Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Aon (AON - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Insurance - Brokerage industry, could be a great candidate to consider.
When looking at the last two reports, this insurance brokerage has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 2.13%, on average, in the last two quarters.
For the last reported quarter, Aon came out with earnings of $6.48 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.33 per share, representing a surprise of 2.37%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $4.76 per share and it actually produced earnings of $4.85 per share, delivering a surprise of 1.89%.
With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for Aon. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Aon has an Earnings ESP of +0.24% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on July 29, 2026.
Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Key Takeaways IRDM launched its PNT ASIC to deliver secure positioning and timing via its global satellite network.Iridium's chip resists jamming and spoofing, validating signal integrity when GNSS is unreliable.IRDM is gaining traction through Solace and Skyband partnerships in autonomous and aviation uses. Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM - Free Report) is positioning itself as a key player in the rapidly emerging Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) market. The commercial launch of the Iridium PNT ASIC will expand its addressable market and create new recurring revenue opportunities across various industries. Since the chip was unveiled in October 2025, it has been adopted by more than 150 organizations worldwide, spanning multiple industries, including maritime, aviation, telecommunications, defense, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and critical infrastructure.
The newly launched Iridium PNT ASIC is an ultra-compact chip that provides cryptographically secure positioning and timing through Iridium's global satellite network. Designed to resist jamming and spoofing, it offers trusted location data even in environments where traditional GNSS signals are unreliable, constantly validating signal integrity to ensure accurate positioning information. PNT ASIC is gaining early commercial traction through strategic partnerships. Solace Communications is integrating it into its Vector assured PNT platform, combining GNSS, inertial sensors, LTE, Iridium PNT and Short Burst Data to assess positioning confidence for autonomous and mission-critical applications continuously.
Skyband Systems is also incorporating the ASIC into its M100 aviation navigation platform, enabling aircraft to detect GPS spoofing and jamming while maintaining reliable situational awareness. Iridium's communications business already provides stable recurring cash flows through satellite subscriptions and government contracts. The introduction of the PNT ASIC represents an opportunity to leverage that foundation in a higher-value technology segment.
Can IRDM Stay Ahead in the Intensifying Satellite Race?AST SpaceMobile (ASTS - Free Report) is gearing up for the upcoming launch of BlueBird 11, 12 and 13 satellites following the launch of BlueBird 8, 9 and 10. BlueBird 6, which features an approximately 2,400 square-foot communications array, remains in orbit and operating as expected. BlueBirds 8, 9 and 10 were successfully launched into orbit in June 2026. BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 are targeted for launch during the first half of August, while next-generation satellites through BlueBird 37 remain in production and assembly. It continues to target roughly 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026 with launches expected every one to two months.
Globalstar, Inc. (GSAT - Free Report) is advancing the development of its LEO satellite network through the deployment of its HIBLEO-4 satellite replenishment mission. In May 2026, GSAT announced plans to launch the HIBLEO-4 replenishment satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of its ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance its current-generation satellite constellation. The mission is designed to replenish Globalstar’s existing LEO network and support the continued delivery of satellite communications services worldwide. In April, Globalstar's XCOM RAN launched an end-to-end private 5G platform built on its O-RAN-based Supercell architecture, enabling physical AI and industrial automation while simplifying enterprise deployment and management.
IRDM Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of IRDM have gained 45.1% in a year compared with the Zacks Satellite and Communication industry’s growth of 148.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, IRDM trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) of 5.39X, above the industry’s 2.8X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IRDM earnings for 2026 has been marginally revised upward over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Iridium currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Iridium is using strong free cash flow to invest in four growth areas while reducing net leverage.IRDM is advancing IoT, NTN Direct, PNT, aviation safety and government programs with new products.Iridium expects about $318M in 2026 pro forma free cash flow and $1.5B-$1.8B through the decade. Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM - Free Report) continues to generate strong free cash flow, providing the financial flexibility to support its expansion strategy while maintaining a disciplined capital allocation approach. On the last earnings call, management highlighted that its cash generation allows it to reduce net leverage quickly while also preserving the flexibility to invest in business growth opportunities through product development or potential tuck-in acquisitions.
As of March 31, Iridium had cash and cash equivalents of $111.6 million and ended the quarter with net leverage of 3.4x OEBITDA. The company also remains committed to an active and growing dividend program, having paid a quarterly dividend of 15 cents per share, while expecting its board to continue increasing the dividend in line with prior years. Capital expenditures totaled $30 million in the first quarter, and the company expects full-year CapEx to remain consistent with 2025 levels as it continues investing in Iridium NTN Direct. Iridium projects pro forma free cash flow of about $318 million in 2026 and expects to generate between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion in free cash flow over the remainder of the decade.
The company plans to utilize this financial strength to advance its four key growth areas while continuing to support its legacy business. In IoT, Iridium is preparing to launch its Iridium 9604 TriMode module, which combines satellite IoT, cellular IoT and GPS into a compact, cost-effective solution. The module is expected to simplify the product portfolio, lower integration costs and support expansion into cost-sensitive applications such as automotive, smart meters, agriculture and asset tracking. The company is also progressing toward the commercial launch of Iridium NTN Direct later this year, while continuing to expand agreements with mobile network operators and working with chip and module manufacturers to enable future standards-based connectivity.
Iridium is also investing in its Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) business, where the rollout of its new ASIC is generating strong interest from more than 100 companies. The company believes the new chip will accelerate deployments and continues to expect PNT to contribute at least $100 million in annual revenue by 2030.
Beyond PNT, Iridium is prioritizing national security missions through its growing work with the U.S. government and the Space Development Agency, while also expanding engineering and support activities. Aviation safety remains another strategic focus, with progress on new Certus aviation safety services and differentiated products intended to create additional opportunities. Management stated that partner activity remains strong, and the company plans to continue investing the cash it generates into these long-term growth initiatives while maintaining its focus on execution.
Taking a Look at IRDM’s CompetitorsAST SpaceMobile (ASTS - Free Report) is gaining from its leadership in direct-to-smartphone satellite connectivity, supported by proprietary phased array technology and thousands of patent claims. The company has built a sizable liquidity base to fund satellite manufacturing, ground infrastructure and launch activity through early commercialization. As of March 31, 2026, the company reported approximately $3.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. The balance sheet also reflects additional convertible financing completed in early 2026, which management expects to support constellation deployment, technology investment and debt management initiatives. While the company is still operating at a loss, this funding reduces near-term refinancing risk and provides flexibility to sustain the planned deployment cadence as service activation progresses.
Globalstar, Inc. (GSAT - Free Report) is generating positive adjusted free cash flow. During the first quarter of 2026, the company reported adjusted free cash flow of $28.9 million compared with $47.6 million in the prior-year quarter. The decrease was primarily due to the timing of cash receipts under the Updated Services Agreements, as the company received $7.5 million in accelerated service fees during the first quarter of 2026 compared with $22.5 million a year ago. During the quarter, net cash provided by operating activities totaled $35.2 million, while capital expenditures were primarily associated with the deployment of replacement satellites and the Extended MSS Network.
IRDM Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of IRDM have gained 144.2% in the past six months against the Zacks Satellite and Communication industry’s decline of 13.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, IRDM trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) of 5.39X, above the industry’s 2.8X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IRDM earnings for 2026 has been marginally revised upward over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Iridium currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways CCI reports Q2 2026 results on July 22 after the closing bell, following four straight AFFO beats.Crown Castle faces customer concentration risks despite expected growth in wireless data demand. CCI's Q2 revenues is projected at $992.9M, while AFFO per share is expected at $1.00. Crown Castle Inc. (CCI - Free Report) is scheduled to release its second-quarter 2026 results on July 22, after the closing bell. In anticipation of the announcement, industry analysts and investors are eager to assess the company's performance and prospects in the current economic climate.
In the last reported quarter, this Houston, TX-based real estate investment trust’s (REIT) adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.99%. Results reflected a decline in site rental revenues.
Over the preceding four quarters, CCI’s AFFO per share surpassed estimates on all occasions, with the average surprise being 3.84%. This is depicted in the graph below:
Let’s see how things have shaped up before this announcement.
Factors to Consider Ahead of CCI’s ResultsCrown Castle has an unmatched portfolio of wireless communication infrastructure assets in the United States. As wireless data consumption is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, service providers are likely to have continued their network expansion and densification efforts to meet this incremental demand.
However, customer concentration remains a concern. Any loss of its customers or consolidation among them is likely to have impacted the company’s top line. Rapid technology change and uneven carrier build cycles might also have increased revenue variability for site leasing and related services.
CCI’s Projections for Q2The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $992.9 million, indicating a decrease of 6.3% from the year-ago reported number.
Our estimate for quarterly site rental revenues is pinned at $937.3 million, implying a 7% decrease year over year. However, we estimate services and other revenues to increase 2.3% year over year to $53.2 million.
Crown Castle’s activities in the to-be-reported quarter were inadequate to garner analysts’ confidence. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly AFFO per share remained unchanged at $1.00 over the past three months. The estimate indicates a 2% decrease from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.
What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for CCIOur proven model does not conclusively predict a surprise in terms of AFFO per share for Crown Castle this season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an AFFO beat, which is not the case here.
Crown Castle currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks That Warrant a LookHere are two stocks from the broader REIT industry — SL Green Realty (SLG - Free Report) and BXP, Inc. (BXP - Free Report) — that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a surprise this quarter.
SL Green is slated to report quarterly results on July 22. SLG has an Earnings ESP of +7.20% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
BXP is scheduled to report quarterly results on July 28. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.18% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
Palmer Square Capital BDC (NYSE:PSBD – Get Free Report) and Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC – Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations and earnings.
Profitability This table compares Palmer Square Capital BDC and Ares Capital’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Palmer Square Capital BDC -26.82% 11.01% 4.14% Ares Capital 37.30% 9.85% 4.59% Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Palmer Square Capital BDC and Ares Capital, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Palmer Square Capital BDC 1 4 0 0 1.80 Ares Capital 0 3 8 0 2.73 Palmer Square Capital BDC presently has a consensus price target of $10.75, indicating a potential upside of 7.18%. Ares Capital has a consensus price target of $20.60, indicating a potential upside of 7.24%. Given Ares Capital’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Ares Capital is more favorable than Palmer Square Capital BDC.
Volatility & Risk Palmer Square Capital BDC has a beta of 0.81, meaning that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ares Capital has a beta of 0.56, meaning that its stock price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings and Valuation This table compares Palmer Square Capital BDC and Ares Capital”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Palmer Square Capital BDC $124.39 million 2.51 -$3.17 million ($1.04) -9.64 Ares Capital $3.05 billion 4.52 $1.30 billion $1.63 11.79 Ares Capital has higher revenue and earnings than Palmer Square Capital BDC. Palmer Square Capital BDC is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ares Capital, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Institutional and Insider Ownership 6.5% of Palmer Square Capital BDC shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 27.4% of Ares Capital shares are held by institutional investors. 1.1% of Palmer Square Capital BDC shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Ares Capital shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Dividends Palmer Square Capital BDC pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.4%. Ares Capital pays an annual dividend of $1.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.0%. Palmer Square Capital BDC pays out -138.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Ares Capital pays out 117.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Palmer Square Capital BDC is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Summary Ares Capital beats Palmer Square Capital BDC on 11 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Palmer Square Capital BDC (Get Free Report)
Palmer Square Capital BDC Inc. is an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company which primarily lends to and invests in corporate debt securities, including small to large private U.S. companies and has elected to be regulated as a business development company. Palmer Square Capital BDC Inc. is based in MISSION WOODS, Kan.
About Ares Capital (Get Free Report)
Ares Capital Corporation is a business development company specializing in acquisition, recapitalization, mezzanine debt, restructurings, rescue financing, and leveraged buyout transactions of middle market companies. It also makes growth capital and general refinancing. It prefers to make investments in companies engaged in the basic and growth manufacturing, business services, consumer products, health care products and services, and information technology service sectors. The fund will also consider investments in industries such as restaurants, retail, oil and gas, and technology sectors. It focuses on investments in Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Southwest regions from its New York office, the Midwest region, from the Chicago office, and the Western region from the Los Angeles office. The fund typically invests between $20 million and $200 million and a maximum of $400 million in companies with an EBITDA between $10 million and $250 million. It makes debt investments between $10 million and $100 million The fund invests through revolvers, first lien loans, warrants, unitranche structures, second lien loans, mezzanine debt, private high yield, junior capital, subordinated debt, and non-control preferred and common equity. The fund also selectively considers third-party-led senior and subordinated debt financings and opportunistically considers the purchase of stressed and discounted debt positions. The fund prefers to be an agent and/or lead the transactions in which it invests. The fund also seeks board representation in its portfolio companies.
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« PREVIOUS HEADLINECommunity Health Systems (NYSE:CYH) Price Target Raised to $3.75
July 17, 2026 12:22 ET | Source: Perspective Therapeutics, Inc.
SEATTLE, July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perspective Therapeutics, Inc. (“Perspective,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our”) (NYSE AMERICAN: CATX), a radiopharmaceutical development company pioneering advanced treatments for cancers throughout the body, today announced that updated data on the Company’s [212Pb]VMT-α-NET program have been accepted for presentation as detailed below at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 taking place October 23 to 27, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. ESMO plans to release further details for regular abstracts on October 19, 2026.
PresenterAbstract TitlePresentation DetailsThorvardur Halfdanarson, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer CenterCohort level safety and efficacy results for [212Pb]VMT-α-NET in advanced somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2+)-expressing neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): Cohorts 1–3Abstract Number: 2396RO
Session Type: Rapid Oral presentation
Session Title: Rapid oral: NETs and endocrine tumours
Session Date: October 23, 2026
Session Time: 4:15 – 5:45pm CEST /
10:15 – 11:45am EDT
Presentation Time:
4:25 – 4:30pm CEST /
10:25 – 10:30am EDT About [²¹²Pb]VMT-α-NET
Perspective designed [212Pb]VMT-α-NET to target somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2), and to deliver the alpha-emitting radioisotope lead-212, or ²¹²Pb, to tumor sites expressing SSTR2. The Company is conducting a multi-center, open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT05636618) of [212Pb]VMT-α-NET in patients with unresectable or metastatic SSTR2-positive tumors who have not received prior radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPT).
Interim clinical data from the study, with a data cut-off date of April 17, 2026, were presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in May 2026. These data included efficacy results for half of the patients in Cohort 2 and both patients in Cohort 1. Initial efficacy data for the remaining patients in Cohort 2 and patients in Cohorts 3 and 4 are pending. The Company plans to submit additional data for presentation at future medical conferences in 2026 and 2027.
About Perspective Therapeutics, Inc.
Perspective Therapeutics, Inc. is a radiopharmaceutical development company pioneering advanced treatments for cancers throughout the body. The Company has proprietary technology that utilizes the alpha-generating isotope 212Pb to deliver powerful radiation specifically to cancer cells via specialized targeting moieties. The Company is also developing complementary imaging techniques that incorporate the same targeting moieties, which provides the opportunity to personalize treatment and optimize patient outcomes. This "theranostic" approach enables visualization of the specific tumor and subsequent treatment, potentially improving efficacy and minimizing toxicity.
The Company is advancing a portfolio of clinical-stage programs in the U.S., including VMT-α-NET (neuroendocrine tumors), VMT01 (melanoma), and PSV359 (solid tumors).
The Company is expanding its regional finished drug product candidate supply network, enabled by its proprietary 224Ra/212Pb generator platform used to manufacture clinical drug product candidates, to support the delivery of patient-ready drug product candidates for clinical trials and, if approved, commercial operations.
For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.perspectivetherapeutics.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "could," "intend," "target," "project," "estimate," "believe," "predict," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements concerning, among other things, the Company’s preclinical and clinical development plans and the expected timing for the release of additional data from its clinical programs; the Company’s beliefs that its product candidates address certain unmet medical needs; the Company’s expectations regarding regulatory pathways for its product candidates; the Company’s expectations regarding its interactions with regulatory agencies and the expected timing thereof; the Company’s regional distribution and manufacturing capabilities; and other statements that are not historical fact.
The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include that the Company’s clinical trials may be more costly or take longer to complete than anticipated, or may never be completed, or may not generate results that warrant future development of the tested product candidate; the Company may elect to change its strategy regarding its product candidates and clinical development activities; economic and market conditions may worsen; and risks related to the sufficiency of the Company’s cash resources for its future operating expenses and capital expenditures. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company appears under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in the Company’s other filings with the SEC, and in the Company’s future reports to be filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of this date. Unless required to do so by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
TechnipFMC (NYSE:FTI – Get Free Report) and SLB (NYSE:SLB – Get Free Report) are both large-cap energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings and analyst recommendations.
Insider & Institutional Ownership 96.6% of TechnipFMC shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 82.0% of SLB shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of TechnipFMC shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of SLB shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability This table compares TechnipFMC and SLB’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets TechnipFMC 10.62% 34.06% 11.30% SLB 9.26% 15.54% 7.51% Dividends TechnipFMC pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. SLB pays an annual dividend of $1.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. TechnipFMC pays out 7.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. SLB pays out 51.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. TechnipFMC has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years and SLB has increased its dividend for 5 consecutive years. SLB is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.
Risk & Volatility TechnipFMC has a beta of 0.7, indicating that its share price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, SLB has a beta of 0.72, indicating that its share price is 28% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation and Earnings This table compares TechnipFMC and SLB”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio TechnipFMC $9.93 billion 2.89 $963.90 million $2.62 27.49 SLB $35.71 billion 1.97 $3.37 billion $2.29 20.56 SLB has higher revenue and earnings than TechnipFMC. SLB is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than TechnipFMC, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current recommendations for TechnipFMC and SLB, as reported by MarketBeat.
Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score TechnipFMC 0 3 12 1 2.88 SLB 1 3 18 2 2.88 TechnipFMC currently has a consensus target price of $69.64, indicating a potential downside of 3.29%. SLB has a consensus target price of $60.30, indicating a potential upside of 28.10%. Given SLB’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe SLB is more favorable than TechnipFMC.
Summary TechnipFMC beats SLB on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.
About TechnipFMC (Get Free Report)
TechnipFMC plc engages in the energy projects, technologies, and systems and services businesses in Europe, Central Asia, North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Subsea and Surface Technologies. The Subsea segment engages in the design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, fabrication, installation, and life of field services for subsea systems, subsea field infrastructure, and subsea pipe systems used in oil and gas production and transportation. It provides subsea production and processing system; flexible pipe; subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines; vessels; robotics; well and asset services; and Subsea Studio for optimizing the development, execution, and operation of current and future subsea fields. The Surface Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and services products and systems used in land and shallow water exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. This segment offers drilling; surface wellheads and production trees systems; iComplete, a pressure control system; fracturing tree and manifold systems; flexible pipes; safety and integrity systems, multiphase meter modules, in-line separation and processing systems, and standard pumps; well control and integrity systems; separation and processing systems; skid systems; and flow measurement and automation solutions. It also offers planning, testing and installation, commissioning, operations, replacement and upgrade, maintenance, storage, preservation, intervention, integrity, decommissioning, and abandonment; and supplies flowline products and services. TechnipFMC plc was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
About SLB (Get Free Report)
Schlumberger Limited engages in the provision of technology for the energy industry worldwide. The company operates through four divisions: Digital & Integration, Reservoir Performance, Well Construction, and Production Systems. The company provides field development and hydrocarbon production, carbon management, and integration of adjacent energy systems; reservoir interpretation and data processing services for exploration data; and well construction and production improvement services and products. It also offers subsurface geology and fluids evaluation information; open and cased hole services; exploration and production pressure, and flow-rate measurement services; and pressure pumping, well stimulation, and coiled tubing equipment solutions. In addition, the company offers mud logging, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services, as well as engineering support services; supplies drilling fluid systems; designs, manufactures, and markets roller cone and fixed cutter drill bits; bottom-hole-assembly and borehole enlargement technologies; well cementing products and services; well planning, well drilling, engineering, supervision, logistics, procurement, and contracting of third parties, as well as drilling rig management solutions; and drilling equipment and services, as well as land drilling rigs and related services. Further, it provides artificial lift production equipment and optimization services; supplies packers, safety valves, sand control technology, and various intelligent well completions technology and equipment; designs and manufactures valves, chokes, actuators, and surface trees; and OneSubsea, an integrated solutions, products, systems, and services, including wellheads, subsea trees, manifolds and flowline connectors, control systems, connectors, and services. The company was formerly known as Socie´te´ de Prospection E´lectrique. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1926 and is based in Houston, Texas.
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All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.
While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.
Atmos Energy (ATO - Free Report) is headquartered in Dallas, and is in the Utilities sector. The stock has seen a price change of 6.21% since the start of the year. Currently paying a dividend of $1.00 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.25%. In comparison, the Utility - Gas Distribution industry's yield is 3.67%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.32%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $4.00 is up 14.9% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Atmos Energy has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 8.75%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Atmos's current payout ratio is 49%, meaning it paid out 49% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
Looking at this fiscal year, ATO expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $8.43 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 13.00%.
Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.
For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, ATO is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.
Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.
Below, we take a look at Expeditors International (EXPD - Free Report) , a company that currently holds a Momentum Style Score of A. We also talk about price change and earnings estimate revisions, two of the main aspects of the Momentum Style Score.
It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Expeditors International currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.
You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>
Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if EXPD is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this logistics services provider holds up.
A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.
For EXPD, shares are up 2.66% over the past week while the Zacks Transportation - Services industry is down 0.34% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 12.79% compares favorably with the industry's 7.8% performance as well.
Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of Expeditors International have increased 21.51% over the past quarter, and have gained 59.73% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 7.33% and 21.58%, respectively.
Investors should also take note of EXPD's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. Right now EXPD is averaging 1,053,126 shares for the last 20 days..
Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with EXPD.
Over the past two months, 3 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost EXPD's consensus estimate, increasing from $6.66 to $6.71 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 3 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.
Bottom LineGiven these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that EXPD is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of A. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep Expeditors International on your short list.
Shares of Lucid (NASDAQ:LCID | LCID Price Prediction) are up 10% in midday trading Friday to $7.09, extending what is now a third consecutive up day for the embattled electric vehicle maker. The move puts Lucid stock back above its pre-rumor July 9 level of $5.83, effectively erasing the take-private and Chapter 11 rumor-cycle scare that hammered shares earlier this week.
It’s been a veritable roller-coaster ride for LCID stock. Lucid shares tagged an intraday flash low of $2.37 on July 14 before closing that session at $4.50. That was followed by an 18% pop to $5.45 on July 15, a 12% gain to $6.46 on July 16, and today’s continuation higher.
This could be read as a rumor-scare recovery rather than a full comeback. Lucid stock is still down 32.5% year to date (YTD) and down 77% over the past year. The relief rally has clawed back the immediate panic losses, but nothing more.
Rumor Denials Fueled the Multi-Day Bounce Three catalysts stacked back to back to break the panic on Lucid. The company filed an 8-K on July 14 denying the take-private and bankruptcy chatter, and Cantor Fitzgerald followed the next day, reaffirming that Lucid has funding into next year. Then on July 16, CEO Silvio Napoli posted a personal LinkedIn rebuttal pushing back directly on the bankruptcy and take-private narrative.
Today’s Lucid move doesn’t carry a fresh company-specific catalyst. It looks like continuation, short covering, and momentum piling into a heavily shorted battleground name, and options positioning supports that read. Lucid’s full-chain put/call ratio sits at 0.64, with the nearest weekly expiration skewing even more call-heavy at 0.49.
Insiders have been active on the buy side, too. Lucid stock data shows 19 recent insider transactions with net buying, and Polymarket puts the odds of a Lucid bankruptcy before 2027 at just 23%. Wall Street coverage on Lucid stock is more muted, with 1 Buy, 8 Hold, and 3 Sell ratings and a consensus analyst price target of $8.30.
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Tesla and Rivian Don’t Follow Higher The peer tape confirms that today’s move is specific to Lucid. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock is down 2% today to $382. Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) stock is only modestly higher at $17.40, well shy of Lucid’s double-digit surge, and neither name appears to be riding Lucid’s coattails.
The Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF (NASDAQ:DRIV) shows the same story at the fund level. DRIV holds Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla, but Lucid sits at just 1% of net assets versus Tesla’s 3% weight. That’s why the ETF barely twitches on a double-digit Lucid swing; DRIV is a narrow, thematic fund, with its volatility profile set by mega-cap names like Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Tesla.
The Lucid playbook here rhymes with other retail short-covering setups. Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) ran a similar bankruptcy-scare-to-relief-rally cycle a couple of years back. Lucid isn’t there yet, but the mechanics of denial plus covering plus momentum are familiar.
What to Watch Next The next real test for Lucid is August 4, when the company reports its Q2 2026 earnings after the close. Napoli has committed to a full strategic update on that call. Between now and then, investors can watch for whether today’s Lucid gains hold into Friday’s close and whether the Gravity SUV ramp and the Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) and Nuro robotaxi rollout narrative stays intact.
Rivian reports first, after the close on July 30. That report could reset sentiment across the EV cohort ahead of Lucid’s own numbers. Traders may want to size their Lucid positions carefully, as battleground names cut both ways and today’s higher price hands the short sellers a much cheaper entry than they had at the July 14 lows.
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NEW YORK, July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTM) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ZoomInfo securities between November 3, 2025 and May 11, 2026, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/GTM.
ZoomInfo Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose:
(1) The true state of ZoomInfo's slowing seat-based demand, weakening upsell opportunities, and deteriorating fundamentals across its downmarket and upmarket segments. (2) That Defendants' optimistic growth narrative, including representations that full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $1.247–$1.267 billion was achievable and that Copilot penetration was on or ahead of schedule. (3) That customers were migrating toward consumption-based models and developing internal AI-driven go-to-market solutions, trends Defendants minimized despite their material adverse impact on ZoomInfo's business.
On May 11, 2026, ZoomInfo reported its first quarter 2026 results and slashed its full-year revenue guidance by approximately $62 million
Following this news, the price of ZoomInfo's common stock declined dramatically, from a closing market price of $6.04 per share on May 11, 2026, ZoomInfo's stock price fell to $4.06 per share on May 12, 2026, a decline of about 33%.
What's Next for ZoomInfo Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/GTM. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in ZoomInfo you have until August 24, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to ZoomInfo Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for ZoomInfo Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Contact Info
Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
917-590-0911 | [email protected]
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Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
SEALSQ (NASDAQ:LAES – Get Free Report) and Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, risk, dividends and earnings.
Risk and Volatility SEALSQ has a beta of -7.88, indicating that its share price is 888% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lam Research has a beta of 1.8, indicating that its share price is 80% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership 1.3% of SEALSQ shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.6% of Lam Research shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Lam Research shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Valuation and Earnings This table compares SEALSQ and Lam Research”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio SEALSQ $18.25 million 25.81 -$34.19 million N/A N/A Lam Research $18.44 billion 21.77 $5.36 billion $5.30 60.56 Lam Research has higher revenue and earnings than SEALSQ.
Profitability This table compares SEALSQ and Lam Research’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets SEALSQ N/A N/A N/A Lam Research 30.94% 66.21% 31.61% Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for SEALSQ and Lam Research, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score SEALSQ 1 1 1 0 2.00 Lam Research 0 6 28 0 2.82 SEALSQ currently has a consensus price target of $6.00, suggesting a potential upside of 145.90%. Lam Research has a consensus price target of $358.67, suggesting a potential upside of 11.75%. Given SEALSQ’s higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe SEALSQ is more favorable than Lam Research.
Summary Lam Research beats SEALSQ on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
About SEALSQ (Get Free Report)
SEALSQ Corp, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and markets semiconductor chips in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It offers semiconductors, such as VaultIC secure elements, secure arm platform, and smart card reader chips; identity provisioning services, such as IoT device provisioning and chip provisioning; and managed PKI for IoT solutions and trust services. The company provides device-to-cloud authentication, device attestation for matter, GSMA root certificate, device-to-device authentication, data protection, anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, security access, device ID provisioning, identity lifecycle management, and satellite IoT connectivity solutions. Its products are used in various applications, such as smart energy, smart home, automotive EV charging, consumer IoT, aerospace and military, telecommunications, logistics, medical, luxury, and other industrial applications. SEALSQ Corp was founded in 2022 and is based in Cointrin, Switzerland.
About Lam Research (Get Free Report)
Lam Research Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes, and services semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company offers ALTUS systems to deposit conformal films for tungsten metallization applications; SABRE electrochemical deposition products for copper interconnect transition that offers copper damascene manufacturing; SOLA ultraviolet thermal processing products for film treatments; and VECTOR plasma-enhanced CVD ALD products. It also provides SPEED gapfill high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition products; and Striker single-wafer atomic layer deposition products for dielectric film solutions. In addition, the company offers Flex for dielectric etch applications; Kiyo for conductor etch applications; Syndion for through-silicon via etch applications; and Versys metal products for metal etch processes. Further, it provides Coronus bevel clean products to enhance die yield; Da Vinci, DV-Prime, EOS, and SP series products to address various wafer cleaning applications; and Metryx mass metrology systems for high precision in-line mass measurement in semiconductor wafer manufacturing. The company sells its products and services to semiconductors industry in the United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and internationally. The company was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.
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« PREVIOUS HEADLINERobert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) Stock Price
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2026) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) and certain of its officers.
This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Zoetis securities between January 14, 2025 and May 6, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/ZTS.
Zoetis Case Details
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements concerning the growth, competitive positioning, market share, and veterinarian adoption of key products within the Companion Animal segment while failing to disclose that:
veterinarian prescription growth and adoption of Zoetis' Librela, a canine pain treatment, were sharply weakening as clinicians became more cautious following FDA safety warnings concerning serious neurological complications in dogs; Zoetis' Simparica Trio was losing significant market share to a lower-priced competing canine parasiticide with broader indicated use in a slowing overall market; and Zoetis' dermatology products, Apoquel and Cytopoint, were losing substantial market share to a newly launched competing canine treatment.What's Next for Zoetis Investors?
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/ZTS, or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in Zoetis you have until July 27, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.
No Cost to Zoetis Investors
We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.
Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Zoetis Securities Class Action?
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com
"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/299404
Source: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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Key Takeaways U.S. retail sales rose 0.2% in June as online sales and easing energy costs supported spending.AMZN, FIVE, DLTR, TGT and TJX stand out for strong retail positions and online or value offerings. Lower inflation and resilient consumer spending could continue supporting the retail sector. U.S. retail sales grew in June, as energy costs eased and online sales surged. The retail sector has been making a steady rebound amid high inflation and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Despite these challenges, spending has remained resilient, boosting the sector.
Given this situation, it would be ideal to invest in retail stocks with a strong online presence. We have selected five stocks, namely, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) , Five Below, Inc. (FIVE - Free Report) , Dollar Tree, Inc. (DLTR - Free Report) , Target Corporation (TGT - Free Report) and The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX - Free Report) .
Retail Sales SurgeRetail sales rose 0.2% in June after increasing 1% in the prior month, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday. The rise came in line with analysts’ expectations. On a year-over-year basis, retail sales climbed 6.7%.
The monthly gain was the slowest in five months, yet the sector continued to perform well. One of the biggest boosts came from lower gasoline prices after tensions between the United States and Iran eased in mid-June. Receipts at gas stations fell 5.3% last month, after jumping 2.6% in May.
Receipts at auto dealerships rose 1.9% in June. Also, online retail sales rose 1.9% last month, driven by Amazon Prime Day sales.
Sales at electronics and appliance stores advanced 0.8% in June, while receipts at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and book stores rose an impressive 1.3%.
Higher prices due to high tariffs have been weighing on household budgets, but higher incomes are boosting spending. Also, impressive tax refunds this year have been helping consumers spend more freely.
The U.S. economy grew 2.1% in the first quarter. Also, inflation declined sharply in June after surging for three months. The consumer price index declined 0.4% month over month, surpassing analysts’ expectations of a decline of 0.2%. Year over year, CPI fell to 3.5% in June, beating analysts’ expectations of a reading of 3.8%.
The sudden decline in inflation has also raised hopes that the Federal Reserve could wait for a longer period before deciding on whether to hike interest rates. Lower interest rates are likely to boost the sector further.
5 Retail Stocks With UpsideAmazon.com, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc. is one of the largest e-commerce providers, with sprawling operations in North America, now spreading across the globe. AMZN’s online retail business revolves around the Prime program, well-supported by the company’s massive distribution network. Further, the Whole Foods Market acquisition helped Amazon establish a footprint in the physical grocery supermarket space. AMZN also enjoys a dominant position in the cloud-computing market, particularly in the Infrastructure as a Service space, thanks to Amazon Web Services.
Amazon.com has an expected earnings growth rate of 23.6% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.1% over the last 60 days. AMZN presently has a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Five Below, IncFive Below, Inc. is a specialty value chain retailer that provides a wide range of premium quality and trendy merchandise for $5 or below. FIVE mainly targets teenagers or pre-teen shoppers for its products, which include certain brands and licensed merchandise. Notably, these products belong to categories such as Style, Room, Sports, Tech, Create, Party, Candy and Now.
Five Below’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 35.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 10.7% over the past 60 days. FIVE presently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
Dollar TreeDollar Tree, Inc. is an operator of discount variety stores offering merchandise and other assortments. DLTR’s stores successfully operate in major metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities and small towns. Dollar Tree offers a wide range of quality everyday general merchandise in many categories, including houseware, seasonal goods, candy and food, toys, health and beauty care, gifts, party goods, stationery, books, personal accessories, and other consumer items.
Dollar Tree’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 21.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Dollar Tree’s current-year earnings has improved 3.7% over the past 60 days. DLTR has a Zacks Rank #2.
Target CorporationTarget Corporation has evolved from being a pure brick & mortar retailer to an omni-channel entity. TGT has been investing in technologies, improving websites and mobile apps, and modernizing the supply chain to keep pace with the changing retail landscape and better compete with pure e-commerce players.
Target Corporation’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 10.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 3.7% over the past 60 days. Target currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
The TJX CompaniesThe TJX Companies, Inc.i s a leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the United States and worldwide. TJX’s broad range of assortments at varying prices helps it reach out to a broad range of consumers. In addition, The TJX Companies tries to attract consumers through a rapid turn of inventories.
The TJX Companies’ expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 9.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 2.2% over the past 60 days. TJX presently has a Zacks Rank #2.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce at some Taco Bell locations may not have a significant long-term impact on the chain and other restaurant companies, according to analysts.
The outbreak has currently affected more than 1,600 people across five states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The infection resembles a serious stomach bug and often begins showing up two to three weeks after people become infected by the parasite, according to the CDC. No deaths have been reported.
On Thursday, the agency said its investigation into the source linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with the supplier to determine if the lettuce was sent elsewhere, as well.
Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands, saw its stock sink nearly 7% over the past five days as the company grappled with the health scare. Other food companies that sell fresh lettuce also saw their shares drop, like salad chain Sweetgreen, which plunged nearly 13% this week, and fast casual chain Cava, which sank more than 3%. Shares of Sweetgreen and Cava rose more than 17% and about 2% on Friday, respectively, due to apparent relief that the CDC did not identify their ingredients as potential sources of cyclosporiasis.
While Taco Bell or other restaurant chains may take a temporary sales hit as headlines about the outbreak swirl, particularly in the states most affected by it, analysts said any dips in revenue or stock prices likely will not be prolonged. Even so, it remains to be seen whether the CDC identifies any other restaurant chains as possible sources of the outbreak.
According to reports, the affected lettuce at Taco Bell may be traced back to supplier Taylor Farms, which distributes the product to many restaurant chains and sells directly in most grocery stores. Other media reports noted the company was preparing to issue a recall of ingredients on Friday.
Taylor Farms, the same company linked to the McDonald's E. Coli outbreak in 2024, did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Taco Bell said in a Thursday statement that the fast food chain is actively working to "voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states."
"The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states," the company said.
Sweetgreen and other restaurant companies issued statements this week saying that they did not believe their ingredients were affected. The salad chain said it does not use iceberg lettuce on its menu.
"From the outset of the investigation, we have been in close contact with our suppliers to determine whether any ingredients in our supply chain have been identified as part of the investigation. To date, none have been," the company said.
Chipotle, which did not see as much stock movement this week, said in a Friday statement that shredded iceberg lettuce is not served at its locations, and it does not believe its ingredients are associated with the outbreak.
The sales and stock effects
Yum Brands stock
Analysts say the outbreak likely won't have a major effect on Yum Brands' stock, especially based on how restaurants have fared during past health scares.
That's not to say it won't have a temporary effect. Recent data from Placer.ai found that chains serving fresh lettuce saw declining foot traffic over the past week, with Taco Bell's down nearly 6% and Panera Bread down more than 7%.
TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles told CNBC he believes the impact of the cyclosporiasis outbreak will be contained to a one-quarter risk for the company and culminate in a quick recovery. He said he expects that arc to look similar to how quickly both McDonald's and Wendy's recovered from separate E. Coli outbreaks in 2024 and 2022, respectively.
"Social media just leads to a lot more short-term memory loss," Charles said. "We saw both times a quarter or less of an impact. Here, it's a similar setup too."
He added that the outbreak is also limited to toppings at Taco Bell rather than the meat itself, which is a core offering and would likely have a larger impact on consumer behavior. The Covid-19 pandemic has also lessened the impact of food safety concerns on the broader industry over the past few years, he added.
"We'll have to wait and see from here," Charles said.
Analysts at Evercore ISI wrote in a Friday note that they believe the outbreak will transform from a vendor issue to a supplier issue as the spotlight moves away from Taco Bell to Taylor Farms instead.
"Our guess is that over the coming weeks this food safety issue fades from the headlines and, to the extent it lingers, attaches more to the supplier than to Taco Bell specifically," the analysts wrote.
While lower demand in the impacted Midwest states will likely last longer than in other areas of the U.S., the Evercore analysts said Taco Bell could return to positive same-store sales growth in a matter of weeks, just as McDonald's did within roughly six weeks in 2024. That's especially as the company has recently been "firing on all cylinders" with strong sales numbers, they added.
"The historical playbook for food-safety scares that carry no confirmed brand-level link and no fatalities, points to a one-to-two-quarter demand air-pocket and a stock that tends to recover within two quarters," the analysts wrote.
It's a lesson in marketing and brand loyalty for Taco Bell and other restaurants, too, according to Gerry Chiaro, an associate professor of marketing at Northwestern University. The company will need to regain customers' trust, just as other restaurants like McDonald's, Wendy's and Chipotle have had to in the past after health scares.
"They have to be accountable for it. They can't blame anybody, even though in a way, they're the victim of the policies and processes and the food safety measures of their supplier," Chiaro told CNBC. "But you can't put the blame on it because the customer sees Taco Bell as the brand, and Taco Bell's the one they engage with."
Because health scares like the cyclosporiasis outbreak happen often and are par for the course for any restaurant serving fresh food, Chiaro said the playbook is becoming more common. And because Taco Bell has already issued a statement and pulled its infected ingredients, Chiaro said it's likely to follow the recovery trend of other companies
"A very clear, accountable, transparent communication, a recommitment to our health safety and our food safety processes – it can make them better," he said.
Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD | HOOD Price Prediction) stock is down 4% to $102 in Friday’s midday session, while Webull (NASDAQ:BULL) shares have slid 6% to approximately $7. Retail-brokerage names are getting hit as the tape turns risk-off.
The move across Robinhood and Webull is broad-based across retail brokerages. A thorough news check turned up no fresh headlines from either brokerage this morning, which frames today’s action as profit-taking after recent gains.
The NASDAQ 100 is down 1.16% intraday, and Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) is down 2% over the past 24 hours to $63,208. Both are direct pressure points for high-beta brokerage stocks with meaningful crypto-trading exposure.
Risk-Off Session Drives the Selloff Robinhood and Webull aren’t NASDAQ 100 members, but they trade like leveraged proxies for it. When large-cap tech softens, high-beta fintech tends to amplify the move, and today is textbook.
The cryptocurrency angle matters here. Robinhood’s Q1 2026 crypto trading revenue fell 47% year over year to $134 million, and the company is still sensitive to token price swings. Webull relaunched U.S. crypto trading through its Webull Pay acquisition, so it carries similar exposure at a smaller scale.
Both HOOD stock and BULL stock had also run up sharply heading into this week. Robinhood shares gained 10% over the past month through July 16, and Webull shares climbed 12% over the same span. Some of today’s air-letting is simply profit-taking.
QQQ as the Broad-Market Read The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) a clean NASDAQ 100 proxy for the day’s tone. The ETF is down about 1% intraday, and off 3% over the past month.
The QQQ ETF is a large-cap, tech-heavy fund and is not leveraged. Robinhood shares and Webull shares are swinging several times harder than the index today, which is what happens when high-beta names meet a broad de-risking bid.
QQQ still sits on solid year-to-date and one-year gains, up 14% year to date. That backdrop is why traders are treating today as a pullback rather than a break.
Robinhood: Bull vs. Bear Cases The bull case for Robinhood is intact. Robinhood’s trailing-twelve-month EPS of $2.06 shows real profitability, and Q1 2026 transaction-based revenue rose 7% year over year to $623 million, with options, equities, and event contracts all contributing. The company’s net interest revenue grew 24% to $359 million, and Robinhood Gold subscribers hit a record 4.3 million.
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The bear case involves valuation and volatility. Robinhood stock trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 49x, which leaves little cushion when high-beta names get sold. Crypto revenue remains a swing factor, and Robinhood’s 2026 operating expense guidance was raised to $2.7 billion to $2.83 billion to fund the Trump Accounts build-out.
Robinhood stock is down 11% year to date. Given the beta profile, position sizing matters with HOOD stock. Investors who like the Robinhood story can consider staying modest here and letting volatility do some of the entry work.
Webull: Smaller, Unprofitable, More Volatile Webull is a different risk profile. The company’s Q1 2026 revenue rose 36% year over year to $159.93 million, but it posted a GAAP net loss of $21.72 million as marketing and branding expense more than doubled to $49.41 million.
Webull’s operational metrics are strong. Equity notional volume doubled 104% to $261 billion, daily average revenue trades (DARTs) reached 1.3 million, and customer assets climbed 90% to $24 billion. The FINRA pattern day trader (PDT) rule change on June 4, 2026 is expected to boost active-trader activity.
Still, with trailing EPS of negative $1.25 and a market cap of $3.14 billion, Webull stock swings hard on sentiment. Community chatter is split between dip-buyers and cautious traders.
What to Watch Now The closing tape matters with HOOD and BULL. If QQQ recovers into the end of today’s trading session, Robinhood shares and Webull shares will likely bounce harder than the index because of their beta.
Watch for whether Bitcoin can stabilize above $63,000 into the weekend, since the crypto tape is doing real work on retail-brokerage sentiment right now. Both HOOD stock and BULL stock have next-earnings prints as their next scheduled catalyst, and until then, the sector may keep taking cues from the broad market.
The read here: today looks like a routine risk-off pullback rather than a fundamental crack. Given the volatility profile, sizing beats timing.
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The Nasdaq-100 shed 3.28% over the past month while the Russell 2000 gained 1.2% over the same stretch. That is the rotation, in one line, in real time. Money is walking out of megacap tech and into the industrials, financials, energy names, value retailers, and brokers positioned to catch it. Miss the pivot and you are holding last year’s leaders while everyone else prints this year’s gains.
1. Powell Industries (POWL): The Small-Cap Toll Collector on the AI Power Grid Powell Industries (NASDAQ:POWL) is the surprise name on this list because it is the picks-and-shovels play on the exact spending cycle that megacap tech has been throwing money at. Every hyperscaler data center needs medium-voltage switchgear, custom-engineered electrical distribution, and on-site power. Powell builds it. When capital rotates from the AI narrative buyers to the AI enablers, this is where it lands.
The Q2 FY26 report was a study in why the market is mispricing this name. Reported EPS came in at $1.25, missing the $1.34 consensus by 6.90%, and shares have pulled back 19.44% in the past month. Look past the miss. New orders surged 97% year over year to $490 million, backlog hit $1.80 billion with a 1.7x book-to-bill, and post-quarter Powell landed a data center order in excess of $400 million, the largest in company history. CEO Brett Cope tied it directly to the “ongoing investment cycle to support data center build outs and AI capacity growth.”
The EPS miss triggered a pullback in a stock that is still up 122.08% year to date and 226.01% over the past year. The backlog says the story is just starting to compound. And speaking of compounding, the next name has been quietly stacking traffic gains while premium retail bleeds.
2. TJX Companies (TJX): Traffic Is Rotating, Not Just Dollars TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX | TJX Price Prediction) sits directly under the money leaving discretionary tech-adjacent consumer names. When shoppers trade down from premium retail, they walk into TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. The rotation shows up as basket counts, not price hikes.
Q1 FY27, filed May 20, 2026, delivered the strongest signal yet. EPS of $1.19 beat the $1.00 consensus by 19% on revenue of $14.323 billion. Consolidated comparable sales climbed 6%, with HomeGoods up 9%, Canada up 7%, and Marmaxx up 6%, and management called out that every division reported higher customer transaction counts. Traffic-driven gains. CEO Ernie Herrman noted “Availability of quality, branded merchandise is outstanding.” Management raised the FY27 EPS guide to $5.08 to $5.15 and lifted buyback guidance to $2.75 to $3.0 billion.
TJX has now printed four straight EPS beats, with Q1 FY27 the largest of the streak. The next name is the one every rotation checklist starts with, and it just delivered a quarter that made the crowd question whether it deserves a $1 trillion sticker.
3. JPMorgan Chase (JPM): The Heavyweight Delivering the Quarter of the Cycle JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) is the obvious pick, sitting at the intersection of every macro tailwind this rotation is pricing. A 4.55% 10-year yield, a positive 0.41% 10Y-2Y spread that just steepened off June lows, and a VIX at 15.67 that is greasing capital markets activity. That is the exact cocktail JPM monetizes.
The Q2 2026 report on July 14 was the loudest bank quarter in years. EPS of $7.70 crushed the $5.80 estimate by 32.76%, revenue hit $57.35 billion versus $51.30 billion expected, and Equity Markets revenue jumped 86% to $6.03 billion while Investment Banking fees rose 30% to $3.30 billion, the highest since 2021. Jamie Dimon flagged “AI-driven capital investment, fiscal stimulus and the benefits of more efficient regulation” as the setup. JPM authorized a new $50 billion buyback starting July 1, 2026.
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Polymarket traders now assign a 65.5% probability that JPM closes above a $1 trillion market cap by year-end 2026. The stock is up 7.99% year to date and 22.34% over the past year. The next name is the one benefiting from the other side of Dimon’s macro read: inflation-sensitive earnings power.
4. Devon Energy (DVN): Merger Synergies Meet an Oil Bid Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) plugs directly into the energy leg of the rotation. Energy Select Sector SPDR is up 29.27% year to date, and WTI just staged a 13.8% weekly rally to $79.20 per barrel. Devon is the vehicle where that oil bid meets a freshly closed transformational deal.
Q1 2026 posted core EPS of $1.04 on $3.81 billion in revenue, with oil production of 387,000 barrels per day at the top of guidance and free cash flow of $816 million. The all-stock merger with Coterra Energy was approved by shareholders on May 4, 2026 and closed on or around May 7. Management is targeting $1.0 billion in sustainable annual pre-tax synergies by year-end 2027, has raised the quarterly dividend 31% to $0.315 per share, and authorized a new buyback in excess of $5 billion. Raymond James upgraded the name to Strong Buy.
CEO Clay Gaspar framed the setup plainly: the merger will “unlock significant synergies, accelerate free cash flow growth, and deliver enhanced returns.” Shares are up 18.95% year to date. Which brings us to the punchline, the name that literally collects a fee every time a retail dollar leaves one stock and enters another.
5. Robinhood (HOOD): The Toll Booth on the Rotation Itself Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) is the payoff slot because it skims the transaction on every sector without needing to pick a winner. Every megacap tech share sold, every industrial small-cap bought, every options contract rolled into a value name, Robinhood is at the register.
Q1 2026 metrics tell the story cleanly. Net deposits hit $17.7 billion at 22% annualized growth, Gold subscribers rose 36% year over year to a record 4.3 million, and the margin book expanded 93% to a record $17.0 billion while equity notional volumes jumped 54% to $638 billion. Event contracts revenue surged 320% to $147 million. Then the punchline behind the punchline: Robinhood was selected by the U.S. Treasury as broker and sole initial trustee for Trump Accounts, alongside BNY. CEO Vlad Tenev framed the runway around the “Great Wealth Transfer” of $124 trillion through 2048.
Polymarket puts the probability of a Q2 earnings beat at 87%. The stock is down 6.26% year to date, which is the setup: the rotation is accelerating and the toll booth trades cheaper than the highway.
The Setup The rotation is telling on itself. Megacap tech is down 2.4% this past week, while financials pushed up 2.18% and energy climbed 4.01%. Powell captures the AI capex the market thinks belongs to hyperscalers. TJX captures the wallet trading down. JPM monetizes the steepener and the deal flow. Devon converts a merger into synergies at the exact moment oil finds a bid. Robinhood taxes every trade in between. The rotation does not wait for confirmation. It leaves without you.
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Key Takeaways CME Group is expected to benefit from market data growth and higher clearing and transaction fee income. CME's equity index and agricultural volumes rose, while interest rate, energy and FX trading declined. Higher employee compensation and technology investments are expected to increase quarterly expenses. CME Group Inc. (CME - Free Report) is expected to register a decline in both top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 results on July 22, before the opening bell.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CME’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $1.69 billion, indicating a 0.1% decrease from the year-ago reported figure.
The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $2.93 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CME’s second-quarter earnings has moved 2.3% south in the past 30 days. The estimate suggests a year-over-year decrease of 1%.
What the Zacks Model SaysOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for CME Group this time around. This is because the stock has the right combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), which increases the chances of an earnings beat. This is not the case, as you can see below.
Earnings ESP: CME Group has an Earnings ESP of -1.04%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate of $2.90 is pegged lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.93. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: CME Group currently carries a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell).
Factors Likely to Shape Q2 ResultsCME Group’s second-quarter results are likely to benefit from its diversified product portfolio, heightened market volatility and strong competitive position.
Revenue growth is likely to have been aided by gains in market data and information services, as well as higher clearing, transaction and other fee-based income.
Increased volatility across asset classes appears to have boosted trading volumes, which, in turn, supported clearing and transaction fees. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for clearing and transaction fees stands at $1.4 billion, indicating a 1.7% decrease compared with the same period last year.
CME Group reported a quarterly average daily volume (ADV) of 29.8 million contracts in the second quarter, which declined 1% year over year. Trading activity decreases across multiple segments, including interest rates, energy and foreign exchange. Agricultural ADV of 2.1 million contracts in the second quarter of 2026 increased 6% from the prior-year period. Equity Index ADV of 8.6 million contracts increased 13% year over year.
Market data and information services revenues are likely to have benefited from pricing adjustments on certain products as well as increased demand and usage. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for this segment is pegged at $227 million, suggesting a 14.6% year-over-year increase.
On the cost side, expenses are expected to have risen during the quarter, primarily due to higher spending on employee compensation and benefits, along with increased investment in technology.
Stocks to ConsiderHere are three finance stocks you may want to consider, as our model shows that these also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.82% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.41, indicating a year-over-year increase of 38.6%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CBOE’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.
Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +8.84% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.77, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 10.1%.
CINF’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.
The Allstate Corporation (ALL - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +23.32% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $4.92, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 17.1%.
ALL’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 11,718 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 595% compared to the typical volume of 1,685 call options.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Check Point Software Technologies from $185.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $168.00 price target on shares of Check Point Software Technologies in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price target on Check Point Software Technologies from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Guggenheim upgraded Check Point Software Technologies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $188.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Check Point Software Technologies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $150.70.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on CHKP
Check Point Software Technologies Trading Up 3.1% Shares of NASDAQ:CHKP opened at $136.51 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $129.11 and a 200-day moving average of $149.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The firm has a market cap of $14.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.49. Check Point Software Technologies has a twelve month low of $112.23 and a twelve month high of $225.23.
Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ:CHKP – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The technology company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.08. Check Point Software Technologies had a net margin of 38.37% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The business had revenue of $668.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $672.55 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.21 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Check Point Software Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.850 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.400-2.500 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Check Point Software Technologies will post 8.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity at Check Point Software Technologies In related news, Director Yoav Chelouche sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.28, for a total value of $3,507,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,008 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $562,242.24. This trade represents a 86.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 29.00% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Check Point Software Technologies Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Check Point Software Technologies by 28.6% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,937,229 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,472,832,000 after buying an additional 1,766,774 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Check Point Software Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $731,276,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Check Point Software Technologies by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,654,602 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $492,588,000 after acquiring an additional 157,327 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in Check Point Software Technologies by 9.3% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,001,247 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $442,733,000 after acquiring an additional 170,373 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DNB Asset Management AS lifted its holdings in Check Point Software Technologies by 105.0% in the 4th quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 1,820,339 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $337,782,000 after acquiring an additional 932,485 shares during the last quarter. 98.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Check Point Software Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report)
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. is an Israeli-founded cybersecurity company that develops, markets and supports a broad portfolio of network, cloud and endpoint security products. Founded in 1993, the company was an early pioneer of stateful inspection firewall technology and later developed a modular “software blade” approach that allowed customers to combine protection capabilities. Check Point’s product set spans physical and virtual security appliances, software and cloud-native services designed to prevent cyberattacks, protect data and simplify security management for enterprises and service providers.
Key product families include Quantum Security Gateways (on-premises and hybrid appliances), CloudGuard (cloud security posture and workload protection), Harmony (endpoint, remote access and unified endpoint security), and SandBlast (advanced threat prevention and sandboxing).
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Jim Cramer just told his followers that “there will always be another DeepSeek,” and he named CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks as the cybersecurity plays for a world where every enterprise is scrambling to wall off frontier AI models and compromised agents. The money is already moving: Palo Alto Networks trades up 92.18% year-to-date, and the AI-security capex cycle is only beginning. Here are the five names to know before the next shock hits.
1. Zscaler (ZS): The Zero-Trust Sleeper Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS | ZS Price Prediction) is the name most investors are underweighting into the AI security wave, and that is exactly the setup. CEO Jay Chaudhry has been explicit: “Zscaler is ideally positioned as the cybersecurity platform for the AI era. Our differentiated Zero Trust SASE architecture, which hides applications from attackers and eliminates lateral movement, has never been more essential in securing against threats exposed by frontier models and compromised AI agents.” Zscaler is a launch partner on Anthropic’s Project Glasswing and OpenAI’s DayBreak, and it announced intent to acquire Symmetry Systems to govern AI agent communication at scale.
The Q3 FY26 numbers, reported May 26, 2026, show a business firing on all cylinders even as the stock lags. Revenue landed at $850.48 million, up 25.4% year over year. ARR hit $3.52 billion, and non-GAAP EPS of $1.08 extended the beat streak to nine straight quarters.
Here is the setup nobody is talking about: shares are down 34.9% year-to-date while fundamentals accelerate, and the analyst target sits at $192.58 against a current price near $147.67. The obvious heavyweight is next.
2. Palo Alto Networks (PANW): The Platform Giant Cramer Named Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) is the platform consolidator every CISO calls first when frontier AI models start leaking. CEO Nikesh Arora told investors on the Q3 FY26 call that “Q3 was a standout quarter for Palo Alto Networks, with accelerating organic bookings growth as customers turn to us to secure their AI deployments at scale,” adding that “the latest advancements at the AI frontier have increased the level of urgency around cybersecurity.” Cramer named this stock directly.
The Q3 FY26 report from June 2, 2026 is the tell. Revenue hit $3.00 billion, up 31.1% year over year, Next-Generation Security ARR reached $8.10 billion, up 60% year over year, and RPO climbed to $18.4 billion, up 36% year over year.
Shares are up 26.47% in the last month alone. But the next name is where AI security got its true “Mythos moment.”
3. CrowdStrike (CRWD): The AI Security Infrastructure Call CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) is the other name Cramer flagged, and CEO George Kurtz used the Q1 FY27 call to plant a flag: “In Q1, the worlds of cybersecurity and frontier AI collided: this was the Mythos moment. CrowdStrike is AI security infrastructure, critical to successful AI adoption.” The company launched Project QuiltWorks with OpenAI and Anthropic and Charlotte AI AgentWorks with AWS, NVIDIA, and OpenAI. This is the endpoint layer where every compromised agent gets caught.
The Q1 FY27 earnings report from June 3, 2026 was the eighth straight EPS beat. Revenue hit $1.39 billion, up 25.57% year over year, net new ARR jumped 32% year over year to $255.80 million, and full-year net new ARR growth guidance was raised 520 basis points to 27.7%.
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The stock has responded, up 73.87% year-to-date and the four-for-one split effective July 2, 2026 broadened retail access at exactly the right moment. Now for the name quietly repricing off a hardware refresh nobody saw coming.
4. Fortinet (FTNT): The Hardware Refresh No One Modeled Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) is the pure-play beneficiary of two colliding forces: a hardware refresh cycle for the #1 firewall leader with 55% unit market share, and an AI threat environment that requires appliances actually capable of inspecting encrypted traffic at line rate. FortiOS 8.0 shipped with AI-driven security and quantum-safe capabilities, and Fortinet is integrated with NVIDIA on BlueField-3 DPUs for AI Factory security and is an Anthropic Project Glasswing partner.
Q1 FY26 was the tell. Product revenue exploded 41% year over year to $645.10 million, billings grew 31% year over year to $2.09 billion, and free cash flow hit a record $1.01 billion, up 26.32% year over year.
Shares are up 102.47% year-to-date, and Fortinet returned $823 million in Q1 buybacks. But the payoff pick is what the AI agents themselves actually run on.
5. Cloudflare (NET): The Network Every AI Agent Runs On If Cramer’s thesis is that AI shocks keep coming, Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) is the pick that turns the entire scenario upside down. CEO Matthew Prince put it bluntly: “AI is driving a fundamental re-platforming of the Internet and a paradigm shift in how software is created and consumed; it’s shaping up to be the biggest tailwind we’ve ever seen in Cloudflare’s history.” He followed with the line every portfolio manager should tape to a monitor: “If agents are the new users of the web, Cloudflare is the platform they run on and the network they pass through.” Cloudflare just cut 1,100 employees to rebuild itself as an agentic AI-first company.
The Q1 FY26 earnings report from May 7, 2026 validated the pivot. Revenue hit $639.75 million, up 33.5% year over year, current RPO grew 34% year over year, and free cash flow of $84.07 million was up 59.03% year over year. Q4 FY25 closed the largest ACV deal in company history at $42.5 million per year.
Shares are up 38.2% year-to-date and 43.54% over the last year. Every AI agent that pings the internet raises the toll Cloudflare collects.
The Bottom Line Cramer’s “another DeepSeek” framing is the base case. Enterprise budgets are already redirecting toward the layer that governs frontier models and rogue agents, and the stock action is already reflecting it: PANW up 92.18%, FTNT up 102.47%, and CRWD up 73.87% year-to-date, while ZS still trails its own fundamentals. The next AI shock is a matter of when. These are the five names sitting in the line of fire.
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Wise Group PLC (LSE:WISE, NASDAQ:WSE) has kicked off its 2027 financial year with another strong quarter, as more customers turned to the fintech group for fast, low-cost international payments.
The company reported first-quarter net revenue of $714 million, up 25% from a year ago, driven by continued growth in cross-border payment volumes and customer numbers.
Customers transferred $69.3 billion through the platform during the three months to 30 June, a 26% increase on the same period last year, while active customers climbed 21% to 11.9 million. Customer balances also surged 31% to $41.2 billion, highlighting the growing use of Wise's multi-currency accounts.
Transaction revenue rose 27% to $540.9 million, even as the average fee fell to a record-low 0.50%. The lower pricing reflects Wise's strategy of passing on efficiency gains to customers while continuing to grow volumes.
Speed also improved, with 77% of transfers arriving instantly, up from 70% a year earlier.
"We continue building 'the' network for the world's money," co-founder and chief executive Kristo Käärmann said, noting that almost 12 million people and businesses used Wise during the quarter.
The company also expanded into Chile, where customers can now send money abroad and top up multi-currency accounts using local instant payment methods.
Looking ahead, Wise reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting revenue growth to remain comfortably within its medium-term target range and profitability towards the top end of its target margin.
Key Takeaways ExxonMobil's Golden Pass Train 1 produced first LNG and loaded its first export cargo in the second quarter.XOM expects Golden Pass Train 1 to lift U.S. LNG exports ~5%, with all three trains adding ~15% capacity. ExxonMobil is advancing LNG projects in Papua New Guinea and Mozambique to expand its global network. ExxonMobil Corporation (XOM - Free Report) , the U.S. oil and gas giant, has an integrated business model spanning upstream operations, refining and trading. Since it derives the majority of its earnings from its upstream business, ExxonMobil continues to focus on its advantaged assets to grow its production and support earnings.
A key component of its advantaged assets includes its liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio. ExxonMobil is working to expand its LNG portfolio, which includes the Golden Pass LNG project in Sabine Pass, TX, a joint venture between ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy. On its first-quarter earnings call, the company noted that Train 1 at the Golden Pass LNG facility in Sabine Pass, TX, had achieved its first LNG production. It loaded its first export cargo from the LNG terminal in the second quarter of this year.
XOM has highlighted that the first train is expected to raise U.S. LNG exports by about 5% relative to 2025. Once all three trains come online, the facility is expected to increase the country's LNG export capacity by roughly 15%. Beyond Golden Pass, ExxonMobil is progressing LNG developments in Papua New Guinea and Mozambique, with final investment decisions expected in the near term. These projects will enable the company to diversify its sources of supply and strengthen its global LNG network.
In the long term, this should allow XOM to capitalize on the robust demand for LNG, driven by heightened energy security concerns and the expansion of data center infrastructure, while generating higher cash flows.
Other Energy Sector Players Banking on Growing LNG DemandConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) and Venture Global, Inc. (VG - Free Report) are two global energy firms that can benefit from the rise in global demand for LNG.
One of the key growth drivers of COP’s LNG strategy is the Port Arthur LNG project, which is progressing steadily and is on track to deliver its first LNG in 2027. It is also focused on expanding its international LNG footprint through its Equatorial Guinea LNG operations. COP’s LNG strategy is expected to become a free cash flow growth engine, supported by rising global demand, strategic geographic positioning of its assets and energy security concerns across the globe.
Venture Global is one of the largest U.S.-based exporters of LNG and is currently operating and developing multiple LNG export projects in Louisiana. The company anticipates that the total production capacity across its projects will total approximately 68 million tons per annum, upon completion, with potential upside from optimization initiatives. Being an LNG export company, VG is expected to benefit from the rise in LNG demand, driven by the expansion of data centers, replacement of coal and the global shift toward lower-emission fuels.
XOM’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of ExxonMobil have risen 39.7% over the past six months compared with the 38% gain of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, XOM trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 9.67X. This is above the broader industry average of 6.34X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for XOM’s 2026 earnings has seen downward revisions over the past seven days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
XOM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways EQT is set to report Q2 results on July 21, with consensus estimates of $0.41 EPS and $1.84B in revenue. EQT may benefit from stable sales volumes, but lower natural gas prices could weigh on quarterly earnings. EQT has beaten earnings estimates in the past four quarters, but now has a -10.00% Earnings ESP. EQT Corporation (EQT - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 21, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at a profit of 41 cents per share on revenues of $1.84 billion.
Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced the pure-play Appalachian natural gas producer’s performance in the June-end quarter. Before that, it is worth taking a look at EQT’s previous-quarter performance.
Highlights of EQT’s Q1 Earnings & Surprise HistoryIn the last reported quarter, EQT’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, driven by the increase in total sales volumes and higher realized natural gas equivalent prices. In fact, the company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 10.17%. This is depicted in the graph below:
EQT’s Trend in Estimate RevisionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for EQT’s second-quarter earnings has seen one upward and six downward revisions over the past 30 days. The second-quarter estimated figure of 41 cents represents an 8.9% year-over-year decline. Meanwhile, The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues suggests a 14.8% increase from the prior-year quarter.
Factors to Note for EQTEQT is expected to have sustained stable performance in the second quarter, supported by its vertically integrated business model, which enhances reliability and provides greater control over production volumes from the wellhead to the end market. We expect its total sales volumes to have remained flat compared to the second quarter of 2025, aiding its bottom line.
Another factor to consider is the pricing environment. According to the data provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Henry Hub Natural Gas spot prices for the months of April, May and June of 2026 were $2.77 per million British thermal units (Btu), $2.94 per million Btu and $3.14 per million Btu, respectively. However, the benchmark prices were $3.42 per million Btu, $3.12 per million Btu and $3.02 per million Btu in April, May and June 2025, respectively. This suggests that commodity prices have declined compared with the prior-year quarter, which is expected to have negatively impacted earnings in the quarter.
EQT had entered 2026 largely unhedged, which enabled it to take advantage of the high natural gas price environment in the first quarter. However, this strategy may have backfired during periods of lower commodity prices.
These factors are expected to have influenced EQT’s performance in the to-be-reported quarter.
Earnings Whispers for EQTOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for EQT this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. That is not the case here.
The natural gas producer has an Earnings ESP of -10.00% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks to ConsiderHere are some other energy firms that you may want to consider, as they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.
HF Sinclair (DINO - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +11.69% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
HF Sinclair is scheduled to release second-quarter earnings on July 28. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HF Sinclair’s earnings is pegged at $3.93 per share, implying a 131.2% increase from the prior-year reported figure.
Enbridge Inc. (ENB - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.27% and a Zacks Rank #3.
Enbridge is scheduled to release second-quarter earnings on July 31. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ENB’s earnings is pegged at 44 cents per share, indicating a 6.4% decline from the prior-year reported figure.
Archrock Inc. (AROC - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +10.07% and a Zacks Rank #3.
AROC is scheduled to release second-quarter earnings on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Archrock’s earnings is pegged at 46 cents per share, implying a 17.95% increase from the prior-year reported figure.
Warren Buffett gave away about $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA 0.22%)(BRKB 0.38%) stock this week: 9 million Class B shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and 1 million each to three foundations run by his children. The bigger number is what remains -- a stake worth about $138 billion that the 95-year-old chairman says he wants fully donated by Dec. 31, 2034.
Image source: Getty Images.
The mechanics matter here. Buffett's fortune sits in Class A shares, each convertible at any time into 1,500 Class B shares, and the conversion only works in that direction. This week's gift of 12 million B shares took 8,000 A shares to create. Buffett owned 196,317 Class A shares as of Berkshire's March proxy statement, so the roughly 188,000 that remain are worth about $138 billion at the current Class A price of about $733,000, as of this writing.
Gifts like this have been an annual event since 2006. Buffett has donated more than $47 billion of Berkshire stock to the Gates Foundation alone over that stretch. This year's shares, though, went entirely to the four family foundations.
For shareholders, the scheduled supply is smaller than it sounds. Spread over eight years, $138 billion works out to something like $17 billion of stock a year finding new owners -- at an insurance-anchored conglomerate valued around $1.1 trillion. And Berkshire can absorb some of it directly. The company repurchased $234 million of its own shares in the first quarter, and it entered the year with about $373 billion in cash and Treasury bills.
Today's Change
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The bigger change is control. A Class B share carries 1/10,000th of an A share's vote, so every conversion shrinks Buffett's voting power, which stood at 30.2% of the company as of the proxy. As the A shares convert and disperse, the block that has anchored Berkshire's governance for decades gradually dissolves.
The gifts don't change what Berkshire owns or earns. They change who votes. By the mid-2030s, the company Greg Abel runs will likely be one where no single shareholder holds a controlling grip -- and shareholders will have had about eight years of notice. As transitions of power go, a slow, pre-announced handover is about as gentle as it gets.
Daniel Sparks and his clients have positions in Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$14.99▼
$126.62Price Target$117.50
As AI stocks swing up and down, one name that has felt those movements as much as any is Aehr Test Systems NASDAQ: AEHR. This small stock has risen about 320% in 2026, and sits at a market capitalization of $2.7 billion in mid-July.
Though shares have been in a downtrend over the past 30 days, they saw a huge rebound after Aehr posted its latest earnings report, spiking nearly 22% in a single day.
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Aehr’s large move came as it surpassed estimates during the quarter and issued inspiring guidance.
This guidance meaningfully changes how investors should view Aehr’s valuation and increases confidence in its outlook.
Aehr’s Revenue Rises Over 30%, Gross Margin Explodes UpwardAehr makes machines that put semiconductors under intense conditions, testing them for defects. As data center operators look to increase performance by weeding out faulty chips, Aehr has been gaining considerable order momentum.
In Q4 of its fiscal year 2026 (FY2026), Aehr posted revenue of $18.84 million. (Note that Aehr’s fiscal reporting period is several quarters ahead of the calendar year period.) This resulted in growth of 33.7% year-over-year (YOY).
Notably, this marks the first time in over a year that Aehr’s quarterly revenue growth was positive, an important inflection for its business. However, analysts expected this performance, with Aehr just slightly beating estimates of $18.69 million.
Alongside this, Aehr crushed estimates on earnings per share (EPS). The figure came in at 11 cents, swinging strongly from -1 cent a year ago. Analysts anticipated that EPS would remain unchanged at -1 cents. This came as Aehr greatly outperformed on adjusted gross margin, which soared 1,000 basis points to 45%, driven by higher sales, improved manufacturing capacity utilization, and a higher-margin product mix.
Despite Aehr’s impressive quarter, full FY2026 revenue declined 15% YOY to $50 million. Aehr’s business has been transitioning from an overwhelming focus on EV markets to one overwhelmingly focused on non-EV markets, including AI.
Aehr Provides Blockbuster GuidanceAehr’s Q4 FY2026 results were strong, but the company’s guidance is what really stole the show. In FY2027, Aehr expects to generate full-year sales of between $130 million and $150 million. This would be a 160%-200% increase over FY2026.
This guidance crystallizes Aehr’s success in generating orders for its Sonoma and FOX-XP systems. Over the past few quarters, Aehr has repeatedly announced significant orders within the AI chip industry. This has led to the company making strong statements about bookings, such as that second-half FY2026 bookings would come in “at the high end of its $60 million to $80 million range.” A record $41 million hyperscaler order allowed it to surpass that estimate.
Aehr’s huge revenue guidance figure provides a clean metric that shows how far the company has come.
Another figure that underpins this confidence is Aehr’s effective backlog of $100.6 million. The company simply has to deliver these booked orders to realize the revenue, absent cancellations. Assuming Aehr ships its full order backlog in FY2027, it would account for 67% to 77% of the company’s revenue guidance. This provides a strong degree of visibility into Aehr meeting its revenue expectations. It is important to note, though, that Aehr did not explicitly say that its full backlog would necessarily convert in FY2027.
The additional customer demand Aehr anticipates for the rest of the year is the difference between its backlog and guidance. Notably, the company stated that it sees an opportunity to raise its guidance even higher in FY2027.
Aehr expects its adjusted pretax profitability to be between 18% and 22% of revenue in FY2027. At the midpoint, this would imply adjusted pretax income of $28 million. In FY2026, that figure was -$3.7 million, showing that Aehr expects to greatly shift its profitability profile.
Aehr’s Forward Price to Sales Ratio Drops Over 50% From HighsAehr Test Systems Stock Forecast Today12-Month Stock Price Forecast:
$117.50
43.18% Upside
Hold
Based on 5 Analyst Ratings
Current Price$82.06High Forecast$125.00Average Forecast$117.50Low Forecast$110.00Aehr Test Systems Stock Forecast Details
Using the midpoint of Aehr’s revenue guidance would give it a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of around 20x. That is still a very high figure by most standards, but is down approximately 56% from Aehr’s forward P/S peak of 45x. This shows that the firm's valuation has come much closer to being in line with its revenue expectations.
Additionally, after Aehr’s earnings report, analysts at Craig Hallum and Lake Street Capital placed $125 and $110 price targets on the stock, respectively. The average of these figures implies upside near 40%. Aehr clearly remains a highly volatile and risky stock, but that risk is meaningfully lower than it has been over the past several months. Shares remain substantially below highs, and the company just provided consequential data that supports its fundamental outlook.
Investors interested in Aehr should closely watch how the company’s orders, guidance, and conversion of backlog into revenue progress going forward.
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Key Takeaways U.S. wind capacity topped 165 GW in Q2 2026 and is projected to reach 178.4 GW by the end of 2027.Rising power demand, offshore wind projects and grid expansion continue to support long-term industry growth.NextEra Energy, Duke Energy, American Electric and Vestas Wind offer exposure to the expanding wind market. An updated edition of the May 28, 2026 article.
As countries intensify efforts to cut carbon emissions and strengthen energy security, renewable energy has become central to the global power mix. Governments, utilities and corporations are increasing investments in cleaner technologies to support decarbonization goals, while rising demand for electricity is driving the need for reliable and low-emission energy sources.
Among various renewable energy sources, wind power remains a cornerstone of the energy transition. Continued advances in turbine technology, expanding onshore and offshore installations, and supportive policy initiatives have strengthened its role in electricity generation. With utilities and businesses increasingly adopting wind energy to meet sustainability targets, the sector is well-positioned to support the growing demand for clean and renewable power.
According to the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. installed wind generation capacity surpassed 165 gigawatts (GW) at the end of the second quarter of 2026. The agency expects capacity to climb to 169.7 GW by the end of 2026 and further expand to 178.4 GW by the close of 2027. The outlook also projects wind energy to contribute 11% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2026, with its share increasing to 12% in 2027.
The wind energy market is capitalizing on several favorable trends, including growing electricity demand driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered data centers, widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and rapid industrialization. Per the EIA report, the U.S. grid is projected to add 11.7 GW of wind generation capacity in 2026.
The projected growth in wind capacity is likely to be supported by the commissioning and continued development of major offshore wind projects across the United States. Several projects like Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Empire Wind 1 are anticipated to play a significant role in increasing renewable generation capacity and strengthening U.S. clean energy infrastructure.
If you intend to capitalize on this buzzing trend, our Wind Energy Thematic Screen could make it easy to identify high-potential stocks such as NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE - Free Report) , Duke Energy Corporation (DUK - Free Report) , American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP - Free Report) and Vestas Wind Systems (VWDRY - Free Report) . By leveraging advanced tools, our thematic screens identify companies shaping the future, making it easier to benefit from emerging trends.
Ready to uncover more transformative thematic investment ideas? Explore 39 cutting-edge investment themes with Zacks Thematic Investing Screens and discover your next big opportunity.
4 Wind Energy Stocks to Bet on NowHeadquartered in Juno Beach, FL, NextEra Energy is a public utility holding company engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy. The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company’s competitive energy business, NextEra Energy Resources LLC (“NEER”), is a leading generator of wind energy globally, based on MWh produced on a net generation basis.
In 2025, NEER successfully expanded its new wind-generating capacity by 1,604 MW and also added 1,799 MW of battery storage capacity, thereby increasing its backlog of contracted renewable development projects. As of 2025-end, the business operated wind facilities in 23 U.S. states and four provinces in Canada, carrying a total generating capacity of approximately 27,855 MW.
NEER continues to work on its strategy of making a long-term investment in clean energy assets. The company expects to add 8.5-14.5 GW of wind capacity in 2026-2032 to the generation portfolio via investments. The company’s major capital projects continued to proceed per plan and the addition of new renewable projects continues to boost the portfolio.
Based in Charlotte, NC, Duke Energy is a premier utility service provider offering efficient power and energy services. The Zacks Rank #2 company is currently focused on expanding its scale of operations, implementing modern technologies at its facilities as well as enhancing its renewable generation portfolio by investing heavily in infrastructure and expansion projects.
As part of its clean energy portfolio expansion strategy, the company is investing heavily in constructing generation facilities that produce reduced CO2 emissions per unit of electricity generated compared with coal. The company continues to position its 2026-2030 investment plan of about $103 billion as the core driver of regulated rate base growth.
As part of this resource build, Duke Energy targets 1,200 MW of onshore wind in service by 2033, as well as 800-1,100 MW of offshore wind by 2034 and 2,200-2,400 MW by 2035. Such solid renewable capacity maximization plans should enable the company to further bolster its footprint in the expanding renewable energy market.
Headquartered in Columbus, OH, American Electric Power is a public utility holding company, which, through directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries, generates and transmits electricity. Wind forms a part of the company's broader strategy to diversify its generation portfolio and lower carbon emissions. The company is expanding investments in transmission lines and grid modernization projects for the integration of wind power and other renewable energy sources into the electric grid.
The Zacks Rank #2 company is expanding its regulated renewable asset base to meet increasing electricity demand while supporting a more diversified energy mix. The acquisitions of the Top Hat Wind Facility by APCo (subsidiary) and the Wagon Wheel Wind Facility by SWEPCo (subsidiary) in the fourth quarter of 2025 highlight the company's continued investment in wind generation to serve future customer requirements.
The company is also rapidly reducing its CO2 emission rate to promote green energy. It made significant progress in reducing GHG emissions from its power generation fleet and aspires to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2045.
Based in Denmark, Vestas Wind Systems is a renowned designer, manufacturer, installer and service provider for wind turbines across the globe. To capitalize on rising demand for renewable power, the company emphasizes wind capacity expansion, technological advancement and sustainable energy development.
Vestas Wind has reached more than 203 GW of installed wind power capacity, which includes about 11 GW of offshore capacity. The company’s turbines are designed to operate in diverse weather conditions and it has a strong customer base across 88 countries.
In June 2026, the Zacks Rank #2 company secured five new orders to deliver wind turbines in Germany for a total of 142 MW. Also, in the same month, the company clinched turbine orders for 869 MW in the United States. Apart from this, Vestas Wind received an order to deliver 50 MW of wind turbines to Germany and 45 MW of wind turbines to the United Kingdom. These orders are indicative of the strong demand that VWDRY’s wind turbines enjoy worldwide.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Four thousand dollars a month can cover a paid-off house, groceries, utilities, insurance, and modest travel in many parts of the country. It is also more than the $3,208 average monthly Social Security benefit SSA estimates for an aged couple, both receiving benefits, in January 2026. A portfolio producing another $4,000 a month can materially change a retirement budget. The question is how much capital that requires, and what the reader gives up at each price point.
The math is unforgiving. $48,000 per year divided by a 3.5% yield equals roughly $1,371,000. At 5%, the requirement drops to $960,000. At 7%, $685,000. At 10%, just $480,000. The spread between the top and bottom of that range, nearly $900,000, is the real story.
The Sleep-At-Night Tier: 3% to 4% This is where dividend aristocrats live. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG | PG Price Prediction) yields around 2.9% and just delivered its 70th consecutive annual dividend increase, having paid dividends every year since 1890. The quarterly payout rose to about $1.09 in the most recent cycle, up from about $0.79 five years ago.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) shows similar strength: a 2.0% yield, a 3.1% dividend bump to $1.34 per share quarterly, and 64 straight years of increases. Neither stock produces enough current income to hit $4,000 monthly at a comfortable capital base. Blending them with other dividend growers reaches roughly 3.5%, requiring about $1.37 million to hit the target.
The tradeoff: highest capital requirement, but payouts grow faster than inflation and shares tend to appreciate. JNJ returned 175% over ten years on top of its dividend.
The Middle Path: 5% to 7% Regulated utilities and net-lease REITs anchor this tier. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) yields 3.3% and reaffirmed 5% to 7% long-term EPS growth guidance through 2030, backed by a rate-regulated monopoly across the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.
Realty Income (NYSE:O) sits near the middle at a 5.1% yield. The monthly dividend just ticked up to about $0.27, marking the 114th consecutive quarterly increase. Portfolio occupancy sits at 99%, and management raised 2026 AFFO guidance to $4.41 to $4.44.
Blending these into a 5% to 6% average drops the capital requirement to roughly $800,000 to $960,000. Dividend growth slows, but yield does more work upfront.
Where High Yield Bites Back Business development companies dominate this tier. Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) yields 10.4%, pays $0.48 quarterly, and reported a weighted average yield of 10.3% on its debt portfolio. Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) pays a $0.26 monthly regular dividend plus its 19th consecutive quarterly $0.30 supplemental.
At a 10% blended yield, the capital requirement falls to $480,000. But risks emerge in the fine print. ARCC booked $412 million in net unrealized losses in Q1 2026 and non-accruals crept to 2%. MAIN’s Q1 DNII of $1.00 failed to cover total dividends of $1.08. Both stocks are down year-to-date: MAIN off 10%, ARCC off 3%.
The Compounding Trap Most Retirees Miss A 3.5% yield growing 7% annually doubles the income stream in roughly a decade. A 10% yield with no growth stays at $48,000 forever in nominal dollars, and if the underlying NAV erodes, part of the income may effectively be a return of capital. That is the compounding trap: the highest starting yield can still lose to a lower-yielding portfolio that raises its payout every year.
Run the numbers with real inflation assumptions:
The 10-year benchmark matters. With the 10-year Treasury recently around 4.5% and the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, the risk-free comparison is meaningful. Every yield above that level is compensation for equity risk, credit risk, leverage, duration risk, or some combination of them.
Three Moves Before You Commit Capital Model your actual spending, not your salary. A paid-off house and Medicare eligibility can cut required income by a third. The $4,000 target may already include Social Security, which averages around $2,000 per person monthly. Compare 10-year total return, not current yield. Pull up JNJ’s 175% ten-year return against ARCC’s 237% ten-year total return and study which one kept pace with inflation on distributions alone. Blend the tiers. A portfolio of 60% dividend growers, 30% REITs and utilities, and 10% BDCs produces a 5% blended yield with meaningful growth, cutting the capital requirement to roughly $960,000 while preserving upside. The Lower Capital Number Is Not Free A $4,000 monthly portfolio income target can require $1.37 million, $960,000, or less than $500,000 depending on the yield you demand. The lower the capital requirement, the more the portfolio leans on credit risk, leverage, or slower income growth. The right answer is not the highest yield that meets the spreadsheet target. It is the lowest-risk mix that can fund the spending plan and still give the income room to grow.
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Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Avient (AVNT - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry.
This maker of resins used in plastic pipe and other products has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 2.14%.
For the last reported quarter, Avient came out with earnings of $0.83 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.81 per share, representing a surprise of 2.47%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.55 per share and it actually produced earnings of $0.56 per share, delivering a surprise of 1.82%.
For Avient, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Avient has an Earnings ESP of +0.87% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on August 6, 2026.
When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Investors in EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the July 17, 2026 $360.00 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 EMCOR shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, EMCOR is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) in the Building Products - Heavy Construction industry that ranks in the Top 15% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter has moved from $7.37 per share to $7.44 in that period.
Given the way analysts feel about EMCOR 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.
Key Takeaways United Rentals raised 2026 guidance after record rental revenues and continued specialty segment growth.Fluor's pipeline & reimbursable backlog support long-term growth despite execution & geopolitical risks.URI earnings estimates moved up, while FLR estimates edged lower, even as both project year-over-year growth. The multiyear infrastructure investment cycle is benefiting infrastructure firms like United Rentals, Inc. (URI - Free Report) and Fluor Corporation (FLR - Free Report) . Growth in public and private funding is boosting demand for large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects.
United Rentals, a renowned equipment rental company, is benefiting from robust demand for specialty rentals and general equipment, supported by non-residential construction, infrastructure, power, industrial manufacturing and data center projects. Meanwhile, Fluor, a global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, is leveraging a growing pipeline of large, complex projects across nuclear, LNG, power, mining, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
Let’s closely compare the fundamentals of the two infrastructure stocks for a better investment decision.
The Case for United Rentals StockThis Connecticut-based equipment rental company is benefiting from favorable secular trends in non-residential construction, infrastructure modernization, power, manufacturing, mining and data center development, which continue to drive healthy equipment rental demand. During the first quarter of 2026, equipment rental revenues climbed 8.7% year over year to a record $3.42 billion, driven by 2.3% growth in fleet productivity and a 5.7% expansion in average fleet size.
Besides, URI’s Specialty segment remains another major growth engine, supported by expanding product offerings and increasing demand for higher-value rental solutions. The segment now represents 36.5% of total revenues (as of 2025) and has delivered a robust 20.2% revenue CAGR over the past decade, reflecting sustained customer adoption. In the first quarter of 2026, Specialty rental revenues surged 13.8% year over year to a record $1.19 billion, significantly outpacing the General Rentals business. Growth was broad-based across all specialty lines, with the company opening 17 new greenfield (cold start) locations during the quarter to expand market reach.
Encouraged by strong customer feedback, particularly for large projects, United Rentals raised its 2026 guidance, expecting total revenues of $16.9-$17.4 billion (from $16.8-$17.3 billion) and higher EBITDA, reflecting confidence in continued demand for equipment rentals and market share gains. Moreover, the company expects to play a key role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup-related projects, adding another growth catalyst.
Besides market tailwinds, URI’s capital allocation approach is also encouraging for stabilizing its competitive position in the market. Since its founding, the company has completed nearly 250 acquisitions to expand its geographic footprint, specialty offerings and one-stop-shop capabilities. United Rentals generated more than $1 billion in first-quarter 2026 free cash flow and maintained a conservative net leverage ratio of 1.9x, providing ample financial flexibility. The company also returned $500 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter and plans to repurchase approximately $1.5 billion of stock in 2026, underscoring its balanced approach toward growth investments and shareholder value creation.
The Case for Fluor StockFluor is indeed benefiting from mid and long-term market tailwinds given its exposure to end markets like energy, mining & metals, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, data centers, and government and mission solutions. During the first quarter of 2026, management noted that front-end engineering and study work now represent more than $60 billion of potential future backlog if clients proceed with execution phases, while the broader opportunity pipeline has expanded 50% over the past year.
During the first quarter of 2026, consolidated new awards totaled $2.7 billion, with 98% reimbursable, while backlog rose slightly sequentially to $25.7 billion and remained 82% reimbursable. Management also highlighted that margins on newly booked work were materially above the existing backlog margin profile. Fluor further strengthened shareholder returns through more than $500 million of repurchases during the quarter and expects approximately $1.4 billion of buybacks in 2026 following the completion of NuScale monetization.
Although FLR’s diversified portfolio positions it at a stable juncture during commodity and economic cycles, the ongoing macro uncertainties, execution risks and other near-term volatility are taking a toll on it. During first-quarter 2026, Urban Solutions recorded a $37 million charge tied to cost growth and declining productivity on a mining project in the Americas. Management also cited temporary project slowdowns tied to Middle East geopolitical uncertainty. Several infrastructure projects remain in completion phases through 2026 and early 2027, leaving the company exposed to additional closeout and recovery risks.
Fluor operates in a cyclical environment wherein capital spending decisions remain closely tied to commodity prices, energy markets and macroeconomic conditions. Management acknowledged that some award conversions remain weighted toward the back half of 2026 and that prolonged geopolitical instability could delay client spending decisions, increase inflationary pressures and disrupt supply chains. Also, its reach outside national borders exposes FLR to foreign currency fluctuations and legal uncertainties.
Stock Performance & ValuationAs witnessed from the chart below, in the year-to-date period, United Rentals’ share price performance has been above Fluor’s and the broader Construction sector.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Considering valuation, over the last five years, United Rentals has been trading above Fluor on a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio basis.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Overall, from these technical indicators, it can be deduced that URI stock offers an increasing growth trend but with a premium valuation, while FLR stock offers a diminishing growth trend with a discounted valuation.
Comparing EPS Estimate Trends: URI vs. FLRThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for URI’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved upward in the past seven days to $46.77 and $53.01 per share, respectively. The revised estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year growth of 11.2% and 13.3%, respectively.
URI's EPS Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FLR’s 2026 and 2027 earnings has trickled down in the past 30 days to $2.63 and $3.08 per share, respectively. However, the estimates for 2026 and 2027 imply year-over-year improvements of 20.1% and 16.9%, respectively.
FLR's EPS Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Return on Equity (ROE) of URI & FLR StocksUnited Rentals’ trailing 12-month ROE of 30.56% significantly exceeds Fluor’s average, underscoring its efficiency in generating shareholder returns.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Which Stock to Go for Now: URI or FLR?United Rentals continues to benefit from strong secular demand across infrastructure, power, manufacturing, mining and data center projects, while its fast-growing Specialty business raised 2026 guidance and its disciplined acquisition strategy reinforces confidence in sustained earnings growth. Healthy free cash flow, a conservative balance sheet and meaningful share repurchases further strengthen its investment appeal. Its superior return on equity and stronger estimate revision trend reflect better operational momentum.
Fluor also possesses an attractive long-term opportunity, supported by a sizable opportunity pipeline, reimbursable backlog and exposure to energy, mining and advanced manufacturing projects. However, execution challenges, geopolitical uncertainty, project timing risks and downward earnings estimate revisions temper its near-term outlook.
Importantly, URI stock’s Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) seems favorable over FLR stock’s Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Overall, United Rentals stands out as the better investment today, with its diversified rental platform, resilient cash-generation capabilities and stronger earnings visibility outweighing valuation concerns, making it the more compelling choice over Fluor for long-term investors. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National shareholder rights firm Hagens Berman is investigating claims in a securities class action alleging violations of U.S. securities laws by Hub Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUBG). The suit contends the company and its senior executives provided false and misleading information to investors regarding the integrity of its financial reporting, revenue recognition practices, and the effectiveness of its internal controls.
REPORT YOUR HUBG LOSSES TO HBSS NOW
Class Period: Apr. 28, 2023 – May 11, 2026
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Aug. 28, 2026
Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/hubg
Contact the Firm Now: [email protected]
844-916-0895
Hub Group, Inc. (HUBG) Securities Class Action:
The suit alleges that Hub Group’s repeated disclosures throughout 2026 have revealed a pattern of severe accounting irregularities. The complaint claims the company intentionally or recklessly misled investors during the Class Period (April 28, 2023 – May 11, 2026) by:
Understating Costs: Failing to accurately report purchased transportation costs and accounts payable, leading to a $77 million accounting error in 2025 alone.Improper Revenue Recognition: Prematurely or incorrectly recognizing transactions, which rendered the company’s 2023 and 2024 annual reports materially misstated.Internal Control Deficiencies: Maintaining inadequate disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, despite repeated public assurances of their effectiveness.
The Truth Emerges
The complaint alleges that the market’s perception of Hub Group’s stability was dismantled by two major corrective disclosures:
February 2026: The company revealed that financial statements for the first three quarters of 2025 were unreliable, causing an immediate 18% decline in share price.May 2026: Hub Group announced that its 2023 and 2024 annual reports were also materially misstated, compounding the decline with an additional 13% drop in share price. These revelations wiped out over $890 million in market capitalization, prompting the departure of the company’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer in May 2026.
“Now that Hub Group has almost cleaned out its C-suite following accounting improprieties reaching all the way back to 2023, the core focus of our investigation is whether they were intentional or reckless with the goal of making financial metrics appear better than they actually were. We’re also looking to see whether additional problems will surface when the company’s review is completed,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the firm’s investigation.
Investor Rights and Lead Plaintiff Deadline
Investors who purchased or acquired Hub Group common stock between April 28, 2023, and May 11, 2026, may be eligible to serve as lead plaintiff. The court-imposed deadline to move for appointment as lead plaintiff is August 28, 2026.
Submit your losses nowContact Our Attorneys: [email protected] Investor Hotline: 844-916-0895
If you’d like more information and answers to other frequently asked questions about the Hub Group case and the firm’s investigation, read more »
Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Hub Group should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].
About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman’s team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.
LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP reminds investors of the upcoming August 31, 2026 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Insulet Corporation (“Insulet” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PODD) securities between February 21, 2025 and May 26, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”).
IF YOU SUFFERED A LOSS ON YOUR INSULET INVESTMENTS, CLICK HERE TO INQUIRE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURSUING CLAIMS TO RECOVER YOUR LOSS UNDER THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS.
What Happened?
On March 12, 2026, Insulet disclosed that it had “initiated a voluntary Medical Device Correction for specific lots of Omnipod® 5 Pods after identifying a manufacturing issue through its ongoing product monitoring.”
On this news, Insulet’s stock price fell $16.23, or 6.9%, to close at $219.84 per share on March 13, 2026, thereby injuring investors.
Then, on May 26, 2026, Insulet announced the initiation of another “voluntary Medical Device Correction” for “specific lots of Omnipod® 5, Omnipod Dash®, and Omnipod® Insulin Management System (Omnipod Eros) Pods due to a manufacturing issue, identified through ongoing product monitoring, that could result in insulin under-delivery.”
On this news, Insulet’s stock price fell $7.79, or 5.1%, to close at $146.01 per share on May 27, 2026, thereby injuring investors further.
What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Insulet’s manufacturing controls and procedures were defective; (2) the foregoing created a foreseeable heightened risk that one or more Insulet products would be found to be in violation of applicable safety regulations and/or pose a risk of injury; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
If you purchased or otherwise acquired Insulet securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than August 31, 2026 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit.
Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:
If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us:
Charles Linehan, Esq.,
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100,
Los Angeles California 90067
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150,
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contact Us:
Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP,
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Charles Linehan
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-201-9150
Toll-Free: 888-773-9224
Visit our website at: www.glancylaw.com.
MEDINA, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RPM NAMES ANDREW G. POLANCO AS VICE PRESIDENT – OPERATIONS AND ANTHONY R. NICHOLSON AS VICE PRESIDENT – FINANCIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS.
People walk behind a logo of Meta Platforms company, during a conference in Mumbai, India, September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
July 17 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab is in talks to lease computing power to Anthropic in a potential deal worth as much as $10 billion over two years, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing three people with knowledge of the discussions.
Shares of the social media giant slightly pared losses on the news to trade down more than 2% amid a wider tech selloff.
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Such a deal would help Meta diversify beyond advertising by generating revenue from its infrastructure and competing with neocloud firms such as CoreWeave (CRWV.O), opens new tab and Nebius (NBIS.O), opens new tab, as growing adoption of advanced AI tools boosts the need for computing capacity.
The Claude Code creator would pay Meta in monthly increments over the two-year period, although the terms remain subject to change, NYT reported. The companies would be able to exit any agreement early, it said.
IPO-bound Anthropic had proposed the deal in June and Meta is considering it, the report said, adding that the talks have become complicated since Meta does not have a business selling its computing power.
According to the report, the discussions are in their early stages and may not result in a deal.
Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Anthropic declined to comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
The potential agreement echoes a strategy recently pursued by Elon Musk's SpaceX (SPCX.O), opens new tab, with whom Anthropic struck a deal in May to tap the full computing power of its Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, Tennessee.
At Meta's shareholder meeting in May, CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said entering cloud computing was "definitely on the table," noting that firms were approaching Meta "almost every week" to buy access to its AI models or spare computing power.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg News reported that Meta was building a cloud business to sell excess computing power and host AI models for developers.
Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Key Takeaways Inspire Medical is positioned for growth as Inspire V drives a major product transition.Inspire V cuts implant time by over 20%, while FDA approvals broaden patient eligibility.Coding uncertainty and WISeR delays may worsen in Q2 before easing in the second half of 2026. Inspire Medical Systems (INSP - Free Report) is well-positioned for solid growth over the next few quarters as it navigates a significant product transition.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have declined 44.1% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s 6.8% fall. However, the S&P 500 Index has increased 10% in the same timeframe.
Inspire Medical, a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative, minimally invasive solutions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion.
The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 181.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Positive Factors Driving INSP’s ProspectsStrong Clinical Innovation & Growing Clinical Evidence: Inspire Medical continues to strengthen its leadership in hypoglossal nerve stimulation through product innovation and expanding clinical evidence. The Inspire V system remains a key growth driver, offering a simplified implant procedure by integrating the respiratory sensor within the neurostimulator while reducing implant time by more than 20% versus Inspire IV. Clinical studies have demonstrated superior respiratory sensing, improved sleep apnea outcomes and strong patient adherence.
The recently published PREDICTOR study suggests many patients may be screened without drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), reducing diagnostic burden and time to treatment. Long-term data from the ADHERE registry and independent studies presented at SLEEP 2026 demonstrated sustained improvements in apnea severity, therapy adherence and cardiovascular outcomes, with Inspire patients showing lower risks of stroke, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and hospitalization than CPAP-treated or untreated patients. Having treated more than 135,000 patients globally and supported by more than 385 peer-reviewed publications, Inspire Medical continues to strengthen physician confidence and long-term adoption.
Regulatory Expansion & Commercial Execution: Inspire Medical continues expanding its addressable market through regulatory approvals while strengthening commercial execution. Recent FDA approvals broadened patient eligibility by increasing the upper apnea-hypopnea index threshold, expanding BMI criteria and authorizing Inspire therapy for certain pediatric Down syndrome patients. The launch of Inspire V and new CMS HCPCS Level II C-codes has further supported adoption while improving facility reimbursement clarity. Management is also pursuing a dedicated CPT code expected to take effect in 2028, providing a long-term reimbursement solution. The company has optimized its sales organization by strategically consolidating territories while increasing field clinical representatives to achieve its targeted one-to-one ratio with territory managers. International momentum remains encouraging, with first-quarter 2026 international revenues increasing 16.5% year over year, reflecting growing physician awareness and market penetration despite reimbursement headwinds.
Disciplined Financial Execution & Investment in Growth: Inspire Medical delivered resilient financial performance while maintaining a disciplined investment strategy. Revenues increased 1.6% year over year, while the company improved adjusted operating margin through favorable product mix and higher adoption of Inspire V, generating stronger operating cash flow than the prior-year period. Management remains focused on investments that directly support long-term expansion, including reimbursement education, field reimbursement specialists, digital patient engagement tools, marketing effectiveness, operational efficiencies and next-generation product development. These initiatives will begin contributing more meaningfully during the second half of 2026 and accelerate further in 2027 as reimbursement challenges ease.
Key Challenges for INSP StockCoding & Reimbursement Uncertainty: The biggest near-term challenge remains coding and reimbursement uncertainty for Inspire V procedures. Differences in billing practices across Medicare and commercial insurers have slowed prior authorizations, reduced patient pipeline activity and delayed procedures. Although CMS introduced facility billing codes and management is working toward a dedicated CPT code expected in 2028, reimbursement uncertainty is expected to continue affecting procedure volumes until providers gain confidence in billing practices.
Coding and reimbursement disruption, along with the WISeR program, negatively impacted first-quarter 2026 revenues by approximately $20 million and could reduce full-year 2026 revenues by $120-$150 million. The company expects second-quarter revenue pressure to worsen with an estimated revenue headwind of $40-$50 million due to lower prior authorization activity during the first quarter, before improving gradually during the second half of 2026.
WISeR Program Disrupting Procedure Volumes: The rollout of the WISeR’s prior authorization program across six Medicare pilot states has created additional administrative hurdles for providers. AI-driven authorization requirements and varying state-specific workflows have delayed procedures and reduced Medicare volumes during the first quarter. While management expects providers to adapt over time, the program is likely to remain a short-term headwind before becoming less disruptive later in 2026.
GLP-1 Adoption & Competitive Pressure: Inspire Medical also faces emerging external headwinds. Management acknowledged that increasing use of GLP-1 weight-loss therapies may temporarily delay Inspire procedures as some patients pursue medical treatment first. Although GLP-1 therapies could ultimately expand the eligible patient population by helping patients meet BMI requirements, the near-term impact on procedure volumes remains uncertain. At the same time, competition in the hypoglossal nerve stimulation market is gradually increasing, adding another factor that could weigh on growth until reimbursement challenges subside.
Estimate TrendInspire Medical is witnessing a positive estimate revision trend for 2026. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved north 1 cent to $1.05 per share.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 revenues and loss per share is pegged at $194.8 million and 22 cents, respectively.
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) , Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) and Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
West Pharmaceutical reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $2.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.8%. Revenues of $844.9 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.5%.
West Pharmaceutical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 13.9%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.
Intuitive Surgical reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.50, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20.2%. Revenues of $2.77 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.2%.
Intuitive Surgical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 14.3%. ISRG’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.
Cardinal Health reported a third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.17, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.2%. Revenues of $60.94 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%.
Cardinal Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 17%. CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 10.3%.
NEW ORLEANS, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First Horizon Bank (NYSE: FHN) (or "First Horizon") and United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) today announced that Meghan Donelon, Commercial Banking Group Manager at First Horizon Bank, has been appointed the new Executive Committee Board Chair for UWSELA. As a lifelong New Orleanian, Donelon brings nearly two decades of banking experience and a long-standing commitment to community leadership to this board chair position.
Shares of Crane (NYSE:CR – Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $226.3333.
A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised Crane from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $200.00 to $215.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 29th.
Read Our Latest Research Report on CR
Insider Transactions at Crane In other news, Director Susan D. Lynch purchased 150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $177.38 per share, with a total value of $26,607.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 370 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,630.60. This represents a 68.18% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.12% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crane Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Crane by 289,020.7% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,855,409 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,448,773,000 after acquiring an additional 7,852,692 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Crane by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,993,123 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $552,022,000 after purchasing an additional 48,679 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Crane during the 4th quarter worth $198,509,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Crane by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 917,679 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $169,282,000 after purchasing an additional 35,441 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Crane by 0.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 845,961 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $144,622,000 after purchasing an additional 3,678 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Crane Price Performance Shares of NYSE CR opened at $219.43 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $199.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.67 billion, a PE ratio of 29.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.01. Crane has a fifty-two week low of $159.58 and a fifty-two week high of $226.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.18.
Crane (NYSE:CR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.21. Crane had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%.The firm had revenue of $696.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $672.74 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.39 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Crane Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th were given a $0.255 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Crane’s dividend payout ratio is 18.35%.
Crane Company Profile (Get Free Report)
Crane Co, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products serving customers around the world. The company operates through two primary segments: Aerospace & Electronics and Engineered Materials. Its Aerospace & Electronics division designs and produces valves, fittings, manifolds, and filtration systems for aircraft fuel, hydraulics, and environmental control systems. The Engineered Materials segment focuses on advanced polymers, heat exchangers, and specialized composite solutions for industries including chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, and power generation.
With roots dating back to its founding in 1855 in Chicago by R.T.
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Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering First Hawaiian (FHB - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Banks - West industry.
This bank holding company has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 2.80%.
For the last reported quarter, First Hawaiian came out with earnings of $0.55 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.53 per share, representing a surprise of 3.77%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.55 per share and it actually produced earnings of $0.56 per share, delivering a surprise of 1.82%.
With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for First Hawaiian. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
First Hawaiian currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.84%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on July 24, 2026.
When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Key Takeaways MU soared 653.3% over the past year before sliding 14% in one week, with a Momentum Score of A.PENG surged 165.1% in a year, then fell 19% over the past week, while earning an A score.BE jumped 750.4% in the past year but dropped 19.6% in one week, with a Momentum Score of A. Heightened market volatility returned to the broader U.S. equity markets as the Iran-U.S. war resumed, with both parties launching fresh strikes. This affected the free passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to spiraling oil prices that pulled down the stock market. However, easing inflation readings for June eased concerns of a near-term interest rate hike, triggering a short-term market rally that was further supported by a spirited performance by semiconductor stocks. But concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) spending weighed on investor sentiments and dragged the overall markets lower.
The spotlight is now on the Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh as investors look for cues to the monetary policy and gauge an idea of the future stock market direction. Amid the vagaries of the market, investors often seek to employ time-tested winning strategies to fetch sustained profits. One of the most successful game plans to beat the blues is to bet on momentum stocks, like Micron Technology, Inc. (MU - Free Report) , Penguin Solutions, Inc. (PENG - Free Report) and Bloom Energy Corporation (BE - Free Report) when value or growth investing fails to generate the desired profits.
This approach primarily tends to follow the adage, “the trend is your friend.” At its core, momentum investing is “buying high and selling higher.” It is based on the idea that once a stock establishes a trend, it is more likely to continue in that direction because of the momentum that is already behind it. Momentum investing is a way to profit from the general human tendency to extrapolate current trends into the future. It is based on that gap in time before the mean reversion occurs, i.e., before prices become rational again.
Momentum strategies have been known to be alpha-generative over a long period and across market stages. Therefore, this strategy is quite tricky to implement, as detecting these trends is not easy. Here, we have created a strategy to help investors get in on these fast movers and rake in handsome gains. Our screen will help you benefit from long-term price momentum and a short-term pullback in price.
Screening Parameters for Momentum Anomaly StocksPercentage Change in Price (52 Weeks) = Top #50: This selects the top 50 stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks. This parameter ensures we get the best stocks that have appreciated steadily over the past year.
Percentage Change in Price (1 Week) = Bottom #10: From the above 50 stocks, we then choose those that are also among the 10 worst performers over a short one-week period. This parameter picks the ones that have witnessed a short-term pullback in price.
Zacks Rank #1: Stocks sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance irrespective of the market conditions. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Momentum Style Score of B or Better: A top Momentum Style Score knocks out a lot of the screening process, as it takes into account several factors that include volume change and performance relative to its peers. It indicates when the timing is best to grab a stock and take advantage of its momentum with the highest probability of success. Stocks with a Momentum Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), handily outperform other stocks.
Current Price Greater Than $5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5.
Market Capitalization = Top #3000: We have chosen stocks that are among the top 3000 in terms of market value to ensure the stability of price.
Average 20-Day Volume Greater Than 100,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that these stocks are easily tradable.
Here are three of the four stocks that made it through this screen:
Headquartered in Boise, ID, Micron manufactures and sells memory and storage products across the globe. It serves the data center, PC, graphics, networking, automotive, industrial and consumer embedded markets, as well as the smartphone and other mobile-device markets.
The stock has soared 653.3% over the past year but lost 14% over the past week. Micron has a Momentum Score of A.
Headquartered in Fremont, CA, Penguin is a leading provider of memory and AI infrastructure, powering business enterprises, sovereign AI initiatives and neocloud providers. It operates globally through an extensive network of R&D, manufacturing and sales locations.
The stock has surged 165.1% over the past year but declined 19% over the past week. Penguin has a Momentum Score of A.
Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Bloom Energy manufactures, sells and installs solid oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation in the United States and internationally. It empowers enterprises to meet soaring energy demands and responsibly take charge of their power needs.
The stock has surged 750.4% in the past year but declined 19.6% in the past week. Bloom Energy has a Momentum Score of A.
Shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:PECO – Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eight analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $43.4286.
PECO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays increased their target price on Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upped their price objective on shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. from $38.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
Institutional Trading of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CX Institutional boosted its holdings in Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. by 115.5% in the second quarter. CX Institutional now owns 724 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares during the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. by 55.5% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 1,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. by 143.6% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 672 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. Stock Performance PECO stock opened at $43.73 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $40.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.53, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.52. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. has a one year low of $32.84 and a one year high of $43.79.
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:PECO – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.43). Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. had a return on equity of 4.46% and a net margin of 15.61%.The business had revenue of $190.74 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $184.91 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.65 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.790-0.810 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be issued a $0.1083 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 15th. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 141.30%.
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. Company Profile (Get Free Report)
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the acquisition, ownership and operation of grocery-anchored, necessity-based shopping centers. The company’s investment strategy is centered on properties that benefit from everyday consumer demand, seeking to deliver stable cash flows through long-term, triple-net leases with national and regional tenants in the grocery, drugstore and essential retail sectors.
In addition to its core retail portfolio, Phillips Edison & Company provides integrated services covering property management, asset management, leasing, development and acquisition sourcing.
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Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. remains rated Hold due to concerns over asset and credit quality and valuation not justifying a bullish stance. Deposit and loan balances declined in Q1 2026 amid competitive pressures, with uninsured deposits at 22%—below the 30% threshold of concern. Profitability improved as net interest margin rose to 2.63%, but return on assets (0.78%) and equity (9.23%) lagged preferred benchmarks.
SALEM, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oregon Bancorp, Inc. (OTCBB: ORBN) (the “Company”), parent company of Willamette Valley Bank, reported net income of $604 thousand, or $0.24 per share, for the second quarter of 2026. The Company generated a return on average assets of 0.5% and a return on average equity of 3.2%, compared to net income of $431 thousand, or $0.17 per share, for the first quarter of 2026. For the six months ending June 30, 2026, the Company earned $1.0 million, or $0.41 per common sh.
FRANKLIN, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(OTCID: TDCB) — Third Century Bancorp (“Company”), the holding company for Mutual Savings Bank (“Bank”), announced it recorded unaudited net income of $719,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, or $0.62 per basic and diluted share, compared to net income of $374,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, or $0.32 per basic and diluted share. “We delivered a strong second quarter with solid growth and improved performance across the board,” stated David A. Coffe.
Key Takeaways Boston Beer is expected to report Q2 revenues of $579.3M and EPS of $4.99, both down y/y.Weak demand, hard seltzer declines, tariffs and higher promotional spending likely pressured the Q2 results.Strategic pricing, innovation and procurement savings may help offset inflation and tariff-related costs. The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (SAM - Free Report) is likely to register declines in its top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 results on July 23.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $579.3 million, implying a 1.5% decrease from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings has been unchanged in the past 30 days at $4.99 per share. This implies a drop of 8.4% from the year-ago quarter’s actual.
In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 11.4%. SAM has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.7%, on average.
Factors Likely to Have Impacted SAM’s Q2 ResultsBoston Beer’s second-quarter earnings are expected to have faced headwinds from an uncertain macroeconomic environment, with inflation and weak consumer confidence pressuring discretionary spending. This has resulted in soft demand across the beer industry, reflecting a cautious consumer and reduced social activity. Also, structural shifts in consumer behavior are adding to challenges. Trends such as moderation, growing health consciousness and the rising popularity of alternatives like cannabis-infused beverages are gradually reducing alcohol consumption. The impacts of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and increased engagement in activities have been contributing to fewer drinking occasions.
Boston Beer has been witnessing weak depletions and shipment volumes, with continued challenges in the hard seltzer category for a while. The company faces volume pressure from the ongoing weakness in key brands and soft consumer demand trends. The hard seltzer segment remains under pressure, which has been weighing on Truly Hard Seltzer as it faces declining volumes and continued loss of shelf space. Intense competition across flavored malt beverages and tea-based drinks is further straining the shelf space, as retailers streamline assortments and reduce the number of brands they carry.
On its last reported quarter’s earnings call, management projected first-half shipments to trend toward the lower end of its full-year outlook for a low-single-digit to mid-single-digit decline, followed by an improved shipment performance in the second half. The expected first-half weakness primarily reflects difficult year-ago comparisons, as SAM shipped ahead of depletions to support innovation launches and build distributor inventories. This indicates shipment and depletion trends are likely to have been soft in the second quarter.
In addition, tariffs are expected to act as deterrents, particularly through higher aluminum and imported material costs, while ongoing inflation continues to affect input expenses. Boston Beer is seeing higher advertising and promotional spending to support brand recovery and product launches. All the aforesaid factors are likely to have pressured depletions, sales and profitability in the to-be-reported quarter.
On the flip side, Boston Beer’s focus on strategic pricing, product innovation and brand development to strengthen its market position appears encouraging. The company is expanding its presence in the Beyond Beer category, which continues to outpace the traditional beer market. Strong price realization and ongoing procurement savings are helping offset the inflationary and tariff pressures.
What the Zacks Model Unveils for SAM StockOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Boston Beer this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Boston Beer currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3.
Valuation Picture of SAM StockFrom a valuation perspective, Boston Beer stock is trading at a premium relative to the industry benchmarks. The company has a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 17.19X, above the Beverages - Alcohol industry’s average of 14.99X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Boston Beer shares have declined 6.4% in the year-to-date period against the industry’s growth of 12%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are some companies, which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
Fomento Economico Mexicano (FMX - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +37.42% and sports a Zacks Rank #1. The company is likely to register growth in the top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 numbers. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $12.9 billion, which indicates a rise of 19.3% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FMX’s quarterly earnings per share of 82 cents implies growth of 95.2% from the year-ago quarter’s actual. The consensus mark has moved down 10.9% in the past 30 days. FMX has a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 17%, on average.
Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.45% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is likely to register growth in the top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 numbers. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $2.4 billion, which indicates growth of 14.6% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Monster Beverage’s quarterly earnings per share of 59 cents implies a rise of 13.5% from the year-ago quarter’s actual. The consensus mark has been unchanged in the past 30 days. MNST has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.6%, on average.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.60% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is likely to register increases in the top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BUD’s quarterly EPS is pegged at $1.09, up 11.2% from the year-ago period. The consensus mark has been unchanged in the past 30 days.
The consensus estimate for BUD’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $16.3 billion, which implies an increase of 8.6% from the prior-year quarter. BUD has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 4.6%, on average.
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.
Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Headquartered in Jericho, Kimco Realty (KIM - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 28.42% so far this year. The real estate investment trust is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.26 per share, with a dividend yield of 4%. This compares to the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry's yield of 3.88% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.32%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.04 is up 3% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Kimco Realty has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 14.37%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Kimco Realty's current payout ratio is 58%, meaning it paid out 58% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
KIM is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $1.83 per share, with earnings expected to increase 3.98% from the year ago period.
Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.
Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, KIM is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
1:00pm: All eyes on AMD event next week Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD, XETRA:AMD) (Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD, XETRA:AMD), Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD, XETRA:AMD)) hosts its Advancing AI 2026 event next week in San Francisco, its first dedicated AI day since June 2025 when it launched its MI350 series GPUs and previewed its Helios rack system.
Jefferies analysts expect AMD to raise its addressable market estimate for AI CPUs above $200 billion, topping the figure Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD) (Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD), Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD)) (Nvidia Corp (Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD), Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD))) gave in May. They are also watching for more detail on AMD's next-generation MI500 GPUs and scale-up roadmap, along with any new customer announcements.
Expectations center on a potential Anthropic announcement, with Jefferies noting reports that the AI company has been hiring engineers with ROCm experience, which they said suggests Anthropic is preparing to diversify its computing infrastructure.
11:55am: Stocks on track for negative week Global equity markets were pulled lower after tech stocks suffered their worst session since April last year, as renewed concerns about stretched valuations weighed on investor sentiment.
“Major US indices are heading for a weekly loss as the broad technology sell-off gathered pace, with stretched AI valuations and concerns over future spending dragging chipmakers lower, while SpaceX's slide below its IPO price underscored the market's waning appetite for high-growth names," IG's Axel Rudolph commented.
"US data was mixed with unexpectedly rising import prices, housing starts soaring to their highest level in three months and US industrial output growth coming in slightly weaker than expected while consumer sentiment topped forecasts."
10:55am: Netflix momentum slows Netflix's growth story is losing momentum.
Shares were trading over 8% lower Friday after the streaming giant missed second-quarter revenue estimates and guided below Street expectations for the third quarter, the clearest sign yet that its post-password-crackdown growth spurt is fading.
The company narrowly missed on revenue, posting $12.56 billion against Wall Street's $12.59 billion forecast, even as membership gains, price hikes and ad sales all moved in the right direction.
What spooked investors was the outlook: third-quarter revenue guidance of 11% constant-currency growth came in below the Street's 12% call, and full-year guidance was narrowed rather than raised.
Netflix now expects 2026 revenue of $51 billion to $51.4 billion, growth of 13% to 14%, with a 31.5% operating margin and roughly $12.5 billion in free cash flow. For the third quarter, it guided to revenue of $12.86 billion, a 33.2% operating margin and earnings per share of $0.82.
10:00am: Sell-off continues Wall Street opened Friday with a sharp sell-off in technology stocks, as investors weighed fresh concerns about AI valuations, mixed corporate earnings and the prospect of higher interest rates.
Just after the open, the Nasdaq fell to 25,351, down 531 points or 2.1%, while the S&P 500 slipped to 7,459, down 75 points or 1%. The Dow was more resilient, opening at 52,484, down 69 points or 0.1%.
Markets are also digesting a mixed batch of corporate news. Netflix shares dropped after the streaming giant posted mixed quarterly results and announced it would publish viewership data less frequently. Intuitive Surgical also came under pressure after its earnings report and guidance disappointed investors, while SpaceX shares slipped further below their IPO price following an aborted Starship launch.
Adding to the cautious mood, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Phillip Jefferson said the central bank may need to raise interest rates if inflation fails to cool, reviving concerns that borrowing costs could stay higher for longer.
According to Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote, investors are increasingly questioning whether AI-related stocks have become too expensive.
"Valuations across chipmakers have run ahead of themselves," she said, noting that many companies appear "priced to perfection" even as investors grow more concerned about AI overcapacity and the industry's heavy spending.
Investors will now turn their attention to a busy slate of US economic data, including June housing starts, industrial production and the University of Michigan's preliminary July consumer sentiment reading, for further clues on the health of the economy and the Fed's next move.
Ahead of the bell Wall Street looks set to be headed for the red with US stock futures falling on Friday, leaving the major indices on course for weekly losses as the semiconductor sell-off rolled on.
Dow Jones futures slipped 0.6%, and S&P 500 contracts dropped around 0.8%.
Nasdaq-100 futures were the weakest, down about 1.6%, after a soft Wall Street session and the launch of the world's most powerful open AI model by China's Moonshot.
Netflix shed more than 10% in premarket trading after third-quarter revenue guidance fell short, with the streaming group pointing to a "dynamic and competitive" entertainment landscape.
The tech-led rally from March lows has stalled as investors question the scale of corporate spending on artificial intelligence.
The PHLX Semiconductor Index tumbled over 4% on Thursday, and Japan's Nikkei 225 followed with a 4% fall.
Truist Financial and Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) close out the week's earnings, alongside the University of Michigan consumer sentiment reading.
Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB - Free Report) reported $3.28 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 46.1%. EPS of $1.02 for the same period compares to $0.90 a year ago.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.88% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.25 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.98, the EPS surprise was +4.08%.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Fifth Third Bancorp performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Efficiency Ratio (FTE): 64.3% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 57.5%.Net interest margin (FTE): 3.4% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 3.4%.Total nonperforming assets: $1.24 billion compared to the $1.01 billion average estimate based on two analysts.Regulatory Capital Ratios - Tier 1 risk-based Capital: 10.8% versus 10.9% estimated by two analysts on average.Return on average common equity: 9.5% compared to the 10.5% average estimate based on two analysts.Book value per share: $35.56 versus $35.79 estimated by two analysts on average.Average Balance - Total interest-earning assets: $264.99 billion versus $266.2 billion estimated by two analysts on average.Regulatory Capital Ratios - Leverage: 9.2% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 9.3%.Tangible book value per share (including AOCI): $23.15 versus the two-analyst average estimate of $24.17.Return on average assets: 1.1% compared to the 1.2% average estimate based on two analysts.Tangible common equity (including AOCI): 7.3% compared to the 7.4% average estimate based on two analysts.Net charge-off ratio (NCO ratio): 0.3% compared to the 0.3% average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for Fifth Third Bancorp here>>>
Shares of Fifth Third Bancorp have returned +12.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Key Takeaways FITB posts Q2'26 adjusted EPS of $1.02, beating estimates, but shares fall nearly 3.1% in early trading.FITB's NII rises 48% and fee income grows 41%, while non-interest expenses surge 67% year over year.FITB slightly raises its 2026 NII outlook and projects sequential loan and revenue growth in Q3. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.02, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 98 cents. In the prior-year quarter, the company posted EPS of 88 cents.
Results benefited from solid growth in net interest income (NII) and fee income, along with higher loan and deposit balances. Lower provisions for credit losses also offered support. However, a substantial rise in non-interest expenses acted as a headwind. Given the concern, FITB shares declined nearly 3.1% in the early trading session. A full day’s trading session will depict a clearer picture.
Results excluded a negative 19-cent impact of certain items, including merger-related charges, securities repositioning losses, technology-related asset impairments, severance expenses and interchange litigation matters. After considering these, the company reported net income available to common shareholders (GAAP basis) of $763 million, up 29% year over year.
FITB’s Quarterly Revenues & Expenses RiseTotal quarterly revenues (FTE) in the reported quarter were $3.28 billion, which increased 46% year over year. The top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.25 billion.
Fifth Third’s NII (on an FTE basis) for the second quarter was $2.22 billion, up 48% year over year. This improvement primarily reflected the full-quarter contribution from Comerica. Organic loan production, continued fixed-rate asset repricing and disciplined liability management also aided growth.
The net interest margin (NIM) (on an FTE basis) increased to 3.36% from 3.12% in the year-ago quarter.
Non-interest income rose 41% year over year to $1.06 billion. The increase was primarily driven by higher wealth and asset management revenues, commercial payments revenues, consumer banking revenues, capital markets fees and commercial banking revenues, partly offset by a decline in mortgage banking net revenues.
Non-interest expenses surged 67% year over year to $2.11 billion. The increase was primarily due to a rise across all cost components and the inclusion of Comerica acquisition-related costs, including merger and integration expenses.
The efficiency ratio was 64.3%, higher than the year-ago quarter’s 56.2%. An increase in the ratio indicates a deterioration in profitability.
FITB’s Loans & Deposits Increase SequentiallyAs of June 30, 2026, portfolio loans and leases rose 1% to $178.5 billion from the previous quarter. Total deposits increased marginally from the prior quarter to $234.1 billion.
FITB’s Credit Quality: Mixed BagThe company reported a provision for credit losses of $129 million, down 25% from the year-ago quarter.
Total non-performing portfolio loans and leases were $1.04 billion, up from $853 million in the prior-year quarter. However, the non-performing loan ratio improved to 0.58% from 0.70% in the year-ago quarter.
Net charge-offs in the second quarter declined to $135 million or 0.30% of average loans and leases (on an annualized basis) from $139 million or 0.45% in the prior-year quarter.
The total allowance for credit losses rose 23% to $3.15 billion year over year. The allowance for credit losses represented 1.76% of portfolio loans and leases, down from 2.09% in the year-ago quarter.
Fifth Third’s Capital Position WeakensThe CET1 capital ratio was 9.93% compared with 10.58% in the year-ago quarter. The Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio was 10.81% compared with 11.85% in the prior-year quarter.
The leverage ratio declined to 9.20% from 9.42% in the year-ago quarter.
Fifth Third’s Q3 & 2026 GuidanceFor the third quarter of 2026, Fifth Third expects average loans and leases to rise 1% sequentially.
NII is projected to increase 2% to 2.5% from the second-quarter baseline of $2.22 billion, while non-interest income is expected to rise 1% to 3% from the baseline of $1.04 billion.
Adjusted non-interest expenses are expected to decline 1% to 2% sequentially from the second-quarter baseline of $1.86 billion. The net charge-off ratio is projected to be between 30 and 35 basis points, while the effective tax rate is expected to be 22.5%.
For 2026, Fifth Third narrowed its average loans and leases outlook to $174-$176 billion from the prior expectation of the mid-$170 billion range.
The company slightly raised its 2026 NII outlook to $8.74-$8.80 billion from the previous guidance of $8.7-$8.8 billion, driven by the assumption of a higher 4% federal funds rate at year-end 2026 compared with 3.75% previously.
The company now expects non-interest income of $4.06-$4.16 billion, compared with its prior outlook of $4-$4.2 billion.
Adjusted non-interest expense is now expected to be $7.22-$7.26 billion, compared with the prior outlook of $7.2-$7.3 billion, while the net charge-off ratio is still expected to be 30-40 basis points and the effective tax rate 22-23%.
Our Viewpoint on Fifth ThirdStrong growth in NII, driven by the full-quarter contribution from Comerica, organic loan production, fixed-rate asset repricing and disciplined liability management, supported top-line expansion. The company also witnessed solid growth in loans and deposits, reflecting improving business momentum.
Broad-based fee income growth and lower provisions were other positives. The decline in the net charge-off ratio also reflected strong credit performance. However, elevated expenses related to integration activities and the lower year-over-year capital ratios remain near-term concerns.
The Comerica acquisition (completed in February 2026) remains on track for integration, with systems conversion scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Fifth Third expects the conversion to unlock the full $850 million annualized expense synergy run rate in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Fifth Third Bancorp Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseCurrently, Fifth Third carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Performance of Other BanksM&T Bank Corporation (MTB - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 net operating earnings per share of $5.35, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.66. The bottom line compared favorably with earnings of $4.28 per share in the year-ago quarter.
MTB’s results were aided by higher NII and a rise in non-interest income on a year-over-year basis, along with loan growth. However, higher expenses acted as headwinds.
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC - Free Report) has delivered adjusted earnings per share of $4.85 in the second quarter of 2026, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.51 and up from $3.85 a year ago.
Results reflected higher NII, strong fee income growth, an improvement in the NIM and solid loan growth. However, higher expenses and a decline in the deposit balance were headwinds for PNC.
