The best-performing way to play the chip boom in 2026 has not been Nvidia (NVDA +1.46%), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +3.07%), or Broadcom (AVGO +1.80%). It has been a small, brand-new fund built around the one corner of semiconductors that giants can't live without: memory. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM +3.86%) has roughly doubled since it launched this spring, outrunning all three AI chip stars, and the reason comes down to a technology most investors ignore.
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What DRAM is, and why it became the AI bottleneck DRAM, or dynamic random-access memory, is a computer's short-term working memory, the place a chip keeps the data it is actively crunching. For decades, it was a sleepy commodity. AI flipped that on its head. Running and training large models means moving colossal amounts of data at high speed, which has created frantic demand for a premium form of DRAM called high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. HBM is DRAM stacked in layers and placed right beside the AI processor so information flows almost instantly.
Here's the crux: Each new generation of AI hardware needs far more of this memory than the last, and only a few companies can make it. That has turned memory, not the processors themselves, into the tightest bottleneck in the entire AI supply chain. When a critical ingredient is scarce, its makers gain enormous pricing power, and their stocks can run even harder than the chip designers everyone talks about.
Image source: Getty Images.
Inside the Roundhill Memory ETF The Roundhill Memory ETF has taken the DRAM moniker for its ticker, and it's the first exchange-traded fund built purely around memory-chip makers. It holds about 20 companies that each derive at least half their revenue from memory products, spanning DRAM, HBM, NAND flash, and solid-state drives. That gives you one-ticker access to the whole memory complex rather than betting on a single name.
The concentration, though, is extreme. Roughly three-quarters of the fund sits in just three stocks: Samsung, SK Hynix (SKHY +3.37%), and Micron Technology (MU +4.27%), the trio that dominates global memory production. It also holds stocks such as Sandisk (SNDK +4.38%). Since its April debut, the fund has surged well past 100%, trouncing Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom over the same stretch. The engine is simple: Memory companies have been the hottest part of the chip market, with HBM sold out and SK Hynix reportedly claiming the lion's share of the memory going into Nvidia's next-generation systems.
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Why it has beaten the AI chip giants The AI story is usually told through processors, but a processor is useless without enough memory to feed it. Because HBM eats up far more factory space per chip than ordinary memory, supply has stayed painfully tight even as demand explodes. That scarcity has let memory makers raise prices and lock in multiyear contracts, driving their shares higher than the chip designers. Owning the memory basket, in other words, has been like owning the shovel sellers during a gold rush.
The catch investors should weigh I wouldn't mistake this for a safe, diversified fund. With about 75% in three stocks, the DRAM ETF is really a concentrated bet dressed as an ETF, and a stumble at any one of them would sting. Two of those three are foreign companies, which adds currency and geopolitical exposure. The fund charges 0.65% a year, on the pricey side, and it is brutally volatile, with single-day swings above 14% in both directions. Most importantly, memory is famously cyclical. It already dipped into a bear market this summer, a reminder that today's shortage can flip to glut, and prices can fall as fast as they rose.
How investors should think of Roundhill Memory ETF The Roundhill Memory ETF is a clever, convenient way to ride the memory supercycle that has quietly outrun the AI chip elite. But convenience is not the same as safety. You are buying a concentrated, high-fee, high-volatility bet on one of the most cyclical industries in tech. If you believe the memory shortage has legs, DRAM offers exposure in a single ticker. Just size it small, and never forget that in memory, the boom and the bust are always close cousins.
The AI infrastructure land grab has a new potential domino. Jefferies analysts flagged Anthropic as a likely next AMD customer announcement, with the chipmaker’s Advancing AI 2026 event set for July 22 to 23. That joins a customer roster reading like a who’s who of AI, forcing a fresh look at where the stock can go.
Our 24/7 Wall St. price target for AMD (NASDAQ:AMD | AMD Price Prediction) is $562.88, pointing to 13.54% upside from the current $495.76. The recommendation is buy, with confidence at 90%.
24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary Metric Value Current Price $495.76 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $562.88 Upside 13.54% Recommendation BUY Confidence 90% A Rally That Just Paused AMD is up 131.49% year to date and 209.06% over the past year, but shares have cooled 11.14% in the past week after touching a 52-week high of $584.73.
Q1 2026 delivered: revenue of $10.25 billion, up 37.9% year over year, with non-GAAP EPS of $1.37 beating the $1.29 consensus. Data Center revenue jumped 57% to $5.78 billion, and management guided Q2 revenue to roughly $11.2 billion, or about 46% growth. The July 22 event has retail excited: Reddit sentiment sits at bullish score of 72.
Why Bulls See a Breakout Ahead The bull case rests on customer breadth. Microsoft is confirmed as an MI400 series customer, OpenAI has committed to 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs, Meta is deploying up to 6 GW of Instinct GPUs starting with custom MI450-based silicon, and Oracle is building a 50,000-GPU Helios supercluster.
Add Anthropic and AMD’s estimate that its AI CPU addressable market exceeds $200 billion starts to feel conservative. In the bull scenario, shares could reach $629.03 within 12 months, a 26.88% return. CEO Lisa Su reinforced that trajectory, noting “customer engagement around MI450 Series and Helios is strengthening, with leading customer forecasts exceeding our initial expectations.”
What Could Go Wrong AMD trades at a trailing P/E of 186 and a forward P/E of 69. Any hiccup at the July event, whether Anthropic deal terms disappoint or MI500 details slip, could reset the multiple.
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Export controls remain a live wire, with MI308 restrictions to China driving roughly $440 million in net FY2025 charges. A CTO exercised and sold 6,000 shares at $556.43 on July 15, though those transactions were executed under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. Our bear scenario puts shares at $434.31, a 12.4% drawdown.
How AMD Compares to NVIDIA and Intel NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) is the direct benchmark. NVIDIA trades at a P/E of 41, well below AMD’s trailing multiple, backed by Q1 FY2027 revenue of $81.61 billion and Data Center growth of 92% year over year. NVIDIA’s scale makes AMD’s premium multiple defensible only if AMD sustains 45%-plus growth, which the Q2 guide supports.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is the value counterpoint. Intel’s Data Center and AI segment grew 22% to $5.05 billion in Q1 2026, still smaller than AMD’s Data Center line and burdened by a $4.07 billion restructuring charge. The peer set makes our 24/7 Wall St. Price Target reasonable: aggressive versus NVIDIA on multiple, but justified by AMD’s superior GPU customer momentum relative to Intel.
Our View on AMD The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $562.88 and buy rating reflect an unusual convergence: hyperscaler customer wins, accelerating margins, and a 90% confidence score. The thesis strengthens if the July 22 event confirms the Anthropic deal and MI500 roadmap. The thesis weakens if the announcement lacks financial terms or if China export policy tightens further.
Looking further out, here is where our model projects AMD could trade, assuming Data Center growth normalizes toward the mid-teens by decade’s end.
Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $562.88 2027 $635 2028 $695 2029 $728 2030 $759.47 These projections assume AMD executes on the MI450 and MI500 roadmap. Significant upside could come from sovereign AI wins, while trade restrictions or NVIDIA taking share in the MI400 window would trim the base case.
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U.S.-Iran tensions are the key headlines moving markets for now, says Alex Coffey, who discusses how the conflict and crude oil price fluctuations leave Wall Street on uneven footing. However, Monday's futures pointed to a green opening thanks to AI chip stocks taking charge.
Boeing Co. Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg discusses plans to ramp up production, demand and the outlook for artificial intelligence and robotics in aircraft manufacturing. Ortberg talks with Bloomberg's Guy Johnson at the Farnborough Airshow.
Next week, on July 28, leading cannabis producer Tilray Brands (TLRY 0.58%) is scheduled to report its latest quarterly results. They'll be for its fourth quarter, wrapping up the company's 2026 fiscal year. That's always a big one for companies, as they may make major announcements and also provide guidance for the year ahead.
If the results and news are encouraging, Tilray's stock may soar, leading to a rally in the weeks and months to follow. With the stock trading near its 52-week low, is it a good idea to buy Tilray Brands stock right now, before the company reports its latest results?
Image source: Getty Images.
If Tilray Brands' growth rate continues improving, that could be the catalyst the stock needs Tilray operates in a highly competitive Canadian cannabis market, where it's tough to grow its business while maintaining high margins. As a result, it has leaned heavily on acquisitions and on diversifying into other parts of the world, even into beverages, to grow its sales. The good news is that the company's growth rate has been improving in recent quarters and was back up to double digits in the third quarter.
TLRY Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts
If the cannabis company continues to show progress and its growth rate rises further in Q4, that may give investors renewed confidence that the business is going in the right direction. Tilray has struggled to prove it's a good buy, as over the past five years its value has fallen tremendously, by 97%.
However, not only will Tilray need to show good top-line numbers, but its bottom line has been particularly troubling. While acquisitions can boost the top line, they can also add costs and lead to greater losses. In two of the past three fiscal years, Tilray incurred annual losses exceeding $1 billion, as it often incurs non-cash expenses and impairment charges. Avoiding another mammoth loss this fiscal year may be just as important as the company showing strong growth.
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Tilray's stock may seem cheap, but it's not a no-brainer buy Unfortunately, Tilray doesn't have a great track record of growing and staying out of the red. It has a lot to prove to growth investors, which is why buying the stock heading into Q4 would be a bit of a gamble. There are still plenty of concerns around the business, and no shortage of uncertainty. That's why a wait-and-see approach still makes the most sense, as despite its losses over the years, it wouldn't be surprising if Tilray's stock continued to decline after earnings.
This has been a forgettable year for Nvidia (NVDA +1.46%) investors, as the chip giant's 7% gains pale in comparison to the 58% appreciation in the PHLX Semiconductor Sector index so far this year.
Nvidia's underperformance this year has more to do with investor perception than with its financial performance. The company is on track to clock stronger growth in the current fiscal year, and it has a sizable revenue pipeline that should allow it to sustain solid growth in the future as well. However, investors have been looking at other semiconductor stocks rather than Nvidia to capitalize on the AI chip boom, as evidenced by the stock's poor returns in 2026.
It is easy to see why that's the case, especially following a report that suggests Meta Platforms (META 1.20%), one of Nvidia's key customers, is going big on its in-house chip development efforts.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Meta Platforms is looking to reduce its dependence on Nvidia Reuters reports that Meta Platforms will begin manufacturing an in-house AI chip starting in September. The Magnificent Seven company aims to increase its overall AI compute power to 14 gigawatts (GW) in 2027, relying on an in-house custom AI chip to bolster the AI features powering Instagram and Facebook.
What's worth noting is that the testing of this chip was done in just six weeks, and no major issues were found during this stage. Meta is collaborating with Broadcom to co-design the chip, while foundry giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing is its manufacturing partner. Moreover, Reuters notes that Meta is planning four generations of in-house processors to support its AI data center infrastructure.
Doing so will allow Meta to design and deploy chips tailor-made to its requirements, thereby reducing computing costs. More importantly, Meta will be able to reduce its dependence on the expensive graphics processing units (GPUs) that it purchases from Nvidia. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted last year that the social media giant was on track to deploy 1.3 million GPUs by the end of 2025. A significant chunk of them would have been from Nvidia, considering that it controlled an estimated 80% to 90% of the AI chip market until last year.
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So, Meta's move to accelerate the deployment of its in-house processors doesn't bode well for Nvidia stock, as it may struggle to emerge from the rut it has been in so far in 2026. Does this mean it is time to start booking profits in Nvidia and look at alternatives to capitalize on the AI chip market's growth? Not necessarily.
Investors shouldn't miss the bigger picture There is no doubt that a structural shift is underway in the AI chip market, driven primarily by the shift toward inference workloads that can be performed by custom processors that Meta and other hyperscalers are designing. Market research firm TrendForce is anticipating a 45% jump in sales of custom AI processors this year, compared to a 16% jump in GPU sales.
However, Nvidia's numbers defy the perception that GPUs are losing ground to custom chips and central processing units (CPUs) in the inference era. According to tech publication The Information, Nvidia's share of AI inference chips increased by eight percentage points year over year in Q1 to 74%. Its inference revenue exceeded the combined AI revenue of rivals such as Broadcom and Advanced Micro Devices.
This clearly tells us that Nvidia will continue to play a crucial role in AI chips. What's more, even as hyperscalers build in-house chips, they continue to rely on Nvidia's cutting-edge chips to power their AI workloads in data centers. This explains why Meta expanded its agreement with Nvidia in February this year for "the large-scale deployment of Nvidia CPUs and millions of Nvidia Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, as well as the integration of Nvidia Spectrum-X Ethernet switches for Meta's Facebook Open Switching System platform."
So, it can be concluded that Nvidia remains a key cog in the AI infrastructure ecosystem, which is why analysts have become bullish about its earnings growth prospects.
Data by YCharts
The S&P 500 index has an average forward earnings multiple of 21.5, which means investors are getting a good entry point into Nvidia right now as it trades at 23 times forward earnings. It ideally deserves to trade at a premium owing to its market-beating earnings growth rate. But even if this AI stock trades in line with the S&P 500's average and its earnings per share reach $16.06 in the next three years, its price could jump to $345.
That's a potential upside of 70%, which is why investors shouldn't panic and should continue to hold Nvidia, as it could become a long-term winner.
After a decade-long comeback, chip giant Advanced Micro Devices is preparing to ship its first rack-scale system for artificial intelligence, called Helios, to a growing list of customers that now includes Microsoft.
It's the first rival to Nvidia's wildly popular Grace Blackwell and Vera Rubin systems, and is aiming to give the world's most valuable chipmaker its first real competition in years.
Microsoft announced Monday it will use the Helios system in its data centers, joining Meta, OpenAI, Oracle and others in a race to grab as much compute as possible.
AMD will begin shipping to customers, including Microsoft, later this year.
Details about financial terms or the amount of compute capacity weren't disclosed.
"We are expanding the Azure infrastructure portfolio with AMD Helios to give customers the performance, scale and choice they need to build and run the next generation of AI applications," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a press release.
The new Helios system will power frontier model inference for Microsoft, its AI customers and support Azure AI services. Microsoft will also add two new computing instances run on AMD's latest "Venice" central processing units, or CPUs, one for agentic AI and data pipelines, and another for semiconductor design.
It's the continuation of a longtime partnership, with AMD chips powering Microsoft's Surface PCs and Xbox gaming consoles for many years. In 2023, Microsoft was also the first to adopt AMD's MI300X graphics processing unit, or GPU, that rivaled Nvidia's AI chips. Microsoft also deploys its own Maia chips in its data centers.
Like its peers, Microsoft needs as much compute as possible, especially as it ramps up its own model development and allocates more computing capacity to research and development. In June, it announced seven models built in-house. Microsoft's AI efforts thus far have seen mixed results, from its 365 Copilot AI assistant to its GitHub Copilot coding agent. It's the worst-performing "Magnificent Seven" stock so far this year.
Microsoft is part of a growing number of big companies turning to AMD for AI acceleration. AMD says eight of the top 10 AI companies run workloads on its Instinct GPUs, including OpenAI, Cohere and Elon Musk's SpaceXAI, which is part of SpaceX.
In February, Meta announced it'll use up to 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs over time, starting with 1 gigawatt deployed on Helios racks later this year. OpenAI and Oracle also made major commitments to deploy Helios this year, with India's largest IT company, Tata Consultancy Services, committing to use it as well.
CNBC got the world's first detailed look inside a Helios system, from the Texas data center lab where it's being developed and tested.
'Lowest cost per token'Named for an ancient Greek god who pulls the sun across the sky with the help of four horses, Helios brings together four things AMD does in-house: GPUs, CPUs, networking and software.
"We're very focused on providing the best total cost of ownership, the lowest cost per token, all in," data center head Forrest Norrod told CNBC about AMD's first-generation system. "And our customers are telling us that we're achieving that."
In May, AMD CEO Lisa Su told CNBC's Jim Cramer that Helios has "significant benefits" over Nvidia's rack-scale systems, "when you're talking about inference and when you're talking about memory bandwidth and memory capabilities."
While AMD wouldn't comment on cost, the Futurum Group estimates Helios will cost between $5 million and $5.5 million. That's compared with Futurum estimates of $3.5 million to $4 million for Nvidia's second-generation rack-scale system, Vera Rubin.
At up to 7,000 pounds, Helios is also wider and heavier than Nvidia's Vera Rubin.
Nvidia controls more than 95% of the data center GPU market, according to the Futurum Group. AMD only holds some 4.5% of the market, but Helios could change that.
"I think there's a serious case in which AMD does great and can get to 20% and 25%. And by the way, this is hundreds of billions of dollars of revenue," said Daniel Newman, analyst and CEO of the Futurum Group.
Read more CNBC tech newsElon Musk's Memphis AI empire is the epicenter of the data center backlashChinese startup Moonshot AI unveils Kimi model it says rivals OpenAI, AnthropicSpaceX stock falls after Starship test flight abortedMicrosoft's Nadella criticizes Anthropic's Fable for being 'editorially controlled'In the first quarter of 2026, data centers made up the majority of AMD's revenue, up 57% year over year. AMD told CNBC that it plans to book tens of billions in data center AI revenue starting in 2027, the majority coming from Helios.
In data center CPU market share, Intel remains the clear leader, but AMD has steadily been gaining ground. This CPU leadership sets AMD apart from Nvidia, which launched its first server CPU in 2021 and shifted strategies to renew focus on the chips this year.
'A very different AMD'Norrod called Helios "our baby," as he showed CNBC the system's core chips. Each of its 18 compute trays has four Instinct GPUs powered by a single EPYC central processing unit.
It was these EPYC data center CPUs that helped AMD regain a decade of lost leadership in the data center market.
In 2003, AMD had a groundbreaking data center CPU that helped it rapidly gain nearly a quarter of the market, but that slice withered away following a series of delays and missteps that led to major layoffs and shrinking revenue by the time Su took the helm.
"Under Lisa's leadership for the last 12 years, it's been a very different AMD," Norrod said.
Things turned around after the company unveiled the first EPYC server CPU on stage in 2017.
"One of the things that we did is we laid out our road map in detail for three generations, which is very unusual," he said. "And we delivered exactly what we said."
Part of AMD's road map included plans to launch Helios with the current MI400 series of GPU.
Each Helios tray also has up to 12 networking chips made with technology AMD acquired when it bought Pensando in 2022.
It was one of several acquisitions that has helped enable Helios development in the last few years.
AMD's largest purchase to date was programmable chip company Xilinx for nearly $50 billion in 2022. AMD also acquired server maker ZT systems for nearly $5 billion in 2025, and a series of software companies that helped it develop ROCm, its open-source alternative to Nvidia's widely adopted CUDA software ecosystem.
Counterpoint Research analyst Neil Shah said AMD's Helios chips are "on par" with Nvidia GPUs and CPUs, but the "secret sauce is in the software and optimization."
"With CUDA, I think Nvidia has a bigger ecosystem, and it's quite ahead versus AMD," he said.
With Helios, AMD has the opportunity to make substantial strides, depending on how well early deployments fare.
Thinking Machines Lab quietly dropped its new open-weight Inkling AI model in a move that could make the AI race at the frontier that much more interesting. Indeed, before the big Inkling drop, it was easy to forget about Mira Murati’s AI startup.
The former OpenAI CTO is certainly going about AI innovation from a vastly different angle. And I do think that the leading AI labs, especially Anthropic, which took the world by storm with Claude Code, Mythos, and, now, Fable, are going to need to stay on their toes to keep up the pace as the number of fierce, scary competitors with their unique moats look to play to win.
In any case, there’s been no shortage of criticisms surrounding closed-source models as well as the power possessed by the AI labs at the frontier. Add the uncertainty about what’s “too dangerous” to release and guardrails placed in Claude Fable 5 into the equation, and it certainly seems like Thinking Machines Lab has an opportunity to capture some of the enterprise users who might be tempted to jump ship.
Inkling debuts — it’s a serious competitor at the frontier Like Anthropic’s models, Thinking Machines Lab is serious about efficiencies and other innovations over sheer scaling. As the AI lab looks to shift the business model, it might also change the landscape in a profound way as firms grow tired of spending on the so-called “token tax.” In any case, time will tell how Inkling fairs and, more importantly, what it evolves to become as the AI race moves into an interesting new phase, one that could prioritize efficiencies as much as raw firepower.
As the battle between the cloud, edge, and on-prem unfolds, and closed-source dukes it out with open source and now open-weights, it’s going to be very interesting to see how the market reacts. In any case, Thinking Machines Lab definitely stands out as an AI lab that could further diversify one’s portfolio whenever the firm decides to go public.
In the meantime, Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) and Thinking Machines Lab have a long-term deal, inked earlier in the year, in place as the open-weight model maker looks to “advance the frontier of AI.” The 1-GW strategic partnership might just cement Muri Murata’s startup as a credible threat in the AI race, as it gets its hands on enough compute to move ahead with the astronomical amount required to train next-generation models.
Thinking Machines Labs is innovating in its own way. It’s worth keeping tabs on. With such a big deal in place, it certainly feels like Thinking Machines Lab has an infrastructure moat that many other rivals hoping to move to the front of the AI race might lack. At this juncture, it’s hard to tell if open-weights or closed-source is the future.
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Sure, customers might have gripes about closed-source, but either way, Nvidia seems to have many of its bases covered, regardless of what the future holds for AI and the architecture that firms will be willing to take on.
With Anthropic picking up serious traction, I do think closed-source could continue to dominate, but if distaste for token tax mounts, we could eventually see a shift. In any case, whether Nvidia’s deal and stake in Thinking Machines Lab is a “kingmaker” move remains the trillion-dollar question. I’d chalk it up as another brilliant bet by Jensen Huang and his team.
In any case, Anthropic might wish to be a bit more mindful about how they stretch their pricing power. Their financials are in much better shape than the likes of OpenAI, but, at the same time, new entrants with their own unique advantages might take share if enterprises believe the token tax has gotten out of hand.
The bottom line For now, Mythos feels untouchable, and if the unprecedented capabilities continue to deliver immense value, the firm can charge what it wants. I guess it all comes down to what a firm prioritizes: strategic smarts to gain a competitive advantage over rivals that only the very best model can provide, or “good enough” models that can save significant sums in the long run.
My guess is the former wins out in these earlier innings of AI. It’s profound, even unfathomable, to even begin to comprehend what Mythos has accomplished already regarding spotting vulnerabilities in software. For that kind of value provided, I’d say Anthropic deserves to and should charge top dollar.
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ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- $QMLS #NASDAQ--QumulusAI (Nasdaq: QMLS), a neocloud infrastructure provider purpose-built for the AI computing era, today announced the purchase of 1,632 NVIDIA Blackwell B300 GPUs to meet accelerating customer demand for high-performance AI compute. The GPUs will be delivered across 204 NVIDIA HGX B300 systems and represent one of the company's largest single capacity expansions to date. The purchase was funded primarily through financing arrangements with Technology Finance Corporat.
Building a portfolio from scratch, or looking to refresh one that needs an overhaul? Core funds provide the bedrock upon which overall portfolios are constructed. Historically, that has meant large, long-term mutual funds tracking important indexes. Increasingly, actively managed ETFs are taking over core portfolio allocations.
Key Takeaways: Active ETF launches have grown in recent years, helping drive overall ETF proliferation. Many such active ETFs are arriving with lower fees, like TACU and TACN, low tracking error active core strategies. Such ETFs can provide helpful complements or even play a solo role as core allocations in portfolio construction. Active ETFs have not only made up a large part of accelerating overall ETF launches in recent years, but also gathered some serious assets. As competition has grown among active funds and new active ETFs have arrived, they’ve increasingly been able to compete for core placement. Here are three reasons why — and why they might help your portfolio, too.
Active ETF Fees Are Dropping Two new active core ETFs from T. Rowe Price offer a strong example of falling active fees. The T. Rowe Price Active Core U.S. Equity ETF (TACU) and the T. Rowe Price Active Core International Equity ETF (TACN) both currently charge zero basis points basis points (bps) due to a fee waiver. Even after the waiver expires in January 2027, they still only charge 14 and 20 bps respectively. Launched recently, they represent that trend of greater fee competition among funds.
Active ETFs Offer Key Flexibility Core holdings often rely heavily on broad indexes, offering market cap-based exposure. While that may seem to help in a steady market, it can also leave investors overexposed to just a few names.
For example, the big names like Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) have played an outsized role in portfolios for several years now. Countless investors are already heavily exposed to them. Active ETFs that construct portfolios from the bottom up may pick those names, but they can also quickly adjust if they struggle or even find other potential up and comers.
See more: Active ETF TSPA Doubles AUM YTD Amid Growing Attention
Both TACU and TACN combine fundamental and quantitative research capabilities to help guide investments. So, when those names perform, they can participate — but when companies struggle, they can adapt more quickly. Additionally, TACN’s international exposure can help the fund diversify portfolios away from big tech.
Active ETFs Complement Passive Holdings Passive funds aren’t going anywhere. They remain an important part of the overall investment picture. However, rather than stacking passive funds, adding active management can provide a meaningful complement.
The market has been hot of late, thanks to AI. But in times when returns are a bit more stale, adding research-based, active stock selection can find potential standout stocks. At the same time, with ETF adaptability, investors can swap out one ETF core holding for another as needed. Together, funds like TACU and TACN, currently charging a zero-bps fee, may be worth dipping into.
For more news, information, and strategy, visit the Active ETF Content Hub.
3M Company (NYSE:MMM) will release earnings for its second quarter before the opening bell on Tuesday, July 21.
Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of $2.25 per share, up from $2.16 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for 3M’s quarterly revenue is $6.41 billion. It reported $6.16 billion last year, according to Benzinga Pro.
Ahead of quarterly earnings, JP Morgan analyst Chigusa Katoku, on Friday, upgraded 3M from Neutral to Overweight and raised the price target from $178 to $180.
With the recent buzz around 3M, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends too. As of now, 3M has an annual dividend yield of 1.95%, which is a quarterly dividend amount of 78 cents per share ($3.12 a year).
To figure out how to earn $500 monthly from 3M, we start with the yearly target of $6,000 ($500 x 12 months).
Next, we take this amount and divide it by 3M’s $3.12 dividend: $6,000 / $3.12 = 1,923 shares.
So, an investor would need to own approximately $307,372 worth of 3M, or 1,923 shares to generate a monthly dividend income of $500.
Assuming a more conservative goal of $100 monthly ($1,200 annually), we do the same calculation: $1,200 / $3.12 = 385 shares, or $61,538 to generate a monthly dividend income of $100.
Note that dividend yield can change on a rolling basis, as the dividend payment and the stock price both fluctuate over time.
The dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend payment by the current stock price. As the stock price changes, the dividend yield will also change.
For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and its current price is $50, its dividend yield would be 4%. However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield would decrease to 3.33% ($2/$60).
Conversely, if the stock price decreases to $40, the dividend yield would increase to 5% ($2/$40).
Further, the dividend payment itself can also change over time, which can also impact the dividend yield. If a company increases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will increase even if the stock price remains the same. Similarly, if a company decreases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will decrease.
MMM Price Action: Shares of 3M fell by 1.2% to close at $159.84 on Friday.
Photo via Shutterstock
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After a year of poorly received financial updates, Netflix (NFLX 3.13%) was bound to catch a break eventually. The premium streaming pioneer saw its shares tumble 7% on Friday after following up mixed financial results with uninspiring guidance, with the stock down 46% over the past year, but at least one Wall Street pro sees the markdown as a buying opportunity.
Helena Wang at Phillip Securities upgraded the beleaguered stock over the weekend. The move comes after at least 14 analysts slashed their price targets on Friday and another chimed in with a ratings downgrade. The move is timely for a stock that has shed nearly half of its value since hitting an all-time high last summer. Let's take a closer look.
Image source: Getty Images.
Success is relative Wang's move is notable for two reasons, after a flurry of pessimistic Wall Street notes heading into the weekend. Wang's is the lone upgrade so far, bumping her firm's opinion from "accumulate" to "buy." The Philip Securities analyst is also sticking to her earlier price target of $110.
With Netflix stock now sliding following its past five quarterly updates since peaking in June of last year, Wang's upgrade offers a refreshing break from the chart's reality. Netflix is clearly out of favor, despite its ongoing market dominance -- no one else comes to Netflix's paying audience of more than 300 million homes worldwide. This upgrade won't turn momentum around overnight, but it still offers encouragement to investors after a brutal year for the industry trailblazer.
Wang's decision to stick to her earlier target of $110 may not have seemed like much a few months ago, when the shares were higher, but now her unchanged price goal translates into near-term upside of 60% from Friday's close.
The analyst points out that membership trends remain positive and that members aren't flinching at the steady diet of rising subscription rates. Newer streaming services are just starting to turn profitable, but Netflix has consistently been in the black since adding a streaming option to its original disc-based platform almost 20 years ago.
Wang believes that engagement remains strong at Netflix and that profitability can accelerate as it expands its ad-supported monetization. The latter contrasts with analysts who were worried about Netflix's admission during last week's earnings call that it's exploring free ad-supported tiers in some countries outside the U.S. market.
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Field of streams Philip Securities isn't one of the largest firms following Netflix, and the bullish read of the report has been an exception to the rule. However, the upgrade over the weekend is a valuation call in light of the stock's recent markdown.
Netflix is cheap, historically speaking. It kicks off this week at just 19 times this year's projected earnings. Analysts may whittle those profit targets lower in the coming days, but you rarely find Netflix at a forward earnings multiple in the teens.
Analysts were already souring on Netflix even before the numbers became official late last week. A couple of Wall Street pros were putting out cautious notes in the days leading up to the big reveal, not an ideal situation for a stock that was already sorely lagging the market.
There are some near-term concerns. Its revenue guidance for the current quarter -- just shy of 12% year-over-year growth -- would be its weakest showing in three years. With Netflix out of favor, it may feel pressured to strike a dilutive buyout deal with a smaller rival. The stock has to practically double from today's price to return to the all-time high it reached 13 months ago, but there's still time for a Hollywood ending for Netflix.
Despite the streaming giant falling 24.22% year-to-date (YTD) and crashing 6.87% to $68.95 in the last week, Wall Street has remained largely bullish on Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) stock.
The latest example of the trend came on July 20 when Phillip Securities analyst Helena Wang retained her previous $110 12-month price target for NFLX shares but, within a generally optimistic note, upgraded the equity’s rating to ‘Buy.’
According to the Wall Street expert, Netflix boasts resilient pricing power, expanding advertising monetization, industry-leading profitability, and healthy membership: all factors backing the view that the streaming giant’s shares are worth investing in, especially at the current and attractive valuation.
Analysts predict Netflix stock price in the next 12 months Zooming out, institutional analysts have generally remained optimistic toward NFLX equity despite its stock market woes. Overall, Netflix shares are regarded as a ‘Moderate Buy’ with 22 experts giving it a positive recommendation and 9 proving ‘Neutral.’
At press time on July 20, there are no NFLX stock ‘Sell’ ratings, and the asset is, on average, expected to rally 38.61% to $95.57 in the next 12 months, per the data Finbold retrieved from TipRanks.
Wall Street sets Netflix stock price for the next 12 months. Source: TipRanks Furthermore, only three prominent analysts rated Netflix as a ‘Hold’ following the latest earnings report. Still, despite the bullshness, multiple Wall Street experts reduced their 12-month stock price targets despite retaining ‘Buy’ recommendations.
Piper Sandler’s Thomas Champion was responsible for the steepest of these reductions when he dropped his forecast from $115 to $85 – from a 66.79% predicted rally to 23.28% – on July 17.
Netflix stock price performance Meanwhile, investors proved nowhere near as favorable toward Netflix stock as Wall Street in the aftermath of the earnings. Specifically, the equity collapsed 12.28% from 74.35% to $65.24 shortly after the July 16 closing bell, and even the subsequent recovery took it no higher than $68.95.
Netflix stock price one-week chart. Source: Google At press time in the July 20 pre-market, NFLX shares are an additional 0.81% down and changing hands at $68.39.
Featured image via Shutterstock
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Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC – Free Report) by 1.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,135,112 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 561,413 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.44% of Bank of America worth $1,517,599,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BAC. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Bank of America by 30.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 108,872 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,785,000 after purchasing an additional 25,143 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Bank of America by 40.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 21,401 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,013,000 after buying an additional 6,174 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Bank of America by 38.4% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 65,677 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,108,000 after buying an additional 18,227 shares during the period. Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the second quarter worth about $1,396,000. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP raised its position in Bank of America by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 8,819 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $417,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. 70.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Bank of America in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $58.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer cut shares of Bank of America from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Bank of America from $53.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Bank of America from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Bank of America has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $63.77.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Bank of America
Key Bank of America News Here are the key news stories impacting Bank of America this week:
Positive Sentiment: Bank of America declared regular cash dividends on multiple preferred stock series, reinforcing its continued capital return to shareholders. Bank of America Declares Preferred Stock Dividends Payable in August and September 2026 Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms lifted their outlooks on BAC, including higher earnings estimates for FY2026 and FY2027, suggesting improving expectations for profitability. Bank of America stock page Positive Sentiment: Bank of America’s recent Q2 results were broadly strong, with the company topping estimates and benefiting from robust trading and deal activity, which has helped support investor confidence in the stock. BofA rides market whiplash to trading records, deal activity shines Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America also announced internal AI leadership appointments to accelerate AI adoption in its global markets business, a strategic move that could improve efficiency over time but is not an immediate earnings driver. BofA names senior executives to drive AI adoption in global markets-memo Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Geoffrey S. Greener sold 126,756 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.01, for a total value of $6,719,335.56. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,373,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $72,803,774.97. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.
Bank of America Trading Down 0.2% Bank of America stock opened at $61.18 on Monday. Bank of America Corporation has a 52 week low of $44.75 and a 52 week high of $62.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $434.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.03, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $55.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $53.13.
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.08. Bank of America had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 17.56%.The firm had revenue of $8.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.78 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.89 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 19.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Bank of America Corporation will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current year.
Bank of America Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were issued a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Bank of America’s payout ratio is presently 25.69%.
Bank of America Company Profile (Free Report)
Bank of America Corporation is a multinational financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It provides a broad array of banking, investment, asset management and related financial and risk management products and services to individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, governments and institutional investors. The firm operates through consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking and markets businesses, offering capabilities across lending, deposits, payments, advisory and capital markets.
Its consumer-facing offerings include checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity lending, auto loans, credit cards and small business banking, supported by a nationwide branch network and digital channels.
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« PREVIOUS HEADLINEDimensional Fund Advisors LP Has $1.25 Billion Stock Holdings in International Business Machines Corporation $IBM
The Cleanup CEO Who Inherited a Mess When Bank of America (NYSE:BAC | BAC Price Prediction) named Brian Moynihan CEO on January 1, 2010, he took over a bank still reeling from the Countrywide and Merrill Lynch acquisitions, tens of billions in looming legal settlements, and a shredded balance sheet. His first years were a grind: settle the litigation, sell non-core assets, cut costs (Project New BAC), and rebuild capital. The dividend told the story. From 2011 through 2013, BofA paid just $0.01 per quarter.
What followed was a slow-compounding turnaround built on “responsible growth,” digital investment (50 million active digital banking users and the Erica assistant), and disciplined capital returns. In Q2 2026, the bank returned $8.0 billion to shareholders, EPS came in at $1.21 versus $1.12 consensus, and Moynihan said, “The team delivered one of our strongest quarters to date, with earnings per share up 34% year-over-year.”
What a $10,000 Stake in the Stock Has Done Here is how a $10,000 investment in Bank of America has fared versus the S&P 500 (via SPY) across the standard horizons, plus the full Moynihan tenure.
Bank of America S&P 500 1-Year Return $13,412 (34.12%) $11,835 (18.35%) 5-Year Return $18,395 (83.95%) $17,232 (72.32%) 10-Year Return $54,069 (440.69%) $34,381 (243.81%) Moynihan Era $51,237 (412.37%) $65,586 (555.86%) The full-tenure number is the true scorecard: the stock lagged the index because the first half of Moynihan’s run was a repair job. Holders had to endure the 2011 European debt scare, mortgage litigation, and years of near-zero dividends. Zoom in, and the picture flips. Over the past decade, shares have crushed the market, helped by rate normalization, a record trading franchise, and aggressive buybacks.
Grading Moynihan: B+ Given the crater he inherited, a B+ feels fair. He rebuilt capital (Q2 2026 shareholders’ equity of $301 billion), turned Merrill into a wealth juggernaut (GWIM revenue up 16% year on year in Q2 2026), and delivered five consecutive EPS beats. The grade isn’t higher because he took a long time to get here, and long-term holders still trail the index since day one.
Whether to Invest Today The bull case for the stock today rests on a resilient U.S. economy and rates that hold up. NII guidance was raised to 6% to 8% growth for 2026, the forward P/E of 14 is reasonable, and the $68.02 consensus target price is higher than the 52-week high. Analysts remain bullish.
The bear case builds if investors expect a sharp rate-cut cycle or a credit crack. A 100 bps drop in rates costs roughly $2.2 billion in NII, and the $70.3 billion CRE book still deserves watching. On balance, at $61.27, the stock appears attractive now. Valuation is stretched relative to recent history, yet the earnings momentum is legitimate.
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Walmart (WMT, Financials), the world's largest retailer, named Kyle Kinnard as chief operating officer of its U.S. business, replacing Kieran Shanahan.Kinnard c
Coca-Cola Diet Coke cans on display for sale inside a shop in New Delhi, India, April 22, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
MUMBAI, July 20 (Reuters) - Coca-Cola (KO.N), opens new tab has appointed JPMorgan and Citi as bankers for a planned 2027 initial public offering of one of its majority-owned bottling partners in India, a critical growth market, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The beverage giant said in June it was preparing a 2027 listing of its Indian bottling unit, Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings, and exploring the sale of part of its stake, joining a broader push by global companies such as Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA), opens new tab and Carlsberg (CARLb.CO), opens new tab to tap India's equity markets.
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Bankers pitched to Coca-Cola for the mandate earlier this month in London, the two sources said, following which JPMorgan and Citi were appointed. One of the sources said Kotak and Morgan Stanley were also appointed as bankers on the IPO.
The banks and Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The sources declined to be named as the matter is confidential.
The IPO adds to a string of multinational companies turning to Indian equity markets to monetise their investments, rather than raise fresh capital. South Korea's Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), opens new tab and LG Electronics (066570.KS), opens new tab have both pursued stake sales via Indian IPOs, attracted by relatively richer market valuations than in their domestic market.
Coca-Cola holds a 60% stake in Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings, one of many Coca-Cola bottlers in India. Established in 1997, Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings operates 14 bottling plants across 10 states in India, and recorded revenue of 127.35 billion Indian rupees ($1.32 billion) and a $36 million net profit in 2023, according to latest available data from company information platform Toefler.
The IPO valuation and what percentage stake will be sold is not yet clear.
($1 = 96.4450 Indian rupees)
Reporting by Vibhuti Sharma in Mumbai; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Susan Fenton
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Vibhuti Sharma is the M&A and deals reporter for Reuters in India, covering the billion-dollar deals, IPOs, and private equity transactions that reshape companies and industries globally. With nine years of experience, she is equally at home breaking news on the country's biggest deals and writing deep analysis that simplifies complex business stories. Outside the newsroom, she catches every new film she can and is never far from a good book or a new destination.
Yantoultra Ngui is the Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent of Reuters in Singapore, covering M&A and capital market activities in a region that is fast emerging as one of the world’s biggest economies. He previously was a reporter at Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Notably, he was part of WSJ's team that covered the financial scandal at Malaysian state fund 1MDB, and that won SOPA Excellence in Breaking News award for the coverage of the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, in Malaysia in 2018. Yantoultra graduated with an MBA in Finance from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2010.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG – Free Report) by 2.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,797,916 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 300,280 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble makes up 0.4% of Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.51% of Procter & Gamble worth $1,704,182,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 1,000.0% in the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 65.1% during the 4th quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1,315.4% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 184 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Procter & Gamble Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:
Positive Sentiment: Procter & Gamble’s long dividend track record remains a key support for the stock, with the company having raised its payout for 70 consecutive years, reinforcing its status as a dependable income name. Article title Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan kept an overweight rating on PG while only trimming its price target to $162 from $164, signaling continued upside expectations from current levels. Article title Positive Sentiment: Some commentary says PG still screens as undervalued and could benefit from planned cuts to as many as 7,000 non-manufacturing roles, which may improve margins over time. Article title Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly lowered its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings estimates, but the changes were minimal and its full-year FY2026 forecast still matches consensus. Article title Neutral Sentiment: UBS said consumer-staple companies likely had another “tricky” quarter, which suggests a challenging operating backdrop for PG and peers rather than a company-specific setback. Article title Negative Sentiment: The stock is also being pressured by a broader risk-off move and weakness in equities, including a selloff in growth/AI-related names that has pushed some investors back toward defensive stocks like PG. Article title Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts recently weighed in on PG shares. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Procter & Gamble in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $156.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on Procter & Gamble from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $172.00 to $167.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $161.42.
Get Our Latest Research Report on Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble Price Performance Shares of Procter & Gamble stock opened at $149.84 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $146.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $148.56. Procter & Gamble Company has a twelve month low of $137.62 and a twelve month high of $167.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $348.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.91, a PEG ratio of 7.46 and a beta of 0.39.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $21.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.52 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.00% and a net margin of 19.16%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.54 earnings per share. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.090 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current year.
Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $1.0885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.60%.
Procter & Gamble Company Profile (Free Report)
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world’s largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.
P&G’s product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Procter & Gamble Strait of Hormuz Tensions Spike Tanker Trade: These 2 Stocks Are Set to Benefit Shopify’s Quiet AI Strategy Could Be Its Biggest Advantage Yet Why These 3 Nuclear ETFs Are Getting a Fresh Look as AI Power Demand Rises 3 Aerospace Suppliers That Could Benefit as Aircraft Makers Face Bottlenecks Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG – Free Report).
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« PREVIOUS HEADLINENucor (NUE) to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Monday
Walmart (NYSE:WMT | WMT Price Prediction) and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) both just delivered results that reveal how two consumer defensive giants navigate the same tariff-heavy backdrop from opposite ends of the aisle.
Johnson & Johnson JNJ announced robust second-quarter 2026 results on July 15, beating estimates for both earnings and sales. While earnings rose 4.7%, sales rose 6.6% from the year-ago period.
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Michael Burry, the investor of "The Big Short" fame. Bloomberg/Getty Images Michael Burry says there's a glaring difference between two of the world's most powerful media companies.
"Disney produces wine. Netflix produces milk," the investor of "The Big Short" fame said in a Substack post on Friday.
"One lasts and even gets better with time, one is just fine for now, but most certainly does not get better with age," he added.
Burry, who pivoted from running a hedge fund to writing about his personal investments late last year, was making the case that Disney-owned properties such as "Star Wars," "The Avengers," "Toy Story," and "Moana" have more staying power than Netflix series such as "Stranger Things," "Squid Game," and "KPop Demon Hunters."
He's often applied the "evergreen test" to Netflix, he said, to probe whether it makes TV shows and movies that are "long-lasting, watchable on repeat, across generations."
"Disney, Pixar, these produce evergreen content," he wrote. "Even Warner Brothers with Harry Potter and a few others."
Burry wrote that the viral success of "Suits" on Netflix a few years ago benefited the show's creator more than its host. "Netflix's other content has not struck me as evergreen," he added.
Disney is known for creating popular intellectual property such as "Frozen" then monetizing it across its sprawling empire of movies, TV shows, theme parks, resorts, cruises, retail stores, video games, and more.
Netflix's core offering is its streaming platform, which offers both original and licensed content.
Burry, most famous for his monster bet against the mid-2000s housing bubble, said he views Netflix as "another player in a much more distributed and competitive streaming field."
The bargain hunter said Netflix stock didn't strike him as an obvious deal even after slumping from over $130 last summer. It closed at $69 on Friday, down nearly 50% from its peak.
Netflix stock has been hit by slowing revenue and subscriber growth, as fierce competition has made it harder to attract and retain customers and preserve its margins.
"The competition came for Netflix," Burry tweeted in April 2022, after the company's subscriber base shrank for the first time in more than a decade.
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Theron Mohamed You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Theron Mohamed is a London-based correspondent on the Trending team at Business Insider. His coverage spans finance, investing, wealth, markets, and the economy.Theron joined BI in 2019 as a reporter at Markets Insider and rose to the rank of correspondent before moving to the Trending team in 2024. He previously covered tech, media, and telecom stocks for Investors Chronicle magazine and had a brief stint on the Financial Times' Data team. He interned at the Wall Street Journal in New York where he primarily wrote for Heard on the Street.Theron has freelanced for The Independent, The Telegraph, WIRED, and several smaller publications. He holds an undergraduate degree in geography from the London School of Economics, and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.Theron often covers Warren Buffett, Michael Burry, Jeremy Grantham and other top-flight investors. He also writes about the world's wealthiest people and shares financial advice from all manner of rich and successful people.Email Theron at [email protected] and follow him on X @theron_mohamed.Expertise
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Walt Disney (DIS - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this entertainment company have returned -6%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. During this period, the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry, which Disney falls in, has lost 0.6%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Disney is expected to post earnings of $1.88 per share, indicating a change of +16.8% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.5% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $6.85 points to a change of +15.5% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has remained unchanged.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.45 indicates a change of +8.8% from what Disney is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Disney is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For Disney, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $25.41 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +7.4%. For the current and next fiscal years, $101.71 billion and $106.38 billion estimates indicate +7.7% and +4.6% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryDisney reported revenues of $25.17 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +6.5%. EPS of $1.57 for the same period compares with $1.45 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $25.06 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +0.41%. The EPS surprise was +5.37%.
The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates just once over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Disney is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Disney. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
General Motors (GM) is scheduled to report second-quarter results before U.S. markets open on Tuesday, with investors expected to focus on whether demand for it
The second-quarter earnings season for the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector kicked off on Friday, with Autoliv exceeding top and bottom line estimates. This week, three S&P 500 sector components— Tesla, General Motors and Genuine Parts— will report quarterly numbers.
Per the Earnings Trend report dated July 15, the auto sector’s earnings and revenues for second-quarter 2026 are expected to grow 6.2% and 0.8%, respectively, on a year-over-year basis. We have identified — with the help of the Zacks Stock Screener — a few auto players that are set to outshine the Zacks Consensus Estimate this earnings season.
These include General Motors (GM - Free Report) , Tesla (TSLA - Free Report) ,Cummins (CMI - Free Report) and BorgWarner (BWA - Free Report) . Before we discuss the companies, let’s take a look at the factors shaping the quarterly performance.
Factors at PlayThe U.S. auto market held up better than many expected in the second quarter of 2026. Despite geopolitical tensions, elevated fuel prices, and an uncertain policy environment, demand for new vehicles remained resilient, with buyers continuing to make purchases. Uncertainty is no longer stopping them from buying vehicles. Many have adapted to years of inflation, high interest rates, and policy changes, choosing to adjust their budget or vehicle preference instead of delaying purchases.
Per Cox Automotive, second-quarter sales crossed 4.1 million, representing a double-digit percentage growth relative to the first quarter of 2026. June vehicle sales were solid, with the seasonally adjusted average rate (SAAR) at 16.5 million, the highest level in 2026. That said, second-quarter sales were still down on a yearly basis amid affordability pressures.
New vehicle prices continued to edge higher, with the average listing price reaching $49,336 in June, up 1.4% year over year. Meanwhile, higher fuel costs are driving buyers toward fuel-efficient models, prompting automakers to broaden their hybrid lineups.
Picking Potential WinnersWhile it is not possible to be sure about which companies are well-positioned to beat earnings estimates, our proprietary methodology — Earnings ESP — makes it relatively simple. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
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. Earnings ESP shows the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Our research shows that for stocks with the abovementioned combination, the chances of an earnings beat are as high as 70%.
Our ChoicesGeneral Motors: While General Motors held its title of best-selling automaker in the United States, its second-quarter deliveries in the country declined 4% year over year. We expect GM North America (GMNA) revenues to be $37.8 billion, suggesting a year-over-year decline of 4.3%. But supported by pricing discipline, cost control and low incentives, our estimate for the GMNA segment’s operating income is $3.03 billion, which suggests a rise of 35.7% year over year.
In China, General Motors’ sales remained strong with 357,000 units, thanks to new launches, resilient demand and favorable product mix. Buick Electra E7 emerged as a top seller, while the Wuling Bin Guo and Baojun Huajing S gained traction following new launches. Premium MPVs and SUVs also performed well, with the GL8, Envision and Cadillac XT5 posting solid sales. Meanwhile, the Wuling Hong Guang MINIEV and Bin Guo remained GM's best-selling models in China.
GM has an Earnings ESP of +5.17% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter results tomorrow. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for General Motors’ to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $3.13 per share and $46.5 billion, respectively. EPS estimates for the second quarter have moved up by 2 cents in the past seven days. General Motors surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
Tesla: In the second quarter, Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles (including 467,762 Model 3/Y and 12,364 other models), beating our model estimate of 400,133 units. Deliveries increased 34% sequentially and 25% on a year-over-year basis. It was Tesla’s strongest quarter for EV sales since the third quarter of 2025. We expect the company’s automotive revenues and gross margins to improve year over year on the back of strong deliveries.
The company’s energy business revenues are also expected to increase as Tesla deployed 13.5 GWh of energy storage in the second quarter, reflecting an uptick of 53% and 40% on a sequential and year-over-year basis, respectively. The number also came ahead of our model projection of 12.66 GWh.The outperformance was driven by stronger-than-expected demand for Megapack and Powerwall.
Tesla has an Earnings ESP of +5.31% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter results on Wednesday. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tesla’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at 50 cents per share and $29 billion, respectively. EPS estimates for the second quarter have moved up by 3 cents in the past seven days. Tesla surpassed earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once.
Cummins: The company is increasingly benefiting from its Power Systems segment. Demand for backup power generators and data center power infrastructure is growing, providing Cummins with a stronger and less cyclical revenue stream. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Power Systems segment sales for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $2.18 billion, implying an uptick both on a sequential and a yearly basis.
The Distribution segment is riding the same wave. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for segment sales for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at $3.35 billion, implying an uptick both on a sequential and a yearly basis. Since the Distribution unit also carries a meaningful mix of parts and service revenues, this growth adds a layer of earnings resilience that isn't tied to new equipment cycles alone. Encouragingly, loss from the Accelera unit is also expected to reduce significantly compared to the first quarter of 2026 and the second quarter of 2025.
Cummins has an Earnings ESP of +0.78% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter results on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cummins’ to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $7.33 per share and $9.3 billion, respectively. EPS estimates for the second quarter have moved up by 6 cents in the past 60 days. Cummins surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
BorgWarner: The company is benefiting from strong new business wins across hybrid, ICE, and EV platforms, expanding exposure to Chinese OEM exports, and improving operational efficiency that continues to support margin growth. The company is also leveraging its automotive expertise to expand into high-growth data center power infrastructure through turbine generators, battery energy storage systems and microgrid inverters. Aggressive cost controls, operational discipline and the exit from weaker charging business are helping the company’s overall margins.
BWA also continues winning new hybrid and drivetrain business with Chinese automakers. The company’s localized manufacturing footprint and long-standing OEM relationships in Asia provide an advantage as Chinese brands scale internationally. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BorgWarner’s revenues from PowerDrive and Drivetrain & Morse segments is pegged at $596 million and $1.43 billion, respectively, indicating an upside on both a sequential and yearly basis.
BorgWarner has an Earnings ESP of +0.62% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter results on Aug. 5. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BorgWarner’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $1.26 per share and $3.6 billion, respectively. EPS estimates for the second quarter have moved up by a cent in the past 30 days. BorgWarner surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
Boston Common Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report) by 6.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 316,689 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock after buying an additional 20,308 shares during the quarter. Verizon Communications makes up 1.0% of Boston Common Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Boston Common Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $15,898,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VZ. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 133.8% in the 1st quarter. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC now owns 5,867 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 3,358 shares during the last quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $494,000. Greenwood Gearhart LLC acquired a new stake in Verizon Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $318,000. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 91.3% during the first quarter. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC now owns 16,373 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $822,000 after buying an additional 7,815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Little House Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.0% during the first quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 57,816 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $2,902,000 after buying an additional 1,129 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.06% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth VZ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Verizon Communications from $54.50 to $51.50 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Dbs Bank downgraded Verizon Communications from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Freedom Capital raised Verizon Communications to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Verizon Communications in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.09.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Verizon Communications
Key Stories Impacting Verizon Communications Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:
Positive Sentiment: Verizon is moving to sell 274 company-owned retail stores to franchisees and cut roughly 3,000 jobs, a restructuring that could lower operating costs and improve margins over time. Reuters: Verizon to shed 274 stores, lay off another 500 corporate employees Positive Sentiment: Market reaction has been favorable to the cost-reset story, with articles noting VZ rose as investors responded to the store shakeup and expense reduction plans. Yahoo Finance: VZ Stock Rises — Verizon Moves To Slash Costs With Major Store Shakeup Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for Verizon and kept a Hold rating, suggesting only modest near-term earnings improvement. MarketBeat analyst update Neutral Sentiment: Verizon is expected to report earnings on Friday, which keeps investors focused on whether the restructuring and broadband growth can offset slower revenue trends. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (VZ) to Post Earnings on Friday Negative Sentiment: Some analysts are cautioning that Verizon already trades at a premium relative to peers, which could limit upside if earnings growth disappoints. Trefis: VZ Earns Its Premium Over Peers. Now What? Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank also lowered its price target to $51.50, reflecting some skepticism about the pace of Verizon’s improvement. American Banking News: Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Lowered to $51.50 at Scotiabank Verizon Communications Trading Down 0.1% VZ opened at $43.57 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Verizon Communications Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $51.68. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $45.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $181.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.26.
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.46% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.
Verizon Communications Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.
Verizon Communications Company Profile (Free Report)
Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.
The company’s consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Verizon Communications Strait of Hormuz Tensions Spike Tanker Trade: These 2 Stocks Are Set to Benefit Shopify’s Quiet AI Strategy Could Be Its Biggest Advantage Yet Why These 3 Nuclear ETFs Are Getting a Fresh Look as AI Power Demand Rises 3 Aerospace Suppliers That Could Benefit as Aircraft Makers Face Bottlenecks Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ – Free Report).
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Key Takeaways U.S. consumer sentiment rose to a five-month high as lower energy costs lifted July confidence.Cintas is one of five consumer discretionary picks highlighted for the second half of 2026.Viking Holdings joins four other stocks selected based on growth drivers outlined in the report. The University of Michigan reported that the preliminary index for consumer sentiment jumped to 54.4 in July from 49.5 in June. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was 51. This marked the highest reading of the index since February 2026. A decline in energy cost is the primary reason for this uptick.
The subindex for current economic condition rose to 54.9% in July from 47.7% in June. The subindex for consumer expectations rose to 54% in July from 50.7% in June. The 1-year inflation index fell to 4.2% in July from 4.6% in June. The long-term 5-year inflation index remained the same sequentially at 3.3% in July.
At this stage, we narrowed our search to five consumer discretionary stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank for investment in the second half of 2026. These are: Cintas Corp. (CTAS - Free Report) , Caesars Entertainment Inc. (CZR - Free Report) , Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH - Free Report) , News Corp. (NWSA - Free Report) and Viking Holdings Ltd. (VIK - Free Report) . Each of our picks currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Cintas Corp.Cintas is well-positioned to benefit from the solid momentum across its segments. Penetration of additional products and services into existing customers is aiding the Uniform Rental and Facility Services segment. Improved demand for AED Rental is driving the First Aid and Safety Services segment.
CTAS’ focus on the enhancement of its product portfolio, along with investments in technology and automation to improve efficiencies in existing facilities, should continue to drive its performance. For instance, CTAS’ investment in SmartTruck technology continues to provide route optimization and improved efficiencies.
Also, Cintas has been investing in garment-sharing technology, myCintas and SAP systems for a while now. CTAS continues to invest in strategic sourcing and Six Sigma process initiatives to improve cost efficiency and offset external pressures such as tariffs or inflation.
Cintas has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 8.2% and 10.9%, respectively, for the current year (ending May 2027). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 1.1% over the last seven days.
Caesars Entertainment Inc.Caesars Entertainment is benefiting from improving Las Vegas demand, supported by strong group and convention activity, sequentially firmer leisure trends and a more robust entertainment calendar. Also, the inclusion of Caesars Windsor, the opening of Harrah’s Oklahoma and the Tahoe redevelopment bode well for CZR.
To drive digital expansion, CZR is emphasizing iCasino offerings, universal-wallet adoption, Caesars Rewards cross-selling and disciplined customer acquisition. Lower capital spending and expiring partnership costs are expected to support CZR’s cash flow.
Caesars Entertainment has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.7% and 67.5%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has remained the same over the last 30 days.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.Norwegian Cruise Line is balancing long-term investments with near-term demand headwinds. NCLH’s Premium brands Regent Seven Seas and Oceania continue to attract higher-spending guests.
Fleet expansion, private destinations and commercial upgrades support future pricing power and onboard revenues. Cost-cutting initiatives, including $125 million in annualized SG&A savings, should improve NCLH’s margins.
Great Stirrup Cay remains a controlled destination that can capture incremental guest spending through food, beverage and activities. NCLH noted that Great Tides Waterpark remains on track to open later in summer 2026 and described it as a demand driver moving into 2027.
Norwegian Cruise Line has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 3.1% and -18.5%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 0.6% over the last seven days.
News Corp.News Corp is benefiting from growth in Dow Jones professional information and recurring subscriptions, supported by higher digital advertising and pricing actions. Digital Real Estate is improving yield at Realtor.com through premium agent products and faster product iteration, while REA continues to lift NWSA’s pricing and expand add-on services.
NWSA controls large archives of journalism and datasets that AI platforms seek for provenance and ongoing updates. Management cited a recent deal with Meta Platforms that complements its partnership with OpenAI, and said discussions with additional AI companies have advanced.
NWSA also expects to receive its share of proceeds from a $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement starting later in calendar 2026. These arrangements are positioned as high-margin because they leverage existing content, while AI tools are also being embedded in products such as Factiva and Realtor.com to improve usability over time.
News Corp has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 4.6% and 28.5%, respectively, for the current year (ending June 2027). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 0.9% over the last 60 days.
Viking Holdings Ltd.Viking Holdings is benefiting from strong consumer demand and a solid booking environment. VIK is banking on affluent customers to see it through the current market downturn. Also, the rise in onboard spending bodes well.
VIK is focusing on fleet expansion and geographic diversification to drive growth. The company has been focusing on strategically enhancing the guest experience through smart investments and digital innovations across its fleet, aiming to maximize guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
VIK’s marketing is fortified by digital industry tools that provide programmatic execution, machine learning capabilities, look-alike prospecting, online-to-offline conversions, emerging AI-supported functionality and data-driven marketing attribution.
Viking Holdings has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 13.2% and 27.2%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 0.6% over the last seven days.
On July 20, 2026, we delve into the DCF analysis for PepsiCo Inc (PEP), a company that has seen a slight decline in its stock price over the past year. The curr
ASML Holding released its second-quarter 2026 results on July 15, and the numbers clearly indicate that the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure build-out isn't going to slow down.
ASML not only crushed Wall Street's expectations by delivering stronger-than-expected growth, but it also raised its 2026 guidance substantially. However, the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant also delivered terrific news for Intel (INTC +5.47%) investors, which suggests that the latter could deliver robust guidance when it releases its results on July 23.
Let's see what ASML said about Intel.
Image source: Intel.
Intel is using ASML's advanced equipment for the mass production of cutting-edge chips ASML noted in a press release on July 15 that Intel Foundry is now using its high-NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines to mass-produce Panther Lake client processors based on the Intel 18A process node. It is worth noting that Intel found it difficult to meet demand for its client central processing units (CPUs) used in personal computers (PCs) and laptops in Q1.
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However, Intel CFO David Zinsner noted on the April earnings call that the volume of Panther Lake CPUs will "be up six or seven times in the second quarter relative to the first quarter." Additionally, Zinsner noted that the gross margin of the Panther Lake platform will improve with each quarter.
Intel started shipping Panther Lake CPUs late last year, and management's comments on the Q1 earnings call suggested solid demand. So, ASML's announcement that these chips are now in high-volume production indicates that Intel is on track to meet the robust demand for its client CPUs.
ASML also pointed out that it will collaborate with Intel to further refine the 18A process node to help enable broader adoption. Intel has been trying to close the gap with AMD in the server CPU market with chips manufactured using the 18A process node, and it looks like it may be making progress on that front with ASML's help.
All this could set Intel up for a better-than-expected quarterly report next week.
A solid set of results could send Intel stock higher Intel expects Q2 revenue of $14.3 billion and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.20. The top line will grow by 11% year over year, while the bottom line points toward a major turnaround from last year's loss of $0.10 per share.
Intel's client computing group (CCG) is one of its biggest business segments, producing $7.7 billion in Q1 revenue. However, this segment's revenue increased by just 1% year over year. The aggressive ramp-up of a key product in the CCG segment, i.e., Panther Lake, could supercharge its growth. Also, analysts anticipate that Intel will guide for a year-over-year jump of 11% in revenue in Q3. However, it could call for a larger jump, given the significant increase in client CPU output.
So, don't be surprised to see Intel stock soar higher following impressive gains of 141% so far in 2026, primarily due to improving growth prospects fueled by its product development moves.
Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Advanced Micro Devices, and Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The week of July 20 brings an avalanche of marquee earnings reports and with the artificial intelligence (AI) trade experiencing significant retrenchment, semiconductor stocks are under duress. That could put added focus on Intel (INTC), which reports quarterly results on Thursday, July 23.
Intel’s upcoming earnings update could be an ideal time for risk-aware, short-term traders to consider the Direxion Daily INTC Bull 2X ETF (LINT). A member of Direxion’s single-stock ETF lineup, LINT attempts to deliver 200% of the daily returns of Intel stock. Analysts expect the semiconductor giant to post second-quarter earnings per share of 21 cents on sales of $14.4 billion.
For tactical traders, Intel’s earnings drop could be the perfect backdrop to deploy LINT. Options market indicators imply that Intel stock could move by up to 15% following the report, which would leave plenty of room for short-term plays.
“The higher implied volatility reflects uncertainty around Intel’s outlook, manufacturing progress and ability to benefit from growing AI demand. The stock has climbed more than 160% this year, although it has fallen 17% over the past month during a broader technology selloff. That strong advance leaves less room for disappointment,” reported GuruFocus.
LINT Could Shine Several catalysts could swing shares of Intel and LINT following the earnings report, including commentary on the company’s custom ASIC efforts. Intel has earned some kudos for these efforts, but some investors have noted that the company is a late arrival to the GPU training space, meaning there’s little margin for error here.
Commentary on manufacturing capacity, particularly around the 18A node, also has the potential to move the stock and LINT because one of the takeaways from Intel’s first-quarter earnings report is that the company isn’t confounded by demand issues, but rather by supply issues.
“This signals that Intel’s revenue trajectory is capped by manufacturing capacity, not demand. The forecasted 34.5% gross margin, down sequentially from Q4’s 37.9%, reflects increased 18A volumes at low initial yields and product mix shift toward externally-sourced client wafers,” noted EveryTicker. “Margin pressure will likely persist until 18A yields improve and supply constraints ease in Q2 2026.”
Working past supply constraints is pivotal because those issues are capping revenue. If Intel can show signs of progress on that front, the stock could notch a near-term rebound, potentially sending LINT higher.
As EveryTicker pointed out, another issue to monitor is Intel’s cash burn rate, which underscores the capital intensity of the foundry model. If Intel can show it’s improving on the -$1.6 billion burn rate, the stock and LINT could benefit.
For more news, information, and strategy, visit the Leveraged & Inverse Content Hub.
Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.
We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.
Hunting for 'earnings whispers' or companies poised to beat their quarterly earnings estimates is a somewhat common practice. But that doesn't make it easy. One way that has been proven to work is by using the Zacks Earnings ESP tool.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more information.
With this in mind, the Expected Surprise Prediction compares the Most Accurate Estimate (being the most recent) against the overall Zacks Consensus Estimate. The percentage difference provides the ESP figure. The system also utilizes our core Zacks Rank to provide a stronger system for identifying stocks that might beat their next quarterly earnings estimate and possibly see the stock price climb.
When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Stocks with a #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market. Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Intel?The last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to quickly look at a qualifying stock. Intel (INTC - Free Report) holds a #1 (Strong Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.22 a share three days away from its upcoming earnings release on July 23, 2026.
INTC has an Earnings ESP figure of +5.18%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.22 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.21. Intel is one of a large database of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
INTC is part of a big group of Computer and Technology stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) as well.
Arista Networks, which is readying to report earnings on August 4, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $0.90 a share, and ANET is 15 days out from its next earnings report.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Arista Networks is $0.89, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +0.84%.
INTC and ANET's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM – Free Report) by 2.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,137,288 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 100,649 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.55% of International Business Machines worth $1,245,141,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of IBM. Family CFO Inc purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
International Business Machines Stock Performance IBM opened at $212.54 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $199.76 billion, a PE ratio of 18.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $263.84 and a 200-day moving average of $263.28. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52-week low of $204.44 and a 52-week high of $332.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.80.
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.10. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 37.23% and a net margin of 15.61%.The business had revenue of $15.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.60 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.60 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
International Business Machines Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $1.69 per share. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. This is a boost from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.68. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is 59.77%.
Key International Business Machines News Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:
Positive Sentiment: IBM launched new Power server products aimed at automation, app modernization, and local AI inferencing, which could support its enterprise AI push over time. Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan kept an overweight rating on IBM even after cutting its price target to $250, indicating Wall Street still sees upside from current levels. Positive Sentiment: Some analysts say the stock’s sharp decline may have pushed it into oversold territory, which could attract bargain hunters if sentiment stabilizes. Neutral Sentiment: IBM heads into its July 22 earnings report with investors focused on whether the company can validate its AI and cloud momentum after the warning. Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks and others are debating whether the selloff is an opportunity or a sign to wait, reflecting uncertainty rather than a clear fundamental shift. Negative Sentiment: IBM’s preliminary Q2 miss and weak near-term outlook are the main reasons the stock is falling, as they suggest slower growth and margin pressure. Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have announced securities-fraud investigations after the plunge, which can keep negative headlines around the stock. Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is turning more cautious, with some estimate reductions and technical warnings reinforcing bearish momentum. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler raised shares of International Business Machines to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wolfe Research cut International Business Machines to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Bank of America upped their target price on International Business Machines from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Oppenheimer downgraded International Business Machines from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $292.89.
Read Our Latest Analysis on IBM
International Business Machines Company Profile (Free Report)
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.
IBM’s principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.
See Also Five stocks we like better than International Business Machines Strait of Hormuz Tensions Spike Tanker Trade: These 2 Stocks Are Set to Benefit Shopify’s Quiet AI Strategy Could Be Its Biggest Advantage Yet Why These 3 Nuclear ETFs Are Getting a Fresh Look as AI Power Demand Rises 3 Aerospace Suppliers That Could Benefit as Aircraft Makers Face Bottlenecks Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM – Free Report).
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Assetmark Inc. increased its position in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM – Free Report) by 24.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 64,458 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 12,791 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $15,624,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Family CFO Inc bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
International Business Machines Stock Performance Shares of IBM opened at $212.54 on Monday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $263.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $263.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. International Business Machines Corporation has a 12 month low of $204.44 and a 12 month high of $332.46. The company has a market cap of $199.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.68.
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $15.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.60 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 37.23% and a net margin of 15.61%.The company’s revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.60 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
International Business Machines Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $1.69 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. This is a positive change from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.68. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.77%.
International Business Machines News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:
Positive Sentiment: IBM launched new Power server products aimed at automation, app modernization, and local AI inferencing, which could support its enterprise AI push over time. Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan kept an overweight rating on IBM even after cutting its price target to $250, indicating Wall Street still sees upside from current levels. Positive Sentiment: Some analysts say the stock’s sharp decline may have pushed it into oversold territory, which could attract bargain hunters if sentiment stabilizes. Neutral Sentiment: IBM heads into its July 22 earnings report with investors focused on whether the company can validate its AI and cloud momentum after the warning. Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks and others are debating whether the selloff is an opportunity or a sign to wait, reflecting uncertainty rather than a clear fundamental shift. Negative Sentiment: IBM’s preliminary Q2 miss and weak near-term outlook are the main reasons the stock is falling, as they suggest slower growth and margin pressure. Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have announced securities-fraud investigations after the plunge, which can keep negative headlines around the stock. Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is turning more cautious, with some estimate reductions and technical warnings reinforcing bearish momentum. Analysts Set New Price Targets IBM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Piper Sandler raised shares of International Business Machines to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. KeyCorp cut shares of International Business Machines to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $292.89.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on International Business Machines
International Business Machines Company Profile (Free Report)
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.
IBM’s principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.
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Shares of International Business Machines (IBM 0.81%) plummeted sharply and suddenly last week after the tech giant released news that was concerning to investors. The company didn't formally announce its latest quarterly numbers, but did preannounce them. And the numbers were troubling enough that the stock plunged more than 25%, which is massive for a company of IBM's size.
Are the numbers really that bad and concerning? Here's why investors dumped the stock, whether it's in deep trouble, and if IBM stock may be a good contrarian buy right now.
Image source: Getty Images.
What did IBM preannounce that was so bad? IBM's second-quarter results aren't due until Wednesday, but it released preliminary figures last week. One huge problem was that the company's latest numbers are a big miss for Q2, with IBM's revenue coming in at $17.2 billion versus analyst estimates of $17.86 billion, and its adjusted earnings per share of $2.93 is also lower than Wall Street's projections of $3.02.
Those are sizable misses for the business, but arguably, not enough to justify a massive sell-off. The company also said that the shortage in memory products is negatively impacting its business. The most concerning development, however, may be the news that customers are spending more on artificial intelligence (AI) servers and memory than on software and IBM's mainframe products. This paints a more concerning picture of the company's future, at least in the near term, which may be weighing the tech stock down heavily right now.
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Is IBM's stock cheap enough that it's worth buying? Whenever a stock falls so suddenly, the question arises of whether the market has overreacted and whether it could have opened up a great buying opportunity. Even if IBM's business is facing some headwinds in the short term, that doesn't mean it won't recover. This is, after all, a top tech company with a robust business. If the stock continues falling, it could soon hit multi-year lows.
At 17 times its estimated future earnings (based on analyst estimates), IBM's stock looks attractively valued. But analysts may also soon update their projections for the business's performance, in light of the company's comments and once the full earnings report comes out this week. There could still be trouble ahead for the stock in the near future.
It may be a good idea for investors to hold off buying the stock today because when it rains, it often pours. It's typically not just one and done when it comes to a sell-off like this, and with the upcoming earnings numbers and guidance likely to feature more concerns, a better move may be to buy the stock after all that comes out, as that will provide a better picture of where the business is heading.
While I don't doubt IBM is still a good buy for the long haul, given how turbulent the stock has been of late, there may not be a need to rush to buy it just yet.
Broderick Brian C cut its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 55.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,286 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 6,558 shares during the quarter. Broderick Brian C’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,430,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $14,931,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,834 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after buying an additional 824,120 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,215,660,000 after buying an additional 680,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,158,734,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155,162 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
UnitedHealth Group Price Performance Shares of UNH opened at $426.39 on Monday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $404.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $342.37. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $461.62. The stock has a market cap of $387.23 billion, a PE ratio of 27.44, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. Analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 59.72%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. TD Cowen increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $460.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $475.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Leerink Partners increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $447.29.
Check Out Our Latest Report on UnitedHealth Group
Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:
Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth beat Q2 estimates on earnings and revenue, driven by improved margins and lower medical costs, and raised its 2026 profit outlook. UnitedHealth shares surge on strong earnings beat and guidance Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, UBS, RBC, and other firms lifted price targets after the results, signaling stronger Street confidence in the stock’s recovery. Analyst price target updates Positive Sentiment: Management doubled the 2026 share repurchase target to at least $5 billion, which may help support EPS and investor returns. What’s Fueling UNH Stock’s Rally? A Bigger Buyback, Higher Guidance – And CEO Says Turnaround Is ‘Returning To Form’ Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around the earnings call says Medicare Advantage and Optum are improving, but commercial cost pressures could delay a full margin recovery. UnitedHealth Q2 Earnings Call Focuses on Reset and Durable Growth Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious, with at least one downgrade noting that the turnaround still faces execution risk despite the stronger quarter. UnitedHealth Group Q2: The Real Test Begins Now (Downgrade) About UnitedHealth Group (Free Report)
UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.
UnitedHealthcare is the company’s benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.
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Disconnect Between Crude and Crack SpreadsLamarre, co-founder of the International Digital Exchange (INDEX), attributes this to a fundamental divergence: "This looks more like a temporary crude surplus running into a genuinely separate product shortage, rather than tight refining capacity dragging crude prices up with it."
Consequently, Lamarre cautions against using broad commodity funds to trade the refining crunch: "I wouldn’t lean too hard on the refining story as a support factor for something like USO or BNO specifically."
The Case for Individual RefinersFurthermore, Lamarre and Bitunix analyst Dean Chen warn that futures-based ETFs face contango risks that can “quietly eat into returns” through “negative roll costs.” Lamarre emphasizes USO and BNO are “tactical vehicles right now, not buy-and-forget.”
Lamarre’s Crude Price ScenariosEmphasizing a wide-band outlook over tight forecasts, Lamarre outlines four crude scenarios:
Baseline Range: Brent $80–$100 and WTI $76–$95. Near-Term Escalation: If Hormuz disruptions hold, Brent could test $100 and WTI mid-$90s. Full Chokepoint Closure: A total Strait shutdown could push crude to $110–$120. De-escalation: Normalizing flows could ease Brent to $75–$90 and WTI to $70–$85. Navellier maintains war spikes will be “temporary,” projecting WTI to peak “up to $82 per barrel” through Labor Day.
Price Action in Crude and Related InstrumentsAt the last check, Crude Oil WTI Futures were down 0.61% at $81.28, and Brent Oil Futures were 0.05% lower at $88.06.
Meanwhile, USO closed 3.91% higher on Friday, and it was down 0.25% in the premarket on Monday. Similarly, BNO closed 4.10% higher at $48.70, and it was 0.11% higher in the premarket on Mnday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo by Castleski via Shutterstock
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The luxurious 2,000-guest ship will undergo a three-week refit in Rotterdam this autumn, unveiling a refreshed Grand Lobby, reimagined Queens Room, enhanced Cunard Grill Suites, and the introduction of The Pavilion Wellness Café. Download images of the refreshed spaces here.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Cunard, the world's most iconic luxury cruise line, today revealed plans for an extensive transformation of Queen Victoria, with the elegant ship set to emerge from dry dock this fall with refreshed signature spaces including Cunard Grills suites and the introduction of The Pavilion Wellness Café.
The luxurious 2,000-guest ship will enter dry dock at Damen Shiprepair in Rotterdam from October 17-November 5, 2026, returning to service ready to welcome guests on board for the remainder of her 2026 voyages and 2027 program.
The luxurious 2,000-guest ship will undergo a three-week refit in Rotterdam this autumn, unveiling a refreshed Grand Lobby, reimagined Queens Room, enhanced Cunard Grill Suites, and the introduction of The Pavilion Wellness Café. Download images of the refreshed spaces here. Queen Victoria's Transformation
Queen Victoria's signature spaces will each be thoughtfully revitalized, with a refreshed Grand Lobby to enhance the sense of arrival and reinforce the timeless elegance she is renowned for. The iconic Queens Room will also be reimagined, ensuring it continues to set the perfect scene for Cunard's signature Afternoon Tea, live music and glamorous Gala Evenings.
Cunard's Grill Suites experience – a hallmark of Cunard's luxury offering – will be refreshed and elevated. Queens Grill and Princess Grill Suites will be enhanced with sumptuous furnishings, sophisticated detailing, and thoughtful design, delivering the ultimate in comfort and style at sea.
Eight additional Britannia staterooms will also be introduced, including three from a new premium category, Britannia Deluxe Oceanview, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic ocean views. The new staterooms will go on sale starting July 20, for voyages sailing from November 11, 2026.
Introducing The Pavilion Wellness Café
Reflecting the growing importance of wellness to today's luxury traveler, Queen Victoria will become the third Queen in the Cunard fleet to introduce The Pavilion Wellness Café, following its highly successful launch on Queen Anne in 2024 and introduction on Queen Elizabeth in 2025. This wellness-focused venue will serve breakfast, lunch and daytime dining with a menu celebrating plant-based cuisine alongside sustainably sourced meat, fish and dairy.
"Queen Victoria has always held a special place in the hearts of our guests, celebrated for her distinctive character, intimate spaces and unmistakable sense of British elegance," said Katie McAlister, President of Cunard. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to refine the experiences and spaces she offers, with every decision approached with deep respect for the heritage and charm that make her who she is. From the Grand Lobby to the Queens Room, every detail has been thoughtfully considered to ensure Queen Victoria continues to deliver the timeless luxury she is known and loved for. We can't wait to welcome guests back on board to experience these beautiful enhancements for themselves."
Queen Victoria will return to service on November 7, 2026, beautifully prepared to welcome guests for a 2027 program of voyages spanning the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Fjords, the Canary Islands and beyond.
For more information about Cunard or to book a voyage, guests can contact their travel advisor, call Cunard at 1-800-728-6273 or visit www.cunard.com.
Travel Advisors interested in further information can contact their Business Development Manager, visit OneSourceCruises.com, or call Cunard at 1-800-528-6273.
About Cunard
Cunard is a luxury British cruise line, renowned for creating unforgettable experiences around the world. Cunard has been a leading operator of passenger ships since 1840.
The Cunard experience is built on fine dining, hand-selected entertainment, and outstanding White Star service. From a partnership with a two-Michelin starred chef, to inspiring guest speakers, to world class theatre productions, every detail has been meticulously crafted to make the experience unforgettable. A pioneer in transatlantic journeys and round world voyages, destinations sailed to also include Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Far East and Australia.
There are currently four Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and new ship, Queen Anne, which entered service in May 2024. Cunard is based at Carnival House in Southampton, UK and is part of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company with a portfolio of cruise lines operating in over 800 ports & destinations worldwide. (NYSE: CCL).
Social Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cunard
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cunardline
YouTube: www.youtube.com/wearecunard
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cunardline
About Damen Shipyards Group – Oceans of Possibilities
Damen Shipyards Group has been in operation for over ninety-five years and offers maritime solutions worldwide, through design, construction, conversion, maintenance, and repair of ships and ship components. By integrating systems, we create innovative, high-quality platforms, which provide our customers with maximum added value.
Our core values are fellowship, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and stewardship. Our goal is to become the world's most sustainable shipbuilder, via digitalisation, standardisation, and serial construction of our innovative vessels and through use of circular materials.
Damen operates 35 shipyards and 20 other companies in 20 countries, supported by a worldwide sales and service network. We deliver in the region of 160 vessels per year, with a total production value of over 3 billion euros. We offer direct employment to approximately 12,500 people. In all that we do, our aim to ensure a positive impact on the local environment and society.
Launch coincides with first anniversary of Celebration Key and builds on company's ongoing investments in Bahamian communities
, /PRNewswire/ -- One year after celebrating the grand opening of Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island, Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), the world's largest cruise company, has another reason to celebrate, today launching its surplus meal donation program in The Bahamas. The expansion into The Bahamas marks another step in the company's ongoing efforts to redirect surplus food through partnerships that create meaningful community impact around the world.
Carnival Corporation Expands Surplus Meal Donation Program to The Bahamas As part of Carnival Corporation's Less Left Over food waste reduction strategy, the program's first donation in The Bahamas was offloaded from Carnival Freedom and Carnival Conquest, where more than 318 pounds of prepared, unserved meals were safely redirected to the Grand Bahama Children's Home, as well as to the Urban Renewal Authority, for distribution within the local community. The meals were collected, rapidly chilled, stored and transferred ashore using established food safety protocols and in compliance with local regulatory requirements. This milestone establishes a framework for future donations from ships and deepens the company's expanding network of partners across the region.
"This expansion in The Bahamas is really about the strength of the partnerships we've built across the Caribbean," said Marie McKenzie, senior vice president, government and destination affairs. "Working alongside government leaders and community organizations, we're able to connect what happens on board our ships with real needs on shore – creating a simple, reliable way to get high-quality surplus meals to people who can benefit from them. It's a shared effort that reflects what we can accomplish together."
"The Bahamas has long benefited from strong partnerships that create meaningful opportunities for our people and communities," said Minister for Grand Bahama, The Honourable Ginger Moxey M.P. "This initiative reflects a shared commitment to addressing real needs in a practical way, ensuring that quality meals can reach those who need them most. We welcome this expansion and appreciate Carnival Corporation's efforts to support communities throughout The Bahamas."
The launch reflects Carnival Corporation's broader commitment to The Bahamas, where its investments, operations and community partnerships extend well beyond tourism. The company's exclusive destinations include Celebration Key on Grand Bahama and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, both part of Carnival Cruise Line's Paradise Collection.
Beyond its destinations, Carnival Corporation supports communities across The Bahamas through ongoing ship donation and volunteer efforts. Since late 2025, the company has completed more than 20 ship donations across Nassau, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera, redirecting furniture, clothing, bicycles and other household goods from Carnival Cruise Line vessels to local families, schools, community centers and charitable organizations. Recipient organizations span sectors critical to community wellbeing, including disaster relief, youth development, education, healthcare and social services, with a total of 19 organizations benefiting from these donations across The Bahamas.
The surplus meal donation initiative is a key component of Carnival Corporation's Less Left Over strategy, which focuses on reducing food waste across its operations while creating meaningful community impact. By safely redirecting high-quality surplus meals, the initiative helps address both environmental and social challenges – minimizing waste while providing support to those in need. The effort is supported by carefully managed onboard processes and local partnerships that ensure meals can be redistributed safely and effectively within the community.
Since its launch in 2017, the program has expanded to 20 ports around the world, helping address food insecurity in port communities where the company's ships visit. The addition of The Bahamas continues the company's momentum in scaling the model across Latin America and the Caribbean, following recent launches in Roatan, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. As of year-end 2025, the program has provided more than 320,000 meal portions globally.
About Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation is the largest global cruise company and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn. Carnival Corporation Ltd. trades under the ticker symbol CCL on the NYSE and is a member of the S&P 500.
For more information, please visit www.carnivalcorp.com, www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruises.com, www.cunard.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com, www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.
To learn more about Carnival Corporation's purpose and our commitment to sustainability, go to Our Impact.
Investors in Carnival Corporation Ltd. (CCL - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec. 18, 2026 $5.00 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.
What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.
What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Carnival shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Carnival is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Leisure and Recreation Services industry that ranks in the Top 38% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while six analysts have revised their estimates downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from $1.42 per share to $1.36 in that period.
Given the way analysts feel about Carnival right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.
HomeInvestingStocksOutside the BoxOutside the BoxThe ‘Mag Seven’ has become the ‘Bag Seven.’ Sharp tech investors are looking elsewhere.July 20, 2026, 9:46 a.m. ET
Companies that are actually using AI and not just talking about it are worth investors’ attention. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphotoThe “Mag Seven” stocks have become the “Bag Seven” — or worse. That was fun while it lasted.
Through the first half of 2026, the group of megacap tech stocks known as the Magnificent Seven (eight if you count SpaceX SPCX) were down from their highs. Meanwhile, the stalwart S&P 500 SPX was up more than 9%. For the AI hyperscalers, “magnificent” has become mediocre and the trade has lost momentum.
On July 20, 2026, we delve into the DCF analysis for T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS), a company that has experienced a mixed price performance over the past year, with a
John Deere and Major League Baseball celebrate the connection between agriculture, community, and America's pastime
, /PRNewswire/ -- Major League Baseball today named John Deere (NYSE: DE) as the presenting sponsor of this year's MLB at Field of Dreams game between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies on August 13, helping bring to life one of baseball's most meaningful celebrations of farming communities and America's pastime.
As presenting sponsor of MLB at Field of Dreams, John Deere will celebrate the connection between baseball, agriculture, and the communities that have shaped this legendary setting. The MLB at Field of Dreams game celebrates the longstanding connection between baseball, agriculture, and rural America. Rooted in hard work, resilience, and stewardship of the land, these traditions have shaped the region for generations and continue to bring people together both on and off the field.
In collaboration with MLB Together, MLB's community outreach platform, John Deere and MLB will co-host a volunteer meal-packing event that brings together employees, dealers and customers of John Deere to pack approximately 260,000 meals for families across Iowa with River Bend Food Bank.
While volunteers make an impact locally, the John Deere Foundation's commitment extends beyond Iowa through Big Hits. Bigger Impact., a campaign that will donate one million meals to Feeding America®. Building on efforts during MLB All-Star Week and continuing through the upcoming MLB at Field of Dreams game, the campaign honors the work of farmers while helping provide meals to families across the country.
"Few places better capture the values that have shaped farming communities for generations than Field of Dreams," said Jen Hartmann, Director of Brand Management at John Deere. "This event shines a national spotlight on the values that define farming communities; hard work, resilience, and a deep connection to the land. We're proud to partner with MLB to honor those roots and create opportunities to make a positive impact."
As presenting sponsor, John Deere will be integrated throughout the MLB at Field of Dreams game experience, from the event's national campaigns and game broadcast to immersive fan experiences onsite.
Follow along for details on programming, community engagement and in-stadium experiences by visiting JohnDeere.com/MLB.
About Deere & Company
It doesn't matter if you've never driven a tractor, mowed a lawn, or operated a dozer. With John Deere's role in helping produce food, fiber, fuel, and infrastructure, we work for every single person on the planet. It all started nearly 200 years ago with a steel plow. Today, John Deere drives innovation in agriculture, construction, forestry, turf, power systems, and more. For more information on Deere & Company, visit us at www.deere.com/en/news/
Boston Common Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET – Free Report) by 11.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 109,516 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 13,810 shares during the quarter. Boston Common Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MetLife were worth $7,745,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in MetLife by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,240 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of MetLife in the first quarter worth $307,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of MetLife by 187.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,378 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,680,000 after acquiring an additional 21,771 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of MetLife in the 2nd quarter valued at $404,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of MetLife during the 2nd quarter valued at $444,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.99% of the company’s stock.
MetLife Stock Performance NYSE:MET opened at $93.99 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $85.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $79.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $60.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.21, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.78. MetLife, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.33 and a 1-year high of $94.86.
MetLife (NYSE:MET – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.15. MetLife had a return on equity of 22.60% and a net margin of 4.66%.The business had revenue of $14.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.49 billion. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that MetLife, Inc. will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
MetLife Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.5925 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 4th. This represents a $2.37 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. MetLife’s payout ratio is currently 45.93%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of MetLife from $93.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America cut their price objective on MetLife from $103.00 to $99.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Wall Street Zen cut MetLife from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings raised MetLife from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on MetLife from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $98.57.
Check Out Our Latest Report on MetLife
Key Stories Impacting MetLife Here are the key news stories impacting MetLife this week:
Positive Sentiment: MetLife Stadium is hosting the World Cup final, which keeps the venue in the global spotlight and may highlight the company’s high-profile asset and brand visibility. FIFA insists MetLife Stadium’s pitch is ready for the World Cup final despite criticism Positive Sentiment: Heavy media coverage around ticket sales, fan guides, food and drink pricing, and kickoff details suggests strong interest and traffic around the event at MetLife Stadium. How to buy tickets to see Spain in World Cup Final at MetLife Neutral Sentiment: News about weather, heat, storms, air quality, and wildfire smoke could affect the event experience, but it does not directly change MetLife’s earnings outlook. World Cup final could be shaped by heat, storms and air quality at MetLife Stadium Neutral Sentiment: FIFA’s criticism of the pitch and the “money grab” controversy may create headline risk for the venue, but the impact on MetLife’s stock is likely limited unless the issue affects operations or reputation more broadly. NJ governor slams FIFA’s money grab over sales of MetLife World Cup pitch Negative Sentiment: Ongoing criticism about the field quality and pitch conditions at MetLife Stadium could dent the venue’s reputation, even though it is unlikely to materially affect MetLife’s insurance business. The MetLife trap: the controversial pitch threatening the final | OneFootball MetLife Profile (Free Report)
MetLife, Inc is a global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs. Headquartered in New York City, the company offers a range of risk protection and retirement solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. Its core businesses include life insurance, group benefits, retirement products such as annuities, and supplemental health products including dental and disability coverage.
In addition to traditional life and group insurance, MetLife provides workplace benefits and voluntary products distributed through employer-sponsored programs.
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Wall Street watches a company's quarterly report closely to understand as much as possible about its recent performance and what to expect going forward. Of course, one figure often stands out among the rest: earnings.
Life and the stock market are both about expectations, and rising above what is expected is often rewarded, while falling short can come with negative consequences. Investors might want to try to capture stronger returns by finding positive earnings surprises.
The ability to identify stocks that are likely to top quarterly earnings expectations can be profitable, but it's no simple task. Here at Zacks, our Earnings ESP filter helps make things easier.
The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Earnings ESP, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.
The core of the ESP model is comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the resulting percentage difference between the two equals the Expected Surprise Prediction. The Zacks Rank is also factored into the ESP metric to better help find companies that appear poised to top their next bottom-line consensus estimate, which will hopefully help lift the stock price.
Bringing together a positive earnings ESP alongside a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better has helped stocks report a positive earnings surprise 70% of the time. Furthermore, by using these parameters, investors have seen 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.
Stocks with a #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market. Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Digital Realty Trust?The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Digital Realty Trust (DLR - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) three days from its next quarterly earnings release on July 23, 2026, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $2.03 a share.
Digital Realty Trust's Earnings ESP sits at +2.30%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $2.03 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.98. DLR is also part of a large group of stocks that boast a positive ESP. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
DLR is one of just a large database of Finance stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is XP Inc.A (XP - Free Report) .
XP Inc.A, which is readying to report earnings on August 17, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $0.53 a share, and XP is 28 days out from its next earnings report.
XP Inc.A's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +3.92% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.51.
DLR and XP's positive ESP metrics may signal that a positive earnings surprise for both stocks is on the horizon.
Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>
