benefit from customer retention, AED Rentals demand and gains from recent acquisitions. Cintas faces margin pressure from higher SG&A costs and potential foreign exchange headwinds. Cintas Corporation (CTAS - Free Report) is scheduled to release fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended May 2026) results on July 15, before market open.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CTAS’ fiscal fourth-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.88 billion, indicating growth of 7.8% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.24 per share, which has been stable in the past 60 days. The figure indicates growth of 13.8% from the year-ago quarter's figure.
The company has a stellar earnings surprise history, having outperformed the consensus estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average beat being 1.3%. In the last reported quarter, its earnings of $1.24 per share beat the consensus estimate of $1.23 by 0.8%.
Let’s see how things have shaped up before Cintas’ fiscal fourth-quarter earnings release.
Factors to Note Ahead of CTAS’ ResultsStrong customer retention and penetration of additional products and services into existing customers are expected to have driven the Uniform Rental and Facility Services segment’s performance in the fiscal fourth quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segment’s revenues is pegged at $2.17 billion, indicating a 7% jump from the year-ago reported number.
Solid demand for the company’s AED Rentals is likely to have supported the performance of the First Aid and Safety Services segment. Also, strong customer retention levels and an improved sales mix are likely to have boded well for the segment. The consensus mark for the segment’s revenues is pegged at $358 million, which implies a 10.5% increase from the year-ago reported figure.
Also, synergistic gains from the acquisitions of Paris Uniform Services (March 2024) and SITEX (February 2024) are expected to have boosted Cintas’ top line in the to-be-reported quarter. While the Paris Uniform Services buyout has strengthened CTAS’ market presence in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and West Virginia, the SITEX acquisition has enhanced its footprint in the U.S. central Midwest region.
However, the escalating selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses pose a threat to CTAS’ bottom line. Increase in employee-partner related expensesare expected to have pushed up the SG&A expenses, which are likely to have impacted the company’s margins in the fiscal fourth quarter.
Given Cintas’ extensive geographic presence, its operations are subject to global political risks and foreign exchange headwinds. A stronger U.S. dollar is likely to have hurt CTAS’ overseas business in the quarter.
Earnings WhispersOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for CTAS this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here, as elaborated below.
Earnings ESP: CTAS has an Earnings ESP of +0.58% as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.25 per share, higher than the Most Accurate Estimate of $1.24. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: CTAS currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Other Stocks to ConsiderHere are some other companies, which according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in this reporting cycle.
Ingersoll Rand Inc. (IR - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.61% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.
Ingersoll Rand’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters while matching the mark in two, the average surprise being 2.4%.
Crane Company (CR - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.73% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 28.
Crane’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average surprise being 11.3%.
Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.31% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The company is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 28.
Illinois Tool’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 2.8%.
Na společnost Lucid byla podána hromadná žaloba kvůli údajným zavádějícím tvrzením o výrobě a dodávkách. Firma uvedla, že v 1. čtvrtletí vyrobila 5 500 vozů, ale dodala jen 3 093.
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 13, 2026) - Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Lucid Group, Inc. ("Lucid" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LCID) on behalf of investors that purchased or otherwise acquired Lucid Group securities between February 25, 2026 and April 13, 2026 (the "Class Period").
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If you are an investor in Lucid and have suffered losses, you may CLICK HERE to contact us. You may also contact Kaplan Fox by emailing [email protected] or by calling (646) 315-9003.
DEADLINE REMINDER: If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than July 28, 2026 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. If you have losses we encourage you to contact us to learn more about the lead plaintiff process. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery.
On Friday April 3, 2026, at the close of the market, Lucid issued in a press release stating that the Company "produced 5,500 vehicles" during the first quarter of 2026, while only "deliver[ing] 3,093 vehicles." The press release further stated that "[d]uring the quarter, deliveries of the Lucid Gravity were disrupted for 29 days due to a supplier quality issue with the second-row seats" and, "[a]s result of this, the [C]ompany's ability to meet customer demand was impacted." That same day, Reuters published an article entitled "Lucid misses first-quarter vehicle delivery estimates on supplier disruptions." According to the article Chief Executive Officer Marc Winterhoff, said "[d]eliveries were particularly hit in February" when the Company "paused to reverse the change and inspect vehicles already produced."
In the first two trading sessions following the news, the price of Lucid shares declined by $1.13 per share, or 11.35%, to close at $8.83 per share on April 7, 2026.
Then, on April 14, 2026, Lucid announced preliminary first quarter 2026 financial results, including revenue in the range of $280 million to $284 million, well below the consensus estimate of $433.8 million according to the complaint, and loss from operations in the range of $985 million to $1.005 billion.
Following this news, the price of Lucid stock fell $0.44 per share, or 4.76%, to close at $8.80 per share on April 14, 2026.
The complaint alleges, among other things, that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) a supplier quality issue had significantly disrupted deliveries of the Lucid Gravity; (ii) the foregoing was likely to, and did, have a material negative impact on the Company's business and financial results; (iii) accordingly, the Defendants had overstated the purported enhancements to Lucid's manufacturing and delivery capabilities and overall operations; and (iv) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
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Lam Research míří na rekordní tržby ve 4. fiskálním čtvrtletí 2026 ve výši 6,6 mld. USD, tažené poptávkou po AI čipech. Ve 3. čtvrtletí tržby meziročně vzrostly o 24 % na rekordních 5,84 mld. USD.
Key Takeaways Lam Research targets record Q4'26 revenues of $6.6B after posting $5.84B in the third quarter.AI chip demand is driving investments in advanced DRAM, HBM and leading-edge foundry technologies.LRCX's advanced packaging sales are expected to grow by over 50% in 2026 as AI processors become more complex. Lam Research Corporation (LRCX - Free Report) is slated to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results in late July, and investors must be wondering if the company will reach its record revenue target of $6.6 billion. We believe that the ongoing boom in artificial intelligence (AI) chips could help Lam Research achieve that goal. Demand for advanced semiconductor equipment continues to rise as chipmakers expand capacity for AI processors, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and next-generation logic devices.
Lam Research delivered strong momentum in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. Revenues increased 24% year over year to a record $5.84 billion, while systems revenues climbed to $3.73 billion. Non-GAAP earnings per share jumped 41% and reached a record $1.47, while non-GAAP gross margin improved 90 basis points to 49.9%, reflecting a favorable product mix and operational execution. These results provide a solid foundation for another quarter of growth.
AI is becoming LRCX’s biggest growth engine. The company is benefiting from rising investments in advanced DRAM, HBM and leading-edge foundry technologies, all of which require Lam Research’s etch and deposition equipment. Management also expects advanced packaging revenues to grow more than 50% in calendar year 2026 as AI processors become more complex and require sophisticated chip integration technologies.
Industry conditions remain favorable. Lam Research estimates global wafer fabrication equipment spending of approximately $140 billion in calendar year 2026, reflecting stronger AI-related investments across memory and logic markets. The company also expects industry growth to continue into 2027.
If AI infrastructure spending remains robust and customers continue expanding advanced chip production, Lam Research appears well-positioned to achieve its record fourth-quarter sales target and sustain its strong growth momentum. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $6.67 billion, higher than the midpoint of management’s guidance range and indicating a year-over-year increase of more than 29%.
Lam Research’s Rivals Also Benefit From AI Chip DemandLRCX’s main competitors, Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT - Free Report) and KLA Corporation (KLAC - Free Report) , are also benefiting from the AI chip boom. Both companies have broad exposure to advanced semiconductor manufacturing and are seeing strong demand from AI-related investments.
Applied Materials is Lam Research’s closest rival in wafer fabrication equipment. The company generated revenues of $7.91 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, with its Semiconductor Systems segment contributing the majority of sales. Applied Materials reported record DRAM revenue and continues to benefit from growing demand for advanced logic, HBM and advanced packaging solutions used in AI servers. Its broad product portfolio positions it to capture a significant share of rising semiconductor capital spending.
KLA Corporation competes through inspection and process control equipment, which are essential for manufacturing advanced AI chips. The company’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues increased 11.5% year over year to $3.42 billion as it continues to benefit from increasing process complexity at leading-edge nodes. As AI processors and HBM stacks require tighter quality control and higher production yields, KLAC's inspection tools are becoming increasingly important.
For Lam Research, sustaining record quarterly revenues will depend on maintaining its leadership in etch and deposition technologies while competing effectively with Applied Materials and KLA Corporation across the rapidly expanding AI semiconductor ecosystem.
LRCX’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Lam Research have surged 104.6% year to date compared with the Zacks Electronics – Semiconductors industry’s rise of 50.3%.
Lam Research YTD Price Return Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Lam Research trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 43.81, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 33.34.
Lam Research Forward 12-Month P/E Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lam Research’s fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of approximately 37.2% and 39.6%, respectively. Estimates for fiscal 2026 have been revised upward over the past 30 days, while estimates for fiscal 2027 have been raised northward over the past seven days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Lam Research currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Summit NATO přinesl zhruba 50 miliard USD nových obranných zakázek, které mohou postupně plnit backlogy firem jako Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin a General Dynamics. Klíčové ale bude, zda se sliby promění ve skutečné kontrakty.
Jerry McGinn, who runs the Center for the Industrial Base at CSIS, went on CNBC with a number that will define the defense trade for the rest of the year. Roughly $50 billion in deal announcements have come out of the NATO summit in recent days, as allies convert last year’s pledge to reach 5% of GDP defense spending by 2030 into actual purchase orders. Canada, Germany, and Norway are lining up behind U.S. primes. McGinn’s message to investors was blunt about what to trust and what to discount.
The $50 Billion in Fresh Deals The headline transaction is NATO buying the Triton unmanned surveillance aircraft from Northrop Grumman, alongside deals featuring European firms like Saab on ISR systems (Saab trades in Stockholm, not on a U.S. exchange, so American investors get the theme through the primes). Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC | NOC Price Prediction) already booked $400 million in Triton awards in Q1 and is expanding B-21 production capacity with the Air Force. Its backlog stands at $95.6 billion, and management reaffirmed FY26 sales of $43.5 to $44.0 billion.
The stock is down 7.5% year to date, which tells you the market has not fully priced the NATO order book. Analyst consensus target is $689.33, against a current price near $541, with shares trading at a forward P/E of 19x.
The Commitment-to-Contract Gap Investors Have to Watch McGinn’s investor test is the whole ballgame. “What investors need to be looking at is how does this translate into actual real business contracts?” He flagged three hurdles. U.S. congressional approval comes first, then European parliamentary approval, then actual contracting. Pledges are cheap. Contracts show up in backlog.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is the clearest example of pledge-to-paper conversion. In its Q1 filing, CEO Jim Taiclet said the company signed framework agreements for advanced Patriot Missile, THAAD, and PrSM that will support raising production rates to 3 to 4 times current levels. That is a multi-year purchase commitment. Lockheed’s backlog closed 2025 at a record $194 billion. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) shows the same conversion, with a consolidated Q1 book-to-bill of 2-to-1 and total estimated contract value climbing to $188.4 billion from $178.9 billion. GD shares are up 9.75% YTD and 23% over the past year, so much of the good news is already in.
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New Money Spigots and Where Munitions Cash Lands The financing side is where things get interesting. McGinn pointed to Canadian Prime Minister Carney’s newly announced defense bank and the expanded U.S. loan authority as tools designed to attract private capital to the industrial base. The Pentagon’s FY2027 request backs this up with real dollars. The DoW budget book earmarks $20.2 billion for the Defense Credit Account and over $100 billion in Defense Industrial Base investments, including $72.3 billion for Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment and Defense Production Act Title III. That is munitions and hypersonics money.
Which brings you to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS), the pure-play beneficiary. CEO Eric DeMarco told investors on the Q1 call that “Fiscal 2027 National Security spend is currently projected to be $1.5 trillion, an approximate $400 billion increase above Fiscal Year 2026” and that the Department plans to spend the entire $156 billion Reconciliation Bill defense funding in fiscal 2026, covering Kratos’ Valkyrie CCA, solid rocket motors, and hypersonics.
Kratos beat Q1 EPS estimates by 23%, raised FY26 revenue guidance to $1.70-$1.76 billion, and announced a 100,000-square-foot expansion in Oklahoma City to boost Valkyrie production. The catch is valuation. The stock trades at a forward P/E of 62x and is down 39% YTD from its highs.
McGinn’s framework is the right one. Watch backlogs. Congressional and parliamentary votes come first, then contracts, then revenue. That sequence decides whether $50 billion of headlines becomes real EPS.
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Amcor zahájil rozšíření závodu v čínském Dongguanu o 7 000 m² a výstavbu automatizovaného skladu. Dokončení se očekává do července 2027, kapacita i odolnost dodavatelského řetězce mají vzrůst.
Key Takeaways Amcor is expanding its Dongguan facility with a 7,000-square-meter manufacturing site and automated warehouse.AMCR will add advanced automated equipment to boost production capacity and improve operational efficiency.Amcor expects the China facility expansion to complete by July'27 and strengthen supply-chain resilience. Amcor plc (AMCR - Free Report) announced that it started an expansion project at its flexible packaging solutions facility in Dongguan, China. This move will boost AMCR’s manufacturing network to better support its customers across the Asia Pacific region.
Details of Amcor’s Facility Expansion in ChinaAmcor has a 30-year history of operating in China, with 23 manufacturing sites and two research and development centers nationwide. The investment in Dongguan expansion underscores Amcor's commitment to a key growth market.
As part of the expansion project, the company will add a 7,000-square-meter manufacturing facility and an automated warehouse to its existing campus. This will take the total campus to more than 38,000 square meters, boosting Amcor’s production capacity and supply-chain resilience in a key South China industrial hub.
The expanded facility will employ automated solvent-free laminators, high-speed bag-making machines and automated bag arranging systems, aiding increased production capacity and improved operational efficiency. These technologies will further support the production of recyclable packaging for food, home and personal care applications.
The company expects the construction of the facility to be completed by July 2027.
AMCR’s Focus to Advance Sustainable Packaging SolutionsOn June 29, Amcor announced a partnership with Kelpi to develop advanced coating technologies that will boost the company’s performance and sustainability of packaging materials. This move is in sync with AMCR’s strategy to focus on developing sustainable packaging solutions with high functional standards.
Kelpi’s proprietary coating technology platform, which is a bio-based seaweed material designed to deliver high barrier performance. It is also compatible with recycling streams for fiber-based packaging.
Amcor is testing the technology to expand its AmFiber portfolio, ensuring these fiber-based solutions meet strict requirements for barrier performance, high running speeds and circularity. By using bio-based coatings, Amcor will gain from the reduced reliance on fossil fuel-derived feedstocks and greater use of renewable resources. This will result in a lower carbon footprint.
Amcor’s Q3 PerformanceAMCR delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of 96 cents per share, rising 6% year over year and meeting the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Reported net sales climbed 77% from the year-ago quarter to $5.91 billion and beat the consensus mark of $5.69 billion.
Results reflected the first full year of the Berry combination and continued integration progress, including $77 million of acquisition synergies in the quarter, along with cost and productivity actions that supported profitability.
AMCR’s Price PerformanceOver the past year, the company’s shares have lost 4.7% compared with the industry’s 4.3% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Amcor’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderAMCR currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks from the Industrial Products sector are Helios Technologies, Inc (HLIO - Free Report) , Fastenal Company (FAST - Free Report) and Tennant Company (TNC - Free Report) . HLIO flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and FAST and TNC carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Helios Technologies’ 2026 earnings is pegged at $2.89 per share. The company has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 15.7%. Helios Technologies’ shares have soared 134% in a year.
Fastenal has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 0.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FAST’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $1.23 per share, which indicates year-over-year growth of 13.1%. The company’s shares have grown 5.3% in a year.
Tennant has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 40.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TNC’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $5.12 per share. The company’s shares have gained 5.3% in a year.
Wall Street čeká, že BOK Financial vykáže zisk 2,56 USD na akcii, meziročně o 16,9 % více, při výnosech 558,9 milionu USD. Analytici mu dávají Earnings ESP +3,52 %.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when BOK Financial (BOKF - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 20. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis Regional banking operator is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.56 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +16.9%.
Revenues are expected to be $558.9 million, up 4.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for BOK Financial?For BOK Financial, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +3.52%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination indicates that BOK Financial will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that BOK Financial would post earnings of $2.3 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.58, delivering a surprise of +12.17%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
BOK Financial appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
An Industry Player's Expected ResultsFirst Horizon National (FHN - Free Report) , another stock in the Zacks Banks - Southwest industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $0.52 for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate points to a year-over-year change of +15.6%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $873.47 million, up 5.2% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for First Horizon has been revised 0.2% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. However, a lower Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -2.19%.
When combined with a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold), this Earnings ESP makes it difficult to conclusively predict that First Horizon will beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
SPX Technologies zvýšila výhled růstu v datových centrech pro rok 2026 zhruba z 50 % na 70 % díky silné poptávce po chlazení a vzduchotechnice. Zisk segmentu vzrostl o 22 % na 135 milionů USD.
Key Takeaways SPX Technologies' stock gained 26.1% in a year, outpacing the Construction sector and the S&P 500 Index.SPXC raised its 2026 data center growth outlook to 70% as cooling and air-handling demand accelerated.Segment income rose 22% to $135 million, while margin expanded 100 basis points to 23.9%. SPX Technologies, Inc. (SPXC - Free Report) has delivered a strong share price performance, reflecting solid execution, resilient demand across its key end markets and growing confidence in its long-term growth strategy. Momentum in its HVAC and Detection & Measurement businesses, accelerating demand for data center cooling solutions and disciplined acquisitions have strengthened the company's growth outlook. SPXC stock has climbed 26.1% over the past year, broadly matching the Zacks Building Products - Air Conditioner and Heating industry’s 27% rise while outperforming the Construction sector’s 14.6% gain and the S&P 500 Index’s 24.2% increase.
The outlook remains encouraging. Management raised its full-year guidance after a stronger-than-expected first quarter of 2026, citing robust execution, sustained demand across key markets and additional data center-related volumes expected in the second half of 2026. Continued investments in manufacturing capacity, product innovation and strategic acquisitions should further strengthen SPX Technologies' competitive position.
SPXC’s 1-Year Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Over the past year, SPX Technologies has substantially outperformed several industry peers. While Carrier Global Corporation (CARR - Free Report) and Pentair plc (PNR - Free Report) posted declines of 9.5% and 28.7%, respectively, Trane Technologies plc (TT - Free Report) gained 9.2%.
SPXC's Data Center Strategy Continues to Drive Long-Term GrowthSPX Technologies continues to benefit from one of the strongest structural growth trends in industrial markets: data center infrastructure. Management noted that demand for its cooling systems and custom air-handling solutions remains exceptionally strong, prompting the company to increase its 2026 data center growth outlook from approximately 50% to 70%. SPXC also emphasized that demand continues to accelerate, supported by increasing activity from hyperscale and colocation customers.
To support this opportunity, SPX Technologies is expanding production capacity across multiple facilities. New manufacturing lines at its Tennessee and Kansas plants have already begun production, while the Alabama expansion remains on schedule to add additional assembly and manufacturing capacity through 2027. Management believes these investments, together with strong customer visibility and a diversified customer base, position the company for sustained growth beyond 2026.
SPXC's Operational Execution Continues to Support Profit GrowthSPX Technologies continues to execute well across both operating segments despite ongoing investments in capacity expansion. Consolidated segment income rose 22% year over year to $135 million, while segment margin expanded 100 basis points to 23.9%, supported by higher volumes, a favorable product mix and increased software revenues within Detection & Measurement.
HVAC segment’s income increased 20% to $88.6 million, benefiting from organic growth and acquisition contributions. Segment margin declined 40 basis points to 22.5%, mainly due to planned start-up costs associated with new production capacity. Management expects most of the estimated $8-$9 million in start-up expenses to be incurred during the first half of 2026. As the new facilities ramp up, operating leverage is expected to improve and support stronger profitability over time.
The company's disciplined acquisition strategy also continues to enhance its growth profile. Recent additions such as Thermolec and Crawford's commercial air-handling business expand SPX Technologies' HVAC capabilities, while the divestiture of Crawford United's non-core industrial and transportation businesses sharpens management's focus on higher-growth markets.
SPXC's Financial Strength Supports Future GrowthSPX Technologies maintains a healthy balance sheet that provides ample flexibility to invest in organic growth and pursue strategic acquisitions. The company ended the first quarter with approximately $158 million in cash and a leverage ratio of roughly 0.9x, well below its long-term target range. This financial strength provides significant capacity to pursue additional value-enhancing acquisitions while continuing to invest in manufacturing expansion and innovation.
The company also continues to generate positive operating cash flow while actively reshaping its portfolio. During the quarter, SPX Technologies completed the divestiture of Crawford United's non-core industrial and transportation businesses, allowing management to sharpen its focus on higher-growth HVAC and Detection & Measurement markets. Combined with a robust acquisition pipeline and raised full-year guidance, the balance sheet positions SPXC to continue executing its long-term growth strategy.
Earnings Estimate Revision of SPXC StockSPXC’s earnings outlook has improved over the past 60 days, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 rising to $7.98 per share. The consensus estimate for 2027 has remained unchanged over the same period, as shown below. The current projections imply earnings growth of 18.1% in 2026, followed by an additional 12.9% increase in 2027.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SPXC's earnings growth outlook also compares favorably with its peers. Carrier Global is expected to grow earnings by 7.7% this year, while Pentair and Trane Technologies are projected to deliver growth of 8.7% and 13.6%, respectively.
SPXC Stock Trades at a DiscountSPX Technologies trades at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 25.77X, below the industry average. The valuation reflects investor confidence in the company's disciplined execution, expanding data center opportunity, resilient demand across key end markets and continued investments in manufacturing capacity, product innovation and strategic acquisitions. These initiatives are expected to support long-term earnings growth.
However, following the stock's strong run, execution remains critical. Delays in ramping new manufacturing capacity, slower-than-expected data center demand, integration challenges related to recent acquisitions or a greater-than-expected impact from tariffs could pressure margins and weigh on investor sentiment.
SPXC P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months) Vs Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Among peers, Carrier Global trades at a forward 12-month P/E multiple of 23.27X, while Pentair trades at 13.57X. Trane Technologies carries a higher valuation of 30.06X on the same basis. SPXC therefore trades at a premium to Carrier and Pentair but at a discount to Trane Technologies, placing it within the broader peer valuation range.
Is SPXC Stock Still a Buy After Its Strong Run?SPX Technologies remains well positioned to benefit from structural growth trends across data centers, HVAC and Detection & Measurement markets. The company continues to execute its value creation strategy through capacity expansion, product innovation and disciplined acquisitions, while its raised guidance and robust backlog underscore confidence in long-term growth. These initiatives, combined with resilient demand across key end markets, should support sustained earnings growth over time.
SPXC also maintains financial flexibility to invest in organic expansion and pursue strategic acquisitions. However, risks remain from delays in ramping new manufacturing capacity, slower-than-expected data center demand, acquisition integration challenges and tariff-related pressures. While the stock trades at a discount to the broader peer group, sustained execution will be important to justify its valuation. Encouragingly, rising earnings estimates suggest analysts remain confident in the company's growth prospects.
SPXC stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
EMCOR zvýšil výhled tržeb i EPS na rok 2026 díky rekordním RPO ve výši 15,62 miliardy USD a silné poptávce po infrastrukturních projektech. Jacobs mezitím oznámil rekordní backlog ve výši 27 miliard USD.
Key Takeaways EMCOR raised 2026 guidance as record RPOs and infrastructure demand support long-term growth.Jacobs posted a record backlog, expanded AI and consulting capabilities, and increased expected PA synergies.EME's 35.19% trailing ROE exceeds Jacobs', reflecting stronger shareholder return efficiency. The demand for mission-critical industrial, government, healthcare and data center projects has ramped up across the United States over the past few years and is currently reaching its peak, given the public funding growth and market trends. Firms like EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME - Free Report) and Jacobs Solutions, Inc. (J - Free Report) sit at the juncture and are currently gaining from these market tailwinds.
EMCOR offers mechanical and electrical construction, industrial and energy infrastructure services for a diverse range of businesses, serving commercial, industrial, utility and institutional clients in the United States. Meanwhile, Jacobs offers professional, technical and construction services to industrial, commercial and governmental clients.
Let’s closely compare the fundamentals of the two infrastructure stocks to determine which one is a better investment now.
The Case for EMCOR StockFederal and state investments in water infrastructure, transportation, healthcare modernization, institutional facilities and energy-related projects are creating a healthy pipeline of opportunities for EMCOR. At the same time, AI-driven data center expansion and broader digital transformation continue to fuel commercial construction demand. Owing to these robust trends, EMCOR’s record remaining performance obligations (RPOs) reached $15.62 billion as of March 31, 2026, up 32.9% year over year and nearly 18% sequentially, providing exceptional visibility into future revenue generation. RPOs in the construction segments highlighted contributions of $8.56 billion in U.S. mechanical construction and $5.61 billion in U.S. electrical construction, with additional contributions from building services.
Management emphasized that it continues to see no signs of slowing demand as customers expand data center capacity and adopt advanced liquid cooling technologies. Reflecting this confidence, EME raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $18.5-$19.25 billion from $17.75-$18.5 billion and increased its EPS guidance to $28.25-$29.75 from $27.25-$29.25 expected earlier. Supported by disciplined project selection, execution capabilities and broad market diversification, the company appears well-positioned to capitalize on multi-year infrastructure investment trends.
Meanwhile, strategic acquisitions remain an important pillar of EMCOR's long-term growth strategy, complementing its strong organic expansion. The company's acquisition of Miller Electric has strengthened its electrical construction capabilities, expanded its geographic presence and increased exposure to attractive end markets. Rather than pursuing scale for its own sake, EMCOR prioritizes disciplined capital deployment and integration, preserving its operational culture while creating cross-selling opportunities across its construction and services platforms.
EME ended the first quarter of 2026 with approximately $916 million in cash and about $1.25 billion in working capital, supporting organic investments, strategic acquisitions and operational needs. Management expects full-year 2026 operating cash flow to remain broadly in line with net income, reflecting the underlying strength of the business despite quarterly working-capital fluctuations.
The Case for Jacobs StockJacobs continues to benefit from long-term structural demand across data centers, semiconductors, water infrastructure, transportation and energy & power, reporting more than 100% year-over-year growth in its data center business, supported by accelerating AI investments and strong hyperscaler demand. PA Consulting acquisition is further enhancing growth through advisory, digital transformation and national security opportunities, creating meaningful cross-selling potential. Management has already increased expected annual cost synergies from the acquisition to more than $20 million within 24 months.
These demand drivers helped Jacobs deliver a record backlog of $27 billion, up 22% year over year, with a strong trailing 12-month book-to-bill ratio of 1.4x, providing excellent revenue visibility and supporting confidence in sustained long-term growth. The company is executing a strategy focused on expanding higher-margin consulting, digital and lifecycle solutions while strengthening its leadership in resilient infrastructure markets. Jacobs continues to invest in AI-enabled engineering solutions, including digital twins developed with NVIDIA Omniverse, reinforcing its competitive positioning in rapidly expanding AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and mission-critical facilities.
Besides, Jacobs continues to strengthen its global footprint through expanding operations across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. Recent project wins with Ofwat, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission and global hyperscale data center customers further demonstrate growing international opportunities. With diversified end markets, strong bookings, improving margins and an upgraded fiscal 2026 outlook, Jacobs appears well-positioned to capture expanding global infrastructure and digital transformation spending, even though execution risks and macroeconomic uncertainties pose a near-term threat.
Notably, Jacobs maintains a balanced capital allocation strategy that simultaneously funds long-term growth while delivering substantial shareholder returns. It repurchased $472 million of shares during the first half of fiscal 2026 and increased its quarterly dividend by 12.5%, reflecting confidence in future cash generation.
Stock Performance & ValuationAs witnessed from the chart below, in the past six months, EMCOR’s share price performance has been above Jacobs’ and the broader Construction sector.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Considering valuation, over the last five years, EMCOR has been trading above Jacobs on a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio basis.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Overall, from these technical indicators, it can be deduced that EME stock offers an increasing growth trend but with a premium valuation, while J stock offers a declining growth trend with a discounted valuation.
Comparing EPS Estimate Trends: EME vs. JThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for EME’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved upward in the past 60 days. The revised estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 13.5% and 11.8%, respectively.
EME's EPS Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for J’s fiscal 2026 earnings has increased in the past 30 days, while the same for fiscal 2027 has edged down during the same time frame. The revised estimates for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 18.1% and 14.5%, respectively.
J's EPS Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Return on Equity (ROE) of EME & J StocksEMCOR’s trailing 12-month ROE of 35.19% significantly exceeds Jacobs’ average, underscoring its efficiency in generating shareholder returns.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Investment Decision: Should Investors Choose EME Stock or J Stock?EMCOR combines record remaining performance obligations, raised 2026 revenue and earnings guidance, disciplined acquisitions and broad exposure across mechanical, electrical, healthcare, institutional and industrial construction, providing exceptional earnings visibility. Its superior execution and industry-leading 35.2% ROE further strengthen the investment case. Although the stock trades at a premium, its recent price momentum, upward earnings estimate revisions and improving fundamentals justify the higher valuation.
Jacobs remains an attractive long-term infrastructure play, supported by record backlog, rapid data center growth, AI-enabled engineering capabilities and expanding consulting opportunities through PA Consulting. However, mixed earnings estimate revisions, greater exposure to consulting execution and slower share price momentum make its near-term outlook comparatively less compelling.
With a current Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) compared with J stock’s Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), stronger technical indicators and more consistent operational momentum, EME stock stands out as the better investment choice for investors looking to capitalize on the current infrastructure and AI-driven construction cycle. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Alcon a RxSight budou společně vyvíjet nastavitelné nitrooční čočky pro pacienty po operaci šedého zákalu. RxSight dostane předem 60 milionů USD a může získat až dalších 140 milionů USD na milnících.
Key Takeaways Alcon and RxSight will develop adjustable PCIOLs that surgeons can fine-tune after cataract surgery.RxSight will receive $60M upfront and may earn up to $140M in development and regulatory milestones.Alcon will lead global commercialization, while RxSight will handle development and manufacturing. Alcon (ALC - Free Report) recently entered into a non-exclusive collaboration with RxSight (RXST - Free Report) to develop adjustable presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses (PCIOLs) for cataract patients. The partnership will combine Alcon’s advanced PCIOL optical designs with RxSight’s post-operative light-adjustable technology, enabling surgeons to fine-tune patients’ visual outcomes after surgery.
The collaboration reflects both companies’ commitment to advancing customized vision care and expanding access to innovative cataract treatment solutions that improve patient outcomes.
Per management, Alcon’s leading PCIOLs have helped millions of cataract patients reduce or eliminate their dependence on glasses after surgery. By combining these lenses with RxSight’s technology, the company aims to develop tunable PCIOLs that will give surgeons greater confidence to refine post-surgery outcomes.
Likely Trend of ALC Stock Following the NewsShares of ALC have lost 0.8% since the announcement on July 6. Year to date, the stock has lost 14% compared with the industry’s 13.2% decline. However, the S&P 500 has risen 10.7% in the same timeframe.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen Alcon's position in the premium cataract surgery market by combining its PCIOL expertise with RxSight's light-adjustable technology. The partnership expands Alcon's innovation pipeline and supports the growing demand for personalized vision correction. With Alcon leading global commercialization and RxSight handling development and manufacturing, the companies can leverage their respective strengths. If successfully commercialized, the co-developed technology could accelerate the adoption of adjustable PCIOLs and support Alcon's long-term growth in advanced cataract care.
ALC currently has a market capitalization of $33.54 billion.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
More on the NewsUnder the agreement, RxSight will receive an upfront payment of $60 million to initiate development and may earn up to an additional $140 million upon achieving specified development and regulatory milestones. Alcon will oversee the global commercialization of the co-developed technology, while RxSight will be responsible for product development and manufacturing and will receive royalties based on future net sales.
RxSight expects its collaboration with Alcon to broaden patient access to customized visual outcomes after cataract surgery. The company believes the partnership highlights the importance of adjustable lens technology and will help accelerate its adoption among a larger patient population.
Industry Prospects Favoring the MarketGoing by data provided by Future Market Report, the presbyopia corrective intraocular lens (PCIOL) market is anticipated to be valued at $320.75 million in 2026 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 12.96% through 2033.
Factors like the rising prevalence of presbyopia and cataracts among aging populations, technological advancements in PCIOLs, growing adoption of cataract surgeries worldwide and increasing healthcare investments, favorable reimbursement policies and higher disposable incomes are driving the market’s growth.
Other NewsIn April, Alcon launched Clareon TruPlus, an enhanced monofocal and toric intraocular lens available in both standard and toric versions. The lens is designed to increase depth of focus while preserving high-quality distance vision. TruPlus demonstrated improved distance image quality, better simulated visual acuity at intermediate distances, lower glare and halo profiles and strong performance across varying pupil sizes and lighting conditions.
ALC’s Zacks Rank & Other Key PicksCurrently, ALC carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Some other top-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Veracyte (VCYT - Free Report) and West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) .
Veracyte, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 52 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 52.9%. Revenues of $139.1 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.6%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Veracyte has an estimated earnings growth rate of 5.1% for 2026. VCYT’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 45.9%.
West Pharmaceutical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $2.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.8%. Revenues of $844.9 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.5%.
West Pharmaceutical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 13.9%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.
Analytici čekají, že Alcoa vykáže zisk 2,41 USD na akcii, meziročně o 518 % více, při tržbách 3,93 miliardy USD, což je meziročně o 30,2 % více. Odhad EPS za posledních 30 dní klesl o 14 %.
Wall Street analysts expect Alcoa (AA - Free Report) to post quarterly earnings of $2.41 per share in its upcoming report, which indicates a year-over-year increase of 518%. Revenues are expected to be $3.93 billion, up 30.2% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been adjusted downward by 14% to its current level. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial projections during this period.
Prior to a company's earnings announcement, it is crucial to consider revisions to earnings estimates. This serves as a significant indicator for predicting potential investor actions regarding the stock. Empirical research has consistently demonstrated a robust correlation between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to gauge how the business may have fared during the quarter, examining analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics often helps gain a deeper insight.
That said, let's delve into the average estimates of some Alcoa metrics that Wall Street analysts commonly model and monitor.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Total sales- Aluminum' will reach $3.34 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +70.4% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Total sales- Alumina' reaching $975.67 million. The estimate indicates a change of -35.7% from the prior-year quarter.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Third-party sales- Aluminum' will likely reach $3.40 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +73.8%.
Analysts forecast 'Third-party sales- Alumina' to reach $489.67 million. The estimate indicates a change of -41.9% from the prior-year quarter.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Average realized third-party price per metric ton of alumina' will reach $319.06 . Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $378.00 in the same quarter last year.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Average realized third-party price per metric ton of aluminum' should arrive at $5009.54 . The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $3143.00 .
The consensus estimate for 'Average cost per metric ton of aluminum shipped' stands at $2578.81 . Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $2718.00 in the same quarter last year.
Analysts expect 'Third-party alumina shipments in Tons' to come in at 1569 thousands metric tons. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 2195 thousands metric tons.
The average prediction of analysts places 'Alumina production in Tons' at 2351 thousands metric tons. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 2351 thousands metric tons in the same quarter last year.
The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Aluminum production in Tons' of 619 thousands metric tons. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 572 thousands metric tons in the same quarter last year.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Bauxite production in Tons' should come in at 9 millions of metric ton. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 9 millions of metric ton in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts predict that the 'Intersegment Alumina Shipments' will reach 1241 thousands metric tons. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 1089 thousands metric tons in the same quarter last year.
View all Key Company Metrics for Alcoa here>>>
Over the past month, shares of Alcoa have returned -29.2% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4.3% change. Currently, AA carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), suggesting that it may underperform the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Keurig Dr Pepper v 1. čtvrtletí zvýšil tržby o 9,4 % na 3,98 miliardy USD a upravený EPS byl 0,39 USD. Firma zároveň připravuje rozdělení na dvě samostatně zaměřené společnosti.
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Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP | KDP Price Prediction) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) both delivered Q1 2026 beats, but the businesses are moving in opposite directions. KDP just absorbed JDE Peet’s on April 1, 2026 and is preparing to split in two. Coke is defending a fortress.
Cold Beverages Carry KDP. Zero Sugar Carries Coke. Keurig Dr Pepper posted $3.98 billion in revenue, up 9.4% YoY, with adjusted EPS of $0.39. U.S. Refreshment Beverages grew 11.9% on Dr Pepper, GHOST energy, and sports hydration share gains. U.S. Coffee volume fell 8.2%, which is why management wants to isolate it in a separate coffee company.
Coca-Cola pulled $12.47 billion in revenue, +12.1% YoY, and EPS of $0.86, its fourth straight beat. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar grew volume 13% across every geography, and comparable operating margin expanded 70 bps to 34.5%. Global unit case volume rose only 3%, and Q1 benefited from six extra calendar days.
Business Driver KDP KO Main growth engine Cold beverages, GHOST energy Zero Sugar, premium packaging Weakest link U.S. Coffee volume (-8.2%) Asia Pacific OI (-17%) Forward P/E 14 26 Transformation Story Versus Fortress Story KDP is the more interesting business right now. CEO Tim Cofer called the quarter a milestone toward “standing up two pure-play companies”, backed by roughly $400M in projected cost savings. Principal debt sits at $25.9B, with interest expense nearly doubling to $281M. Any integration stumble bites hard.
Coke is executing what it already knows. Fairlife is accelerating, innocent and Santa Clara just joined the billion-dollar club, and 2025 marked the 63rd consecutive year of dividend increases. Trefis flagged a concern: management is shifting from aggressive pricing to a “balanced” approach, hinting that pricing power has a ceiling. The CFO also warned that consumers earning under $50K-$60K are strained.
What Decides the Next Six Months For KDP, watch GHOST-driven energy share (currently 8%, targeting 10%+) and whether the coffee spin timeline stays clean. Barclays flagged a potential 40% undervaluation post-financing. For Coke, the swing factor is volume in China and India holding up while the ~4% M&A headwind from the Africa divestiture flows through.
Why KDP Screens Better Than Coke Right Now Paying 14 times forward earnings for a business shedding its weakest segment and guiding to low-double-digit constant currency EPS growth looks like better math than paying 26 times for Coke’s 8-9% guided EPS growth. KDP is up 21.76% YTD, roughly matching KO’s 21.97%, so the discount has not closed yet. For investors seeking structural alpha at a cheaper multiple, KDP screens more favorably on valuation, provided the debt load behaves.
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Wintrust Financial čeká za čtvrtletí zisk 3,17 USD na akcii, meziročně o 14 % více, při výnosech 737,16 mil. USD. Odhady EPS byly za 30 dní sníženy o 0,2 %.
Wintrust Financial (WTFC - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 20, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis bank holding company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.17 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +14%.
Revenues are expected to be $737.16 million, up 9.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.2% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Wintrust?For Wintrust, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -1.58%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Wintrust will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Wintrust would post earnings of $2.96 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.22, delivering a surprise of +8.78%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Wintrust doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerAmong the stocks in the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry, Commerce Bancshares (CBSH - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $1.04 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -8.8%. This quarter's revenue is expected to be $488.01 million, up 9.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Commerce has been revised 1% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of +3.37%, reflecting a higher Most Accurate Estimate.
This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggests that Commerce will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
