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Anchorage Digital, the operator of the United States’ federally chartered crypto bank, has added support for Lido, Ethereum’s largest liquid staking protocol. The move gives institutional clients direct, compliant access to wrapped staked Ether (wstETH) entirely within Anchorage Digital’s regulated platform, eliminating the need to move assets to external services.

Institutions can now connect straight to Lido’s decentralized application from Anchorage Digital to mint wstETH by depositing Ether or redeem it back into ETH. wstETH automatically accrues staking rewards from Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network while remaining fully liquid and transferable.

This solves several pain points of traditional ETH staking, including long unbonding periods, the operational burden of running validators, and capital that would otherwise sit idle.

The integration forms part of Anchorage Digital’s broader effort to deliver a complete suite of on-chain capabilities—staking, liquid staking, restaking, governance, and settlement—under institutional-grade custody and compliance controls.

Clients retain full oversight of their positions without introducing new counterparties or fragmenting their operational workflows.

For institutions, the primary advantages center on capital efficiency and flexibility. wstETH can serve as collateral in lending markets, participate in decentralized exchanges, or support cross-chain strategies without first unwinding a stake.

This allows sophisticated allocators to generate yield from Ethereum staking while keeping assets productive across multiple DeFi protocols.

Nathan McCauley, Co-Founder and CEO of Anchorage Digital, described liquid staking as one of the most important building blocks for institutional participation in Ethereum.

He stated that the Lido integration removes the operational and security compromises that have historically kept large investors on the sidelines, advancing the goal of making advanced on-chain infrastructure truly institution-ready.

Kean Gilbert, Head of Institutional Relations at the Lido Ecosystem Foundation, noted that institutional adoption succeeds when access aligns with how institutions actually operate.

He highlighted that bringing wstETH into a major U.S. regulated platform strengthens the role of stETH and the Lido protocol in professional Ethereum staking environments.

Anchorage Digital, founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco, operates under a federal banking charter and holds additional licenses in Singapore and New York (BitLicense).

The company is backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz, GIC, Goldman Sachs, KKR, and Visa, and carries an approximate valuation of $4.2 billion.

Its global footprint includes offices in New York, Singapore, Portugal, and South Dakota.

By embedding Lido’s liquid staking directly into a regulated custody environment, Anchorage Digital lowers barriers for institutions seeking Ethereum yield.

The development reflects the ongoing maturation of on-chain finance, where regulated platforms increasingly bridge traditional institutional requirements with the composability and efficiency of decentralized protocols. As more firms gain seamless access to products like wstETH, participation in Ethereum staking and related DeFi activities is expected to grow among professional allocators seeking both yield and operational simplicity.

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Last Updated: July 7, 2026

Dogecoin is trading near $0.077 on July 7, 2026, down about 2.9% in 24 hours but still up 3.4% over the past week, and the coin’s most substantive non-price storyline right now is real-world payments infrastructure rather than speculation about Elon Musk. ÐOGE Pay, the Dogecoin-first checkout system launched by House of Doge and MoonPay across more than 6,000 merchants on June 9, is moving toward a full rollout targeted for Q3 2026 — a concrete adoption push that stands in contrast to years of unconfirmed rumors about Dogecoin payments on X.

Key Takeaways DOGE trades around $0.077, down roughly 2.9% in 24 hours but up 3.4% over the past week, continuing to underperform the broader crypto market’s 7.1% weekly gain. ÐOGE Pay, launched June 9 by House of Doge (the Dogecoin Foundation’s commercial arm) and MoonPay, already covers more than 6,000 merchants and charges a competitive 1% processing fee, with full rollout planned for Q3 2026. House of Doge separately struck a partnership with Paxos — the crypto infrastructure provider behind platforms like PayPal and Venmo — to integrate Dogecoin into major fintech platforms, though no consumer-facing timeline has been confirmed. Speculation about Dogecoin payment integration on X (formerly Twitter) remains the most-cited catalyst for a bigger DOGE move, but Musk’s direct influence on price appears to have weakened — a March 2026 “Doge father” video from him barely moved the market. DOGE’s regulatory footing has also improved in 2026, following its classification as a digital commodity and the launch of its first spot ETF on Nasdaq. Dogecoin Market Overview MetricValuePrice (DOGE/USD)~$0.07724h Change-2.9%7-Day Change+3.4%ÐOGE Pay Merchant Coverage6,000+ (as of June 9 launch)ÐOGE Pay Processing Fee1%Full Rollout TargetQ3 2026 Data sourced from CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. Prices are volatile and change continuously — confirm with a live source before trading.

Dogecoin Price Analysis DOGE’s pullback to $0.077 keeps it within its recent trading range, still anchored around the closely watched $0.072 support level that has held since June. The token continues to underperform the broader market’s recovery, a pattern that has persisted through most of 2026 even as Dogecoin’s underlying fundamentals — regulatory clarity, ETF access, and now real merchant payment rails — have genuinely improved. That gap between fundamentals and price is the central tension in DOGE’s current setup.

Why Is Dogecoin News Dominated by ÐOGE Pay Today? What Actually Launched On June 9, House of Doge and MoonPay announced a partnership enabling native Dogecoin payments across MoonPay’s existing network of more than 6,000 merchants, alongside ÐOGE Pay, a new Dogecoin-first checkout solution. Merchants can embed Dogecoin payments directly into their checkout flows with streamlined onboarding and a 1% processing fee — competitive with, or cheaper than, many traditional card processing rates.

Why the Q3 Timeline Matters While the MoonPay integration is already live across thousands of merchant locations, House of Doge has targeted Q3 2026 for a fuller rollout, suggesting the current merchant count represents an early phase rather than the ceiling of the initiative. Because this is a concrete, dated commercial deployment rather than a rumor, it gives traders and merchants alike an actual milestone to watch, rather than the open-ended speculation that has surrounded Dogecoin payments in the past.

The Paxos Angle: A Bigger Fintech Bridge Separately, House of Doge struck a partnership with Paxos, the regulated infrastructure provider that powers crypto functionality behind consumer platforms including PayPal and Venmo. No confirmed timeline exists yet for Dogecoin to appear directly within those consumer apps, but the partnership signals House of Doge is pursuing multiple parallel paths — direct merchant checkout via MoonPay, and potential mainstream fintech app integration via Paxos — to expand where DOGE can actually be spent.

Musk Speculation Persists, But Its Price Impact Has Faded Elon Musk’s connection to Dogecoin remains the most frequently cited reason retail traders expect a bigger DOGE breakout, particularly around unconfirmed speculation of Dogecoin payment support on X. However, that narrative’s actual market impact appears to be fading: when Musk posted an AI-generated “Doge father” video in March 2026, the price barely reacted, a notable shift from Dogecoin’s history of sharp Musk-driven rallies.

What This Means for the Days Ahead The clearest near-term catalyst to watch is progress toward ÐOGE Pay’s Q3 2026 full rollout — expansion beyond the initial 6,000 merchants, additional processor partnerships, or transaction volume disclosures would all signal the initiative is gaining real traction rather than stalling after launch. On the Paxos front, any announcement of a specific consumer app integration timeline (PayPal, Venmo, or similar) would mark a meaningful upgrade from the current “partnership announced, no launch date” status. Musk-related speculation will likely continue generating headlines regardless of substance, but recent price reactions suggest the market is increasingly discounting it in favor of these more concrete payments developments.

Dogecoin Support and Resistance Levels Level TypePrice ZoneSignificanceKey Resistance 2~$0.11Upside target if Bitcoin’s broader recovery extendsKey Resistance 1~$0.085–$0.09Near-term ceiling from recent price actionCurrent Price~$0.077—Key Support 1~$0.072Most-watched technical support on the chartKey Support 2~$0.065Deeper support if $0.072 fails to hold Support and resistance zones reflect recent price structure and are illustrative, not guaranteed — confirm with a live charting tool before trading.

Compare Crypto Prices Today CoinLive Price PageBitcoinBTC Price — see Bitcoin News TodayEthereumETH Price — see Ethereum News TodayXRPXRP Price — see XRP News TodaySolanaSOL PriceBNBBNB PriceTronTRX Price For the broader market backdrop, see today’s Crypto Market Today and the full Crypto News Today roundup.

Where to Buy Dogecoin Dogecoin is available on virtually every major centralized exchange (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken) and can now also be accessed through regulated spot ETFs, including the 21Shares TDOG product on Nasdaq, for investors who prefer brokerage-based exposure. As ÐOGE Pay expands, an increasing number of everyday merchants will also accept DOGE directly at checkout. Always verify exchange legitimacy and regional availability before depositing funds.

Readers curious how payment-focused crypto projects fit into the broader Web3 landscape may find our guide to how blockchain works useful background, alongside our explainer on AI crypto coins and projects.

Frequently Asked Questions What is the price of Dogecoin today? Dogecoin is trading around $0.077 as of July 7, 2026, down about 2.9% over the past 24 hours but up 3.4% over the past week.

What is ÐOGE Pay? ÐOGE Pay is a Dogecoin-first checkout solution launched by House of Doge and MoonPay on June 9, 2026, enabling native Dogecoin payments across more than 6,000 merchants with a 1% processing fee. A full rollout is planned for Q3 2026.

Is Dogecoin coming to PayPal or Venmo? House of Doge has partnered with Paxos, the infrastructure provider behind PayPal and Venmo's crypto features, but no confirmed timeline exists yet for Dogecoin to appear directly within those consumer apps.

Does Elon Musk still move Dogecoin's price? His influence appears to have weakened. A March 2026 "Doge father" video Musk posted barely affected DOGE's price, a shift from Dogecoin's history of sharp Musk-driven rallies in prior years.

Is Dogecoin a good investment right now? This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Dogecoin's fundamentals have improved through regulatory clarity and payment adoption, but its price continues to underperform the broader market — do your own research and consider your risk tolerance before investing. Research + write bitcoin-news-today updateResearch + write ethereum-news-today updateResearch + write xrp-news-today updateResearch + write crypto-market-today updateResearch + write crypto-news-today updateResearch + write dogecoin-price updateVerify all 6 articlesResearch main news hook + rewrite Bitcoin news todayResearch main news hook + rewrite Ethereum news todayResearch main news hook + rewrite XRP news todayResearch main news hook + rewrite Crypto market todayResearch main news hook + rewrite Crypto news todayResearch main news hook + rewrite Dogecoin priceVerify all 6 rewritten articlesdogecoin-price.mdethereum-news-today.mdbitcoin-news-today.mdxrp-news-today.mdcrypto-news-today.mdcrypto-market-today.mdUploadsblockchainreporter.net-organic-keywords-sub_2026-07-07_09-28-03.csvblockchainreporter.net-top-pages-subdomains_2026-07-07_09-23-43.csvConnectorsWeb Search

AUTHOR

Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.

I keep hitting the buy button on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction), and the July 30 earnings report is not slowing me down. Every payday, I add a few more shares. The reasons are boring, repeatable, and they stack in my favor over years, which is the profile I want in a core holding heading into retirement. Here is what keeps pulling me back.

A cash machine that pays me to wait Apple generated $111.48 billion in operating cash flow in FY25 and returned $90.71 billion to shareholders through buybacks that same year. In April, the board authorized another $100 billion repurchase program and raised the quarterly dividend 4% to $0.27. Total capital returned since the program began now exceeds $1 trillion. The 0.34% yield looks small in isolation, but paired with ROE of 171.4% and ROIC of 53.3%, I am fine with management compounding capital inside the business instead of mailing it out.

The Services engine keeps widening the moat Q2 FY26 revenue reached $111.18 billion, up 16.6% year over year, with iPhone at $56.99 billion and Services at an all-time record $30.98 billion. Services gross margin ran at 76.7% on a base of over 2.5 billion active devices. That is a high-margin annuity riding on hardware customers already own. Tim Cook described Apple Intelligence as “woven into the core of our platforms”, and MacBook Neo demand is running so hot he flagged the company was “supply constrained”. Greater China grew 28% in the March quarter. Management guided June-quarter revenue growth of 14% to 17% with gross margin of 47.5% to 48.5%. That is what the July 30 report will confirm.

An earnings track record I trust Apple has delivered nine consecutive beats, with the last quarter posting an EPS of $2.01 against a $1.94 estimate. In the 30 days after that May report, shares rose 10.75%, outpacing SPY by 6.09 percentage points. Over the past year the stock is up 45.86%, and over ten years it is up 1,313.91% on a split-adjusted basis. That is the kind of compounding I plan around.

The risk I actually respect China exposure and the supply chain keep me disciplined. Greater China revenue was $20.50 billion last quarter, and Cook warned that “significantly higher memory costs” will pressure the June quarter. Add the CEO handoff to John Ternus effective September 1, 2026 and the execution bar is real. My response: those memory costs are already baked into the 47.5% to 48.5% margin guide, and Ternus is a 25-year Apple veteran inheriting a roadmap Cook publicly called “incredible”.

Why the buy button stays active At a P/E of 40 on a business printing 26.9% net margins at a $4.53 trillion market cap, Apple looks pricey on the screen and reasonable on the cash it will send my account over the next decade. I plan to keep buying through July 30, and the quarter after that, and the one after that.

Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Apple didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.

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The gains came amid improving analyst sentiment and growing investor optimism over Meta’s long-term artificial intelligence monetization strategy.

Erste Group upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, while BNP Paribas reiterated its Outperform rating ahead of second-quarter earnings.

BNP Paribas said Meta remains well-positioned to sustain revenue growth despite rising AI infrastructure spending and sees a potential future cloud offering as an additional long-term growth opportunity.

Analyst Outlook Ahead Of EarningsBNP Paribas reiterated its Outperform rating and $955 price forecast on Meta ahead of the company’s expected earnings release in the last week of July.

Senior analyst Nick Jones said investors are likely to focus on Meta’s capital spending plans, AI product development, a potential cloud offering and subscription adoption trends.

The analyst expects second-quarter revenue growth to slow from prior quarters because of temporary factors but believes the company can maintain long-term top-line momentum.

Revenue And Earnings ExpectationsBNP Paribas said Meta’s valuation suggests investors remain cautious about earnings growth, the scale of AI investments, returns on those investments, competition in artificial intelligence and the broader macroeconomic environment.

Jones said investors are expecting second-quarter revenue growth of 27% to 29% year over year, compared with the consensus estimate of 27%. He also expects GAAP diluted earnings per share above $7.40, versus the Street consensus of $7.19.

For the third quarter, BNP Paribas believes investors are looking for revenue guidance of $62 billion to $64 billion, compared with the consensus estimate of $63.2 billion.

AI Spending Remains In FocusThe analyst also expects Meta to raise its 2026 capital expenditure outlook by at least $10 billion from its current $125 billion to $145 billion range as higher component costs continue to inflate AI infrastructure spending.

Despite slowing user growth as Meta’s platforms approach saturation, BNP Paribas said engagement remains a key strength. The firm estimates Meta accounts for more than 40% of time spent across major social media platforms, nearly double that of its next-largest competitor. That, it said, should support continued growth in revenue per daily active person.

BNP Paribas expects Meta to fund its elevated AI investments through stronger monetization of AI features, advertising market share gains, subscription revenue and the optionality of a future cloud offering.

Meta Platforms Technical AnalysisMeta is trading about 5.4% above its 20-day simple moving average and slightly above its 50-day moving average. However, the stock remains below both its 100-day and 200-day moving averages, suggesting the longer-term trend has yet to turn positive.

Momentum indicators have improved. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) remains above its signal line, indicating selling pressure has eased.

Even so, the broader trend remains cautious. The 20-day moving average is still below the 50-day average, while the 50-day average remains below the 200-day average following a death cross that formed in December 2025.

Technical analysts are watching resistance near $643, close to the 200-day moving average. Initial support sits around $595 near the 50-day moving average.

Earnings Remain The Next Major CatalystAttention is now shifting to Meta’s expected second-quarter earnings report, estimated for July 29, 2026, which could shape the stock’s next move.

Wall Street expects earnings per share of $7.18, up from $7.14 a year earlier. Revenue is projected to increase to $60.22 billion from $47.52 billion.

The stock trades at roughly 21.8 times earnings and carries a consensus Buy rating. The average analyst price forecast stands at $826.88. Recent analyst actions include:

Erste Group upgraded the stock to Buy on Tuesday. Wells Fargo maintained an Overweight rating and raised its price forecast to $767 on July 2. RBC Capital Markets reiterated its Outperform rating with an $810 price forecast on June 1. Meta Platforms Price ActionMETA Stock Price Activity: Meta Platforms shares were up 1.42% at $608.83 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Only one company in history has ever been worth $5 trillion: Nvidia (NVDA +0.55%) itself. The chipmaker first crossed the mark last October, then slipped back below it. After closing Monday at about $195.55 per share, the chipmaker carried a market value of roughly $4.74 trillion. That leaves it less than 6% below a milestone no other business has ever touched.

So how close is Nvidia, exactly, and what would it take to get there? The math is simple, and the underlying business is firing on all cylinders.

Image source: Getty Images.

The number that gets it there With about 24.2 billion shares outstanding, Nvidia crosses $5 trillion at a share price of roughly $206. From Monday's close near $195.55, that's a gain of a little more than $10 per share, or about 5.5%. Put another way, Nvidia needs to add about $260 billion in market value. That is a rounding error for a company this size, though it still exceeds the entire market value of most companies in the S&P 500.

With that said, shares are down slightly on Tuesday, so the stock will need to add a bit more than that, but the point remains: it's extremely close.

For a stock that has climbed more than 350% over the past three years on the back of the AI boom, a move that small is nothing. Nvidia has gained that much in a single day more than once. So the $5 trillion mark is less a distant summit than a step the stock could clear on any morning of good news.

What could close the gap, or widen it The case for Nvidia getting there soon rests on the same thing that got it here: extraordinary demand for its chips. In its fiscal first quarter (the period ended April 26, 2026), revenue rose 85% year over year to a record $81.6 billion. Data center revenue climbed 92% to $75.2 billion. Management then guided for about $91 billion in revenue this quarter, another sharp step up.

"The buildout of AI factories -- the largest infrastructure expansion in human history -- is accelerating at extraordinary speed," said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings release. As long as that spending holds, the earnings power behind the stock keeps growing.

But the gap can widen just as easily, and it's widening today. Case in point: Tuesday morning's sell-off, part of a broader memory-led chip sell-off after Samsung's preliminary record quarterly profit forecast, which still wasn't enough for Wall Street, stoked fresh worries about how long the AI boom can last. That's the near-term headwind. Sentiment toward the whole sector has turned jumpy, and Nvidia rarely trades apart from it.

Meanwhile, the longer-term risks are familiar ones. Nvidia's biggest customers, including Amazon and Alphabet, are designing their own chips to lean less on it, which could soften Nvidia's pricing power over time. And the semiconductor industry has always moved in cycles, so today's demand surge probably won't run this hot forever.

It's also worth putting the company's sheer size in perspective. At about $4.7 trillion, Nvidia is already worth more than the entire annual output of most of the world's economies, and the last leg to $5 trillion alone would add about the market value of a large-cap company in a single move. That scale is a reminder of how much optimism is already reflected in the price.

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What the milestone actually means At about 30 times trailing earnings and less than 20 times forward earnings, Nvidia isn't priced like a stock that has run out of room. Indeed, that forward multiple is actually significantly cheaper than the broader market -- a reflection of the extraordinary trajectory of the company's underlying earnings. The real question, therefore, isn't the valuation so much as the durability of the demand behind it. If AI spending stays strong, the stock has a clear path well past $5 trillion. If today's sell-off marks the start of a genuine cooling in that spending growth, the milestone could stay out of reach for a while.

Either way, I'd treat the number itself as a curiosity, not a catalyst. What matters for investors is what happens to demand for its chips, not which side of a round number the stock happens to sit on.

Tether Backs Mercado Bitcoin With $20 Million@Tether has led a $20 million strategic financing round in Mercado Bitcoin, the São Paulo-based digital asset platform, to accelerate the build-out of on-chain financial infrastructure across Latin America. The deal signals a broader push by Tether to deploy capital into emerging-market blockchain rails, following a string of similar investments in recent months.

The funding will support the migration of payments, credit, and capital markets onto blockchain infrastructure. Mercado Bitcoin brings an established footprint to the partnership: the platform serves over 4 million clients across 12 years of operation, operates as a cryptocurrency exchange, asset tokenization company, and digital bank, and is Brazil's first crypto unicorn. According to the original announcement, the user base has since grown to 4.5 million.

Regulatory Licenses and Tokenized Asset AmbitionsA key part of the investment rationale is Mercado Bitcoin's regulatory standing. The company holds over 10 licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a Payment Institution license from the Banco Central do Brasil, giving it a regulated framework from which to offer on-chain financial products at scale.

The capital also supports R2B, Mercado Bitcoin's tokenized asset issuance arm. Since launching its asset tokenization unit, MB Tokens, the São Paulo-based exchange has issued more than 340 tokenized products, including tokenized private credit, fixed-income instruments, and revenue-sharing products. The platform ranks as the number one real-world asset token issuer in Brazil and fifth globally.

The investment fits a broader pattern for Tether. Tether Investments functions as an independent arm, deploying capital from Tether's profits into technology and infrastructure. The stablecoin issuer has been active across several deals in 2026, directing funds into Bitcoin infrastructure and financial services platforms globally.

For Mercado Bitcoin, fresh capital from one of the digital asset industry's most prominent names adds both funding and credibility as it competes to position Latin America as a leading region for regulated, on-chain finance. The tokenization of real-world assets is projected to surge from approximately $0.6 trillion in 2025 to nearly $19 trillion by 2033, according to a report by Ripple and Boston Consulting Group.

Sources:
CoinDesk: Mercado Bitcoin to Tokenize $200M in Real-World Assets
Tether.io: Tether Investments Strategy Overview

Bank of America (BAC +0.23%), the second-largest bank in the U.S. by assets, hit a new all-time high today, with the stock topping $60 per share.

Many large bank stocks have had a good year thus far, particularly the investment banks, which have benefited from some massive artificial intelligence initial public offerings.

However, some of the money-center banks, such as Bank of America, have not performed as well. The stock is up about 7.5%, trailing the broader market S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq Bank Index.

Here’s what it means ahead of second-quarter earnings.

Image source: Getty Images.

Overcoming challengesBank of America is viewed as a high-quality banking franchise, with the number one consumer bank, and strong franchises in investment banking, trading, wealth management, and commercial lending.

The Iran war, which has led to higher inflation and higher bond yields, may have derailed some of its momentum because investors are now worried about persistent inflation and whether the Federal Reserve will need to raise interest rates to ensure price stability.

Higher rates can put pressure on the credit profiles of consumers and businesses and stymie lending and investment banking activity.

Bank of America has also long grappled with balance sheet issues that stem from the pandemic, when the bank loaded up on low-yielding, long-duration bonds.

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The bank has nearly $915 billion in bonds still yielding 2.77%, which is depressing earnings somewhat.

Furthermore, the bank locked in nearly $515 billion of bonds into its held-to-maturity folder that are still carrying an unrealized $81 billion loss.

While Bank of America will be able to hold these bonds to maturity and avoid taking these paper losses, it’s still a drag on earnings. Higher rates would likely exacerbate the paper losses as well.

The good news is that Bank of America is just coming off one of its strongest quarters in a while in the first quarter of 2026, having delivered a 16% return on tangible common equity (ROTCE).

Net interest income, the spread revenue banks make on their lending and bond portfolios after paying funding costs, has been building in recent quarters.

Investment banking should be strong as well, given that Bank of America served as one of the five main bookrunners on the massive Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX 5.80%) IPO.

How investors should think about earningsBank of America will report its second-quarter earnings next week on July 14.

Wall Street analysts’ consensus estimates suggest the bank will report revenue of $30.58 billion and earnings per share of $1.14. That implies slight growth from the first quarter, but certainly nothing heroic.

This is not a huge surprise because large banks are mature companies at this point.

Investors will need to see the company beat estimates for the stock to rise, and credit quality, investment banking fees, and net interest income trends will also be top of mind for the market.

With Bank of America trading at a price-to-tangible-book ratio over 2x and near 10-year highs, earnings misses or minor concerns could lead to selling pressure, given the elevated valuation.

BAC Price to Tangible Book Value data by YCharts

That said, I still think Bank of America is a decent long-term investment.

Continued improvements in ROTCE can lead to a higher valuation over time, and eventually the bond portfolio will run off, boosting the company’s earnings power.

Shanghai Disneyland is Disney's highest earning international international resort. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

VCG via Getty Images

Disney has revealed that the total profit payout it receives from one of its theme parks outside the United States passed the $500 million mark last year making it the studio's highest-earning international outpost based on its share of the bottom line.

Surprisingly, the accolade doesn't go to Disneyland Paris even though it generates more revenue than any other Disney park outside the U.S. Instead, Shanghai Disneyland takes the crown of paying more of its profit to its parent than any other international Disney park with the total coming to an eye-watering $516.2 million since the doors to the resort swung open a decade ago.

The sprawling site on the eastern edge of Shanghai encompasses two hotels, a lake, an entertainment district and a fairytale-themed park which Disney's former chief executive Bob Iger famously described as being "authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese." There is good reason for this. Instead of creating a carbon-copy of Disney's American theme parks, its designers, who are known as Imagineers due to their imaginative use of engineering, tailored the Shanghai site to the local market. Everything was customized, from the park's layout and attraction lineup right down to its wide range of Chinese food.

It has cast a powerful spell as Shanghai Disney welcomed its 100 millionth guest in November last year and it isn't stopping there. At an event marking its tenth anniversary last month the resort announced that it is building a third on-site hotel, called the Disney Enchanted Star, with a fourth property also under development to cater for the surging demand.

According to the latest data from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), attendance at Shanghai Disneyland rose 5% to 14.7 million in 2024 driven by the opening of a new land themed to the Oscar-winning computer animated movie Zootopia. This made it the world's fifth most-visited theme park but the magic touch it has on Disney's bottom line has remained a closely-guarded secret. Until now.

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Shanghai Disneyland has surged in popularity since the opening of its 'Zootopia' land. (Photo by Tang Yanjun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

China News Service via Getty Images

Disney doesn't list the results of individual parks in its filings in the United States and China's companies register isn't public. However, recent filings for an obscurely-named company in the United Kingdom have lifted the curtain on the fortunes of Shanghai Disneyland.

Unlike Disney's theme parks in the United States, the resort is a public-private partnership between the media giant and China's state-owned Shanghai Shendi Group.

Disney only has a 43% stake in the company which owns the resort itself with the remainder in Shendi's hands. In contrast, Shendi is a minority shareholder in the resort's management company which is controlled by Disney through its 70% stake. In return, Disney receives royalties as well as a management fee based on the operating performance of the resort.

Disney’s shares in the resort and the management company are held by a wholly-owned subsidiary called WD Holdings (Shanghai) in Burbank, California. It pays dividends from its profits to the Disney companies which directly own it. Precisely 47% of WD Holdings is owned by The Walt Disney Company Limited in London which files publicly-available financial statements. Its latest set of filings were released recently and show that its dividends from WD Holdings began in 2019 and peaked at $57.7 million (£43.1 million) last year as I recently revealed in the Daily Mail.

This only represents 47% of the dividend so the full amount for 2025 is $122.7 million (£91.7 million) as the chart below shows. The dividend hit its lowest level in 2021 when it crashed by 60.3% to $25.9 million (£18.9 million) the midst of the pandemic. It has surged since then, thanks partly to the opening in December 2023 of the new Zootopia land. Is the first and only theme park area based on the film which was a huge hit in China.

Dividends paid by Shanghai Disneyland's holding company

MSM

A massive 23.1% of Zootopia's $1 billion box office was generated in China while a sequel last year did even better. It hauled in $630 million from China making it the highest-grossing Hollywood film in Chinese history. The theme park land capitalizes on this.

Home to a cutting-edge roving simulator ride, it is filled with brightly-colored buildings which have robotic replicas of the characters from the film peering out of their windows. Disney put more than 260 Zootopia products on sale in the park and created themed food for its restaurants. More than 532 tons of its pink paw-shaped pawpsicles alone have been sold. It has given a glow to Disney's bottom line.

'Zootopia' fans can try real-life pawpsicles in Shanghai Disneyland. (Photo by Tang Yanjun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

China News Service via Getty Images

Three of its four international parks either don’t pay a dividend or only pay small sums. Disney doesn’t own its resort in Tokyo, which is run by specialist leisure operator Oriental Land Company (OLC). In return for licensing its intellectual property, OLC pays Disney royalties but not a a share of its profits. Disneyland Paris pays both but the only time it has paid out a share of its profits was in 1993 when its dividend yielded just $10.2 million (FF56.6 million) for Disney as I recently reported in The Guardian.

Likewise, Hong Kong has one of the smallest Disney parks and in 2024, following the opening of a land themed to the Oscar-winning film Frozen it made its highest-ever profit of $107.8 million (HK$838 million) which is lower than the dividend its counterpart in Shanghai paid out last year.

Shanghai's total profit payout of $516.2 million (£392.8 million) is the highest of any of Disney's international parks and doesn't even include any royalties as they are paid directly to one of its U.S. subsidiaries so they aren't shown on the U.K. filings. The total dividend for last year will actually be even higher than the amount reported in the financial statements as Disney shuffled its Shanghai shares into yet another subsidiary mid-way through 2025 and the filings for this entity are confidential.

Disney’s theme parks produced 57% of its $17.6 billion operating income and nearly 40% of its $94.4 billion revenue in 2025 which explains why the company is doubling down on them. It has earmarked $60 billion for investment in its theme park division by 2033 with a new Spider-Man themed roller coaster coming to Shanghai and a second park widely expected to get the green light as this report explained.

Nevertheless, in line with its ownership stake, it is understood that Disney covered around 43% of the estimated $5.5 billion construction cost of its resort in Shanghai so despite banking a string of blockbuster dividends from it, the studio is still waiting for its happy ending.

Additional reporting by Chris Sylt

Key Takeaways Snowflake AI adoption continues to grow across thousands of customer accounts. SNOW expanded enterprise AI partnerships with Thomson Reuters and Sanofi. Snowflake forecasts 30% year-over-year product revenue growth for fiscal Q2 2027. Snowflake (SNOW - Free Report) is benefiting from the accelerating adoption of its AI Data Cloud, which is fundamentally transforming how organizations leverage data and artificial intelligence to drive productivity and innovation. The rapid adoption of new AI-driven products like Snowflake Intelligence and Cortex Code (CoCo) remains noteworthy.

In the fiscal first quarter, Snowflake delivered more than 20% more product capabilities than last year. This includes new features in CoCo and Snowflake Intelligence. These products are seeing the fastest uptake in Snowflake’s history, with CoCo already in use by more than 7,100 accounts and Snowflake Intelligence more than doubling quarter over quarter. New customers such as Holiday Inn Club Vacations and Houzz selected Snowflake as the foundation for their data and AI transformation initiatives. The adoption of Snowflake AI capabilities continued to expand, with more than 13,600 accounts now leveraging these solutions.

Further expanding its AI footprint through partnerships, in June 2026, Snowflake announced that Thomson Reuters is building its enterprise AI and data platform on the Snowflake AI Data Cloud to deliver trusted, governed intelligence at scale. The collaboration enables faster analytics, modernizes legacy systems with Snowflake CoCo and supports enterprise AI innovation using Snowflake Cortex.

Snowflake also announced that Sanofi launched its “Concierge for Field,” an AI agent built with Snowflake Cortex AI to help sales representatives prepare for physician visits in seconds. The collaboration also supports Sanofi's broader deployment of AI agents across R&D, procurement, IT, HR and field sales to accelerate innovation and drug development.

Snowflake’s growing customer base, combined with its rapid product innovation, positions the company for continued upside. Snowflake expects fiscal second-quarter 2027 product revenues in the range of $1.415-$1.420 billion, implying 30% year-over-year growth.

SNOW Suffers From Stiff CompetitionSnowflake is facing stiff competition from the likes of major players like Oracle (ORCL - Free Report) and Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) , which are also expanding their footprint in the AI space.

Amazon’s AI initiatives gained significant momentum during the first quarter of 2026. Amazon’s cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services’ chips business, including Graviton, Trainium, and Nitro, exceeded a $20 billion annual revenue run rate and is growing triple-digit percentages year over year.

Oracle’s expanding portfolio has been noteworthy. In June 2026, Oracle introduced Oracle OPERA Cloud Assistant, a suite of AI-powered capabilities built into OPERA Cloud that automates guest room assignments, generates AI-driven rate descriptions, supports multilingual operations across 230 countries and territories and gives hotel staff real-time operational guidance.

SNOW’s Share Price Performance, Valuation, and EstimatesSnowflake shares have gained 19.5% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s increase of 14.7%. The Internet Software industry has declined 11.2% in the same time frame.

SNOW Stock Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Snowflake stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio of 13.55X compared with the Internet Software industry’s 3.78X. SNOW has a Value Score of F.

SNOW's Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SNOW’s fiscal 2027 earnings is pegged at $1.96 per share, which has been unchanged over the past 30 days. The figure indicates a 56.80% year-over-year increase. 

Snowflake 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 LMND benefits from AI-led underwriting, claims automation and rising multi-policy adoption.In-force premium reached $1.33 billion, marking the 10th consecutive quarter of accelerating growth.Lemonade's reinsurance strategy, improving margins and positive free cash flow support its profitability path. Shares of Lemonade (LMND - Free Report) have gained 88.7% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s growth of 8.2%.

Strong premium growth, improving underwriting performance and continued progress toward profitability have driven the stock. Growth in in-force premium, expanding multi-policy adoption, Lemonade auto and its AI-driven platform have supported revenue growth and operating efficiency. While sustained premium growth, improving profitability and higher customer retention could support further upside, the stock's premium valuation may limit multiple expansion. The company has surpassed earnings estimates in each of the last four quarters, with an average of 25.8%.

Lemonade’s shares have outperformed its peers, including EverQuote Inc. (EVER - Free Report) and Hamilton Insurance (HG - Free Report) , which have gained 7% and 63.4%, respectively, while Root Inc. (ROOT - Free Report) has lost 46.5% in a year.

1-Year Price Performance: LMND, EVER, HG, ROOT & Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Growth Estimates for LMNDThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 and 2027 earnings indicates a 23.6% and 49% year-over-year increase, respectively.

The consensus estimates for 2026 and 2027 revenues suggest year-over-year improvements. LMND has a Growth Score of A.

Muted Analysts' Sentiment on LMNDThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMND's 2026 and 2027 earnings has witnessed southbound movement, respectively, in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Factors in Favor of LMNDLemonade's AI-driven operating model enhances underwriting, pricing, claims automation and customer service, supporting a scalable, low-cost business model. The company's operating efficiency continues to improve, with in-force premium per employee exceeding $1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, nearly tripling over the past four years. Meanwhile, underwriting performance continues to improve, with the gross loss ratio declining despite winter storm-related losses. Disciplined underwriting and favorable prior-year reserve development drove a 159% increase in gross profit in the first quarter, reinforcing the company's path toward sustained profitability.

Pet Insurance and Lemonade Auto continue to post strong growth, while rising multi-policy adoption improves customer retention and lifetime value, supporting long-term premium growth. Its multi-product strategy enhances customer lifetime value through cross-selling opportunities while supporting a recurring, subscription-like revenue model. Strong customer retention and engagement continue to fuel growth, with management forecasting 32% revenue growth for the second quarter and 33% for full-year 2026.

Lemonade’s in-force premium (IFP) reached $1.33 billion at the end of first-quarter 2026, marking the 10th straight quarter of accelerating growth. This momentum reflects the growing contribution of its AI- and automation-driven platform, which enables efficient scaling. Customer growth and higher premiums per customer continue to drive premium expansion. Management has outlined a long-term goal of increasing IFP to $10 billion.

A major strength of the business is its reinsurance strategy, which shifts a substantial portion of claims risk to partners, helping stabilize earnings and reduce volatility. Strong premium growth and a lower reinsurance ceding rate enable the company to retain a larger share of premiums, contributing to revenues. Management expects the favorable reinsurance structure to continue supporting results through at least mid-2026.

Although profitability remains a challenge, margins are improving, free cash flow has turned positive, and management expects EBITDA profitability by the fourth quarter of 2026. Lemonade exited the first quarter with approximately $1.1 billion in cash and investments and raised its full-year 2026 outlook, reflecting confidence in sustained premium growth, improving profitability and continued business momentum.

Risks for LMNDLemonade's premium valuation remains a key concern. It trades at a 12-month trailing price-to-book ratio of 11.67X, well above the industry average of 2.96X and its three-year median of 3.97X. The elevated valuation leaves limited room for multiple expansion.

The company's results also remain exposed to catastrophe losses. Although weather-related claims were manageable in the first quarter, severe storms, hurricanes, wildfires or other catastrophic events could materially increase claims costs, pressure underwriting margins and lead to earnings volatility.

Additionally, Lemonade continues to invest heavily in customer acquisition. Sales and marketing expenses rose more than 50% year over year in the first quarter of 2026. These could weigh on margins if customer acquisition and retention fail to deliver adequate returns. While marketing efficiency remains strong, maintaining it will be important for long-term profitability.

ConclusionLemonade is well-positioned for long-term growth, supported by strong premium expansion, an AI-driven operating model and improving profitability. Its diversified product portfolio, disciplined underwriting and reinsurance strategy strengthen its competitive position. Its favorable growth estimates and positive free cash flow are other positives.

However, given a premium valuation and catastrophe exposure remain key risks, it is wise to adopt a wait-and-see approach for this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) insurer. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

SK Hynix's Nasdaq listing can not only reset the AI memory trade but also accelerate it. The company is weaponizing Wall Street to ensure it retains its leadership position in the hottest market since the AI boom started booming.

With control of approximately 60% of the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, which is critical for advanced computing, the opportunity is for investors to gain share in a leading memory pure-play at a discount to its peers. Estimates have SK Hynix Korean listing trading at approximately 8x forward earnings compared to Micron’s NASDAQ: MU 13.5x, suggesting an easy double-digit upside immediately upon listing.

While the upside potential for SK Hynix's U.S. listingis robust, there are a few things for investors to consider, the primary one being volatility. The listing will include the issuance of new shares, representing approximately 2.5% of the existing share count, which will provide a slight headwind for price action.

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The offset will likely be massive institutional backing, with several high-profile firms committing to large stakes. Institutional backers include Situational Awareness Partners, an investment firm founded by a former OpenAI researcher, and Coatue Management, a U.S.-based firm focused on technology.

SK Hynix Throws Down the Gauntlet, Micron Will RespondSK Hynix's U.S. listing is expected to raise as much as $28 billion in new capital. The money will be used to accelerate expansion plans and buy new equipment, both critical to meeting demand and maintaining product timelines.

The company is strengthening ties with NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA, ensuring it can deliver next-gen products when needed, including HBM4. HBM4 is critical to AI, as it breaks down the memory wall by enabling skyrocketing bandwidth with low power consumption, doubling the speed of HBM3 versions, and offering approximately 75% more memory capacity. The impact on AI will be tremendous.

Catalysts for SK Hynix's share price include the robust demand for HBM products, which are sold out through 2027, and pricing power. HBM memory pricing is up by high double digits, underpinning growth for SK Hynix and Micron, and is expected to remain hot for the foreseeable future. SK Hynix removed pricing caps that had been in place, allowing it to capture maximum upside while the HBM shortage persists.

Micron Technology Today

MU

Micron Technology

$922.66 -62.09 (-6.31%)

As of 02:45 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$103.38▼

$1,255.00Dividend Yield0.07%

P/E Ratio20.90

Price Target$1,263.76

Micron, however, is not sitting idly by, allowing SK Hynix to gain share. It is actively expanding its own manufacturing capacity and HBM4 technology, including a major HBM4 hub in Japan, and realigning its die process to more closely align with NVIDIA standards so it can capture a larger share.

The likely outcome is that Micron breaks SK Hynix's near-monopoly with NVIDIA while cementing its position in the industry. Micron is also capitalizing on its unique position as the U.S.'s only domestic-based memory manufacturer, expanding facilities in Idaho and New York.

Micron May Experience Headwinds—Sell-Side Data Says Buy the DipWhile Micron’s outlook is equally bullish, there is potential for its share price action to lag SK Hynix, at least in the near- to mid-term. The risk is that investors will take profits and reduce their holdings of MU in order to shift capital into SK Hynix. In this scenario, the best-case is that MU’s stock price moves sideways within a range near existing highs, while the worst-case is that it experiences a more robust correction than it already has. Down more than 20% from its post-earnings highs as of early July, Micron’s share price could shed another 30% before hitting solid support.

The caveat is that sell-side interest, as reflected in the analysts and institutional data, remains very bullish on Micron, with a triple-strength tailwind in place. MarketBeat data reveal 38 analysts covering the name, a 92% Buy-side bias in the Buy consensus, and more than 35% upside potential relative to early-July support targets, with coverage rising, sentiment firming, and price targets trending higher over the near-, mid-, and long-term. It is not the consensus figures that matter but the trends, which are leading to the high range and suggest more than 100% is still ahead.

Micron’s stock price action reflects market strength, with a bullish MACD convergence. The MACD, or moving average convergence/divergence, measures market strength and momentum and, in this case, shows a strong, strengthening market more likely to retest its recent highs and move higher than to continue moving lower. The only question is the timing, and that may be by year’s end. Upcoming catalysts include Micron’s fiscal Q4 earnings release in September, along with reports from NVIDIA and Advanced Micro Devices NASDAQ: AMD, which are expected to confirm that AI demand continues to grow.

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

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

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Tesla, Nvidia, and Google helped shape the last era of market growth, but the next wave could come from a new group of companies. Inside this report, you’ll find 7 stocks that could play a major role in the next tech-driven market boom.

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When investors think about MercadoLibre (MELI +1.11%), they typically think of one of the world's best growth stories. The company has spent years building Latin America's leading e-commerce marketplace, while simultaneously growing Mercado Pago into one of the region's largest digital financial platforms.

Yet, despite another year of impressive operating results, the stock hasn't rewarded investors as it once did. So what's happening?

The answer isn't slowing growth. It's that investors have become increasingly concerned about MercadoLibre's cost of maintaining that growth.

Image source: Getty Images.

Growth isn't the problem By almost every operating measure, MercadoLibre is executing exceptionally well. Revenue has grown by more than 30% year over year to $29 billion, supported by healthy increases in gross merchandise volume, unique buyers, and payment volume.

Payments platform Mercado Pago is attracting new users while expanding deeper into lending, investments, and digital banking. Meanwhile, the company is investing billions of dollars to strengthen its logistics network and payments infrastructure across Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.

These aren't the numbers of a business that's losing momentum. Instead, they reinforce the same long-term investment thesis that has driven MercadoLibre's success for years: Latin America's digital economy remains underpenetrated, and the company continues to strengthen its leadership position.

If growth were the only thing investors cared about, MercadoLibre's stock would probably be performing much better.

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Investors are becoming less tolerant of lower margins Instead, the market's attention has shifted to profitability.

During 2025, MercadoLibre increased spending on logistics, lowered free-shipping thresholds in Brazil, and leaned more heavily on promotions to defend its competitive position. Those investments helped drive higher engagement and transaction volumes, but they also weighed on operating margins. For perspective, net margin has fallen from 10.5% in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 6.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

That has created a different debate among investors. The question is no longer whether MercadoLibre can continue growing. It's whether that growth is becoming more expensive.

This distinction matters because companies can grow revenue for years while delivering disappointing shareholder returns -- if profitability fails to keep pace. In short, investors have become increasingly focused on whether MercadoLibre can eventually convert its scale into stronger earnings and free cash flow.

Competition has intensified in recent years Part of that concern stems from a more competitive landscape.

Shopee, a subsidiary of Sea Limited, has continued expanding aggressively in Brazil through shipping subsidies, attractive seller incentives, and low prices. Another newcomer, Temu, a subsidiary of PDD Holdings, has reset consumer expectations by offering ultra-cheap products shipped directly from China. On the fintech side, Nu Holdings is competing for consumers' wallets and financial relationships.

None of these companies individually poses a threat to MercadoLibre's leadership. Collectively, however, they force MercadoLibre to invest more aggressively to defend its ecosystem. For perspective, the company aims to invest $11 billion in its Brazilian market in 2026, up 50% from 2025.

That has important implications for investors. Competition doesn't have to reduce MercadoLibre's market share to affect the business. Just defending its leadership may require permanently higher logistics spending, more promotions, or lower seller fees, which could impact the company's long-term profitability.

What does it mean for investors? MercadoLibre remains one of the strongest businesses in Latin America. Its marketplace, logistics network, and fintech ecosystem reinforce one another, creating competitive advantages that few companies in the region can match.

But the stock is no longer being judged solely on growth. Investors also want proof that MercadoLibre can translate its expanding ecosystem into improving profitability. Until that happens, the stock may continue to experience volatility, even as the underlying business scales. Long-term investors need to be aware of this.

Cloudflare Inc. NET shares climbed 7% on Tuesday after Scotiabank upgraded the cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity company, citing growing confidence in its long-term role in artificial intelligence infrastructure and raising its price target on the stock.

The brokerage upgraded Cloudflare to Sector Outperform from Sector Perform and increased its price target to $300 from $225, pointing to multiple catalysts that it believes could drive stronger revenue growth over the coming quarters.

Shares of Cloudflare rose after the analyst report, adding to investor optimism surrounding the company's expanding role in AI infrastructure and developer tools.

Scotiabank analyst Patrick Colville said Cloudflare's Workers platform is increasingly becoming a preferred infrastructure layer for AI-generated, or "vibe coded," applications, including OpenAI Codex Sites and Lovable.

"We upgrade our rating on the common shares of Cloudflare to Sector Outperform and lift our price target to $300," Colville said.

After spending the past 4+ weeks doing a deeper dive on Cloudflare's opportunity, we feel convinced that the time is now to own NET as: (1) Workers is becoming the default infrastructure for vibe coded applications – including OpenAI Codex Sites and Lovable, a dynamic we think is underappreciated by investors; (2) Traffic trends, which typically precede revenue by 3 quarters are inflecting due to agentic AI and will set Cloudflare up nicely to beat and raise Street numbers by ~5pp in 2H26, (3) Cloudflare is winning the best of the best AI-native customers, which validates their architecture and provides a long runway for growth.

According to Scotiabank, these developments are not yet fully reflected in investor expectations and could become an increasingly important driver of Cloudflare's future growth.

The brokerage also pointed to the company's ability to attract leading AI-native customers, saying this validates its technology platform and supports a longer runway for expansion.

Scotiabank said Cloudflare's traffic growth has historically preceded revenue growth by approximately three quarters and noted that those trends are now accelerating as demand for agentic AI applications increases.

The firm believes the improvement in traffic could allow Cloudflare to outperform Wall Street expectations by roughly five percentage points during the second half of 2026.

The report argues that stronger traffic trends, combined with growing adoption of AI-focused applications, position the company for improved financial performance over the coming quarters.

The analyst note follows Cloudflare's July 1 launch of Monetization Gateway, which expands its existing Pay Per Crawl service into Pay Per Use through the open x402 protocol.

The initiative is designed to allow website owners to charge AI agents for access on a per-use basis, supporting what the company describes as the emerging agentic web.

The feature remains in an early-access and waitlist phase.

While acknowledging that Cloudflare continues to trade at a premium valuation, Scotiabank said the company's long-term opportunity in AI infrastructure is becoming increasingly clear.

The brokerage argued that the combination of growing AI adoption, improving traffic trends and continued product development supports a more constructive outlook for the stock despite its elevated valuation.

Cloudflare trades at a forward P/E of 204.19, according to data from stockanalysis.

Shares of luxury electric vehicle (EV) maker Lucid Group (LCID 8.86%) are tanking today. Investors can thank a rival EV maker for the move. Rivian Automotive announced a capital raise, and that has investors focusing on Lucid's capital needs, too.

Lucid shares dropped as much as 10%, and remained lower by 8.6% as of 12:15 p.m. ET.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Lucid's capital source Lucid could arguably be out of business had it not been for its close relationship with the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is Lucid's largest shareholder and has provided capital in several investment rounds in the past few years.

Most recently, Lucid withdrew $500 million in capital from the PIF-provided Delayed Draw Term Loan (DDTL). As of the end of Q1, there was still $2 billion remaining in undrawn capacity. After Rivian announced a common stock offering last night that should raise about $1.5 billion, investors may be scrutinizing Lucid's capital needs more closely.

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To be clear, the company still has a large cushion of available capital. After fresh capital was raised after the end of Q1, Lucid's total liquidity was approximately $4.7 billion. The company needs to steer investor focus to the underlying business now. Its new, luxury Gravity SUV needs to show some strong sales numbers when Lucid reports Q2 on Aug. 4.

That, along with any progress on its self-driving technology, could drive the share price higher in the coming months.

Howard Smith has positions in Lucid Group and Rivian Automotive. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX 5.36%), also known as SpaceX, went public last month. While its overall business is unprofitable, the area doing well is connectivity and the internet, which includes its Starlink subsidiary. It provides satellite internet service.

Competition, however, may be ramping up in that space, particularly with another rocket company, Rocket Lab (RKLB 7.93%), announcing a major acquisition. And that could be a big problem for SpaceX stock.

Image source: Getty Images.

Rocket Lab to buy Iridium Communications Last month, Rocket Lab announced plans to acquire Iridium Communications in a cash-and-stock transaction worth $8 billion, calling it a "historical deal" for its business. The move will make the company vertically integrated, combining the launch capabilities of Rocket Lab, which is also involved in satellite manufacturing, with the satellite communications network that Iridium possesses. Together, Rocket Lab says it will be a "space powerhouse primed for growth." The deal is expected to close in the middle of next year.

The strategy is similar to SpaceX's and could result in greater competition for Starlink, which is the company's big moneymaker thus far. And it's not only Rocket Lab that Starlink has to potentially worry about, as there are other companies showing interest in this space as well; tech giant Amazon is also launching Leo in the near future, which is its own satellite internet provider.

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Is SpaceX stock in trouble? SpaceX's connectivity segment may not attract as much investor interest as artificial intelligence (AI) or space, but that's the driving force behind the company's business these days. During the first three months of the year, the connectivity segment accounted for nearly 70% of the top line, which totaled $4.7 billion. It was also the only segment that wasn't in the red, with an operating profit of just under $1.2 billion.

An influx of competition could pose greater risks for SpaceX down the road, as it could slow Starlink's growth. If that happens, SpaceX, which is already unprofitable and burning through billions in cash, may require even greater cash infusions to continue investing in its AI and space objectives.

SpaceX is already a risky stock given its inflated valuation, and with more competitors potentially challenging Starlink in the future, it may have even more to prove. Investors are clearly having second thoughts about the space stock as it's now trading around the levels it was at when it first went public, and it may be due for an even greater decline in the future. This is a stock I'd tread carefully with.

Key Takeaways Insulet is positioned for growth as Omnipod 5 gains users across Type 1 and Type 2 populations. PODD's Omnipod revenues rose 33% in constant currency in Q1 2026, with Omnipod 5 now in 19 countries. Competition, SG&A investments and raw material and shipping costs could pressure PODD's margins. Insulet (PODD - Free Report) is well poised for growth in the upcoming quarters, owing to its strong momentum for the Omnipod 5 automated insulin delivery (AID) system for both Type 1 and Type 2 populations. The company is strongly executing against its long-term priorities to drive penetration, deepen competitive advantage, unlock new opportunities and scale profitably. However, macroeconomic pressures and intense competition could pose headwinds for Insulet’s operations.

In the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has lost 46.9% compared with the industry’s 27.7% decline. The S&P 500 composite has returned 23.6% in the same time frame.

The developer, manufacturer and distributor of insulin delivery systems has a market capitalization of $16.21 billion. The company’s estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 22.2% is well ahead of the industry’s 12.5% growth. PODD’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 16.2%.

Let us delve deeper.

Upsides for InsuletOmnipod 5 Gains Market Share: Omnipod 5 remains differentiated as a fully disposable, tubeless AID system that is expanding its installed base across both the U.S. and international markets. In first-quarter 2026, total company revenues grew 30.1% in constant currency, driven by Omnipod revenue growth of 33% in constant currency. 

Management noted that its global customer base grew nearly 25% year over year, driven by higher new customer starts and retention trends consistent with the prior year. In the United States, growth included greater seasonality tied to deductible resets, but new customer starts improved through the quarter and into early second quarter. Internationally, growth continues to be supported by new customer starts and the conversion from Omnipod DASH to Omnipod 5, with Omnipod 5 now available in 19 countries. 

Progress With Strategic Actions: Insulet is focused on driving growth in the global automated insulin-delivery market by expanding sensor connectivity and enhancing the Omnipod 5 experience. In the first quarter of 2026, the company completed a limited U.S. launch of Omnipod 5 integrated with Abbott Laboratories’ FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus and plans a broader rollout of the Libre 3 Plus integration and its latest algorithm update in the coming weeks.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company also enrolled the first participant in the EVOLVE pivotal study, which is intended to support a 510(k) filing in 2027. Supporting these initiatives, management raised its 2026 outlook, forecasting total company revenue growth of 21-23% and Omnipod revenue growth of 22-24%, while maintaining expectations for adjusted EPS growth of more than 25% for the year.

What Ails Insulet?Tough Competitive Pressure: Insulet competes against large, established diabetes device companies and newer entrants offering pumps, smart pens, and other insulin delivery approaches. As AID adoption expands globally, management expects competition to increase, which can raise commercial spending requirements and heighten payer negotiations. 

In the first quarter of 2026, SG&A expense increased 21.7% year over year as Insulet invested in sales force expansion, demand generation and customer experience programs. Over time, competitive intensity can reduce revenue growth durability or limit the pace of operating margin expansion, which is mentioned in 2026 guidance.

Economic Uncertainty and Supply Exposure: Insulet operates in a global healthcare supply chain that remains exposed to geopolitical and macro uncertainty. Management cited incremental raw material and shipping costs tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as an offset to its 2026 margin outlook. These factors may lengthen sales cycles, increase cost variability and reduce visibility into achieving the company’s 2026 operating-margin expansion target.

PODD Stock Estimate TrendThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Insulet’s 2026 earnings per share has remained unchanged at $6.46 in the past 30 days.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 revenues is pegged at $3.31 billion, implying a 22.2% rise from the year-ago reported number.

Key PicksSome better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) , Integra LifeSciences (IART - Free Report) and Phibro Animal Health (PAHC - Free Report) . 

Globus Medical has an earnings yield of 5.5%, well ahead of the industry’s negative 3% yield. Its earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%. The company’s shares have rallied 43.8% against the industry’s 4.8% decline over the past year.

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

Integra LifeSciences, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 16% against the industry’s negative 3% yield. Shares of the company have gained 22.8% compared with the industry’s 4.8% growth. IART’s earnings topped estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.

Phibro Animal Health, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 9.2% compared with the industry’s 2.8% yield. Shares of the company have climbed 43.1% against the industry’s 27.9% decline. PAHC’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.3%.

Robinhood Chain has been live for less than a week, and Uniswap has already processed more than $250 million in trading volume on it.

The chain went live on July 1-2, built on Arbitrum technology as a permissionless Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain. Versions v2, v3, v4, and UniswapX were all deployed from launch day, making it the chain’s primary automated market maker right out of the gate.

What Robinhood Chain actually does Robinhood Chain is specifically designed to facilitate trading of tokenized real-world assets, including stock tokens and ETFs, with 100ms block times.

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UNI token holders noticed. The token surged 11-14% following the chain’s launch.

The partnership ecosystem tells a bigger story The chain launched with an ecosystem of DeFi and blockchain infrastructure partners including Morpho, 1inch, Arbitrum, Chainlink, and others.

The focus on European users is particularly strategic. Robinhood has been expanding its European footprint, and tokenized stocks and ETFs represent a product category that European regulators have been more receptive to than their US counterparts.

What this means for investors For UNI holders, the math is straightforward. More chains deploying Uniswap means more volume, which means more fees flowing through the protocol. The 11-14% price jump reflects this logic.

Coinbase has Base. Robinhood now has Robinhood Chain. Uniswap’s strategy of deploying across every viable chain positions the protocol to benefit regardless of which chain wins.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

$4 Trillion and Counting@PancakeSwap has crossed $4 trillion in cumulative trading volume on @BNBCHAIN, marking a significant milestone for the protocol and for decentralized finance on BNB Chain more broadly. According to data tracked on Dune Analytics, the leading DEX has reached approximately $4.146 trillion in cumulative volume.

The protocol processed $2.36 trillion in trading volume during 2025 alone, capturing 37.8% of total DEX market share, underscoring the pace at which it has accumulated this latest milestone. PancakeSwap dominates BNB Chain volume and has expanded across multiple other chains.

Beyond Native Crypto: Tokenized Stocks and ETFsThe milestone is notable not just for its scale but for the breadth of assets now flowing through the protocol. @PancakeSwap has moved well beyond simple token swaps, positioning itself as a venue for real-world asset trading. The expansion into tokenized assets traces back to late October 2025, when PancakeSwap integrated Ondo Finance's tokenized US stocks and exchange-traded funds, bringing over 100 new tokenized assets into the BNB ecosystem.

In April 2026, PancakeSwap added 60 or more new tokenized stocks and ETFs on BNB Chain, bringing the total to over 260 tradeable real-world assets. The broader RWA tokenization market grew 30 to 38% in Q1 2026, rising from approximately $21 billion to nearly $29 billion excluding stablecoins, providing a strong structural tailwind for the protocol's expansion into this segment.

On the product side, the headline product as of 2026 is PancakeSwap Infinity CLMM, launched in late 2025, which has pulled significant share from the older V3 deployment. In May 2026, the protocol also launched a new order-book perpetuals platform and an AI-powered help chatbot. Combined, these developments reflect a protocol that has grown from a straightforward AMM into a full-suite DeFi platform, processing high-velocity liquidity across native digital assets, tokenized equities, and ETFs alike.

Crypto Briefing: PancakeSwap crosses $50M in tokenized assets volume | Inside Crypto Review: PancakeSwap Review 2026 | CoinMarketCap: Latest PancakeSwap Updates

Team1, the global community arm of the Avalanche ecosystem, has rolled out a new Builder Grants program designed to put money directly into the hands of early-stage builders. The program offers two tiers of funding: Mini Grants of up to $10,000 and Accelerator Grants that can reach $30,000.

The program launched on July 1, 2026.

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Two tiers, two different builders Mini Grants, capped at $10,000, target what Team1 calls “budding entrepreneurs.” Accelerator Grants step things up to $30,000 and come with a more rigorous selection process. A voting committee made up of both Avalanche insiders and community members decides who gets funded.

Team1’s growing role in Avalanche Team1 isn’t new to the Avalanche ecosystem, and it isn’t operating on a shoestring budget. The group received a $1.15 million grant from the Avalanche Foundation back in December 2024, funding that was earmarked for community support and operational expansion.

The organization now claims more than 450 members spread across over 40 countries. Its playbook includes events, workshops, and educational resources, all aimed at converting curious developers into active Avalanche builders.

What this means for the Avalanche ecosystem and investors The $1.15 million that the Avalanche Foundation invested in Team1 in late 2024 is now being recycled into direct builder support. For AVAX holders, more builders on Avalanche means more applications, which means more transactions, which means more demand for the network’s native token.

The limited external coverage of this initiative suggests Team1 is playing an inside game, focusing on converting its existing community of 450-plus members into active builders rather than making a splash for the broader crypto market.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Key Takeaways Ingevity shares have surged 24.8% YTD, outperforming the specialty chemicals industry's 18.1% gain.NGVT is streamlining via divestitures, acquisitions and cost cuts to improve margins and earnings quality.NGVT benefits from hybrid demand, boosting activated carbon sales and Performance Materials growth. Ingevity Corporation (NGVT - Free Report) shares have rallied 24.8% year to date. The company has also outperformed the Zacks Chemical - Specialty industry’s 18.1% growth over the same time frame. The rally has been driven by Ingevity's successful portfolio optimization strategy, improving demand for higher-value hybrid vehicle applications and pricing actions that have strengthened earnings growth and reinforced confidence in the company’s long-term growth outlook.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Let’s take a look at the factors that are driving NGVT stock. 

Portfolio Optimization & Hybrid Vehicle Demand Drive GrowthIngevity is benefiting from its ongoing portfolio optimization and simplification strategy, which is aimed at sharpening its focus on higher-margin businesses and improving overall earnings quality. The company has made significant progress by divesting its Industrial Specialties business, Ozark Materials Road Markings product line and crude tall oil refinery, while continuing the divestiture process for its Advanced Polymer Technologies business. The company has recently completed the sale of its Ozark Road Markings business for approximately $65 million as part of these initiatives.

Additionally, value-creating acquisitions such as Georgia-Pacific’s pine chemicals business have driven earnings and revenue growth. The company has also undertaken actions to lower costs and boost profitability. The ability of NGVT to offset inflation through pricing power also enabled solid financial results despite an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

Alongside the portfolio transformation actions, Ingevity is benefiting from the adoption of hybrid vehicles. Following the expiration of EV tax credits, consumer preference has shifted toward hybrids, which has increased the long-term role of advanced and higher-value activated carbon solutions. This favorable product mix, combined with pricing actions, drove higher sales and stronger margins in Ingevity’s strongest segment, Performance Materials. Management also expects the transition toward hybrids to become a broader global trend, creating a long-term growth opportunity for its high-margin Performance Materials business.

Together, the company's strategic portfolio optimization and increasing exposure to higher-value hybrid vehicle applications position it for stronger earnings growth, improved profitability and sustainable shareholder value creation.

NGVT’s Zacks Rank & Other Key PicksNGVT currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). 

Some other top-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) , Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS - Free Report) and Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (ASM - Free Report) .

While ALB sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, CRS and ASM carry a Zacks Rank #2 each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $12.98 per share, indicating a 1,743.04% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed one, with an average surprise of 74.5%. ALB’s shares have jumped 90.5% over the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRS’ 2026 earnings is pegged at $10.56 per share, indicating a rise of 41.18% year over year. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 8.95%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASM’s current fiscal-year earnings is pinned at 34 cents per share, indicating a 17.24% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 125%. ASM’sshares have gained 86.4% over the past year.

Key Takeaways Wendy's grew U.S. digital sales 8.4%, with digital channels accounting for 22.7% of domestic sales.WEN is enhancing customer engagement through AI-powered recommendations and value-focused menu offerings.Digital initiatives, operational improvements and Project Fresh aim to support Wendy's sales recovery. The Wendy's Company (WEN - Free Report) is betting that its expanding digital ecosystem can help revive sales as it works through a challenging traffic environment. While first-quarter 2026 results reflected continued pressure on customer visits, management believes its digital investments and operational improvements can support a gradual turnaround.

The company reported a 7.8% decline in U.S. same-restaurant sales, primarily due to weaker traffic, adverse weather and adjustments to restaurant operating hours. However, digital remained a bright spot. U.S. digital sales climbed 8.4% year over year, with digital channels accounting for 22.7% of domestic sales. Wendy’s also integrated an AI-powered recommendation engine into its mobile app to personalize orders based on cart contents, restaurant location and seasonal preferences, while adding more payment options to improve checkout conversion.

Beyond technology, Wendy’s is strengthening its "Project Fresh" turnaround strategy by upgrading menu quality, improving restaurant operations and refining marketing efforts. The company introduced enhanced hamburgers and revamped spicy chicken sandwiches, expanded value offerings through its Biggie Deals platform and is leveraging targeted promotions to increase customer engagement. Management noted that restaurants with higher customer satisfaction scores significantly outperform weaker locations, underscoring the importance of operational execution.

Still, digital growth alone may not fully offset declining store traffic in the near term. Inflationary pressures, cautious lower-income consumers and intense competition continue to weigh on demand. Nevertheless, Wendy’s maintained its full-year outlook, expecting sales trends to improve progressively as digital initiatives, menu innovation and operational enhancements gain traction. If these efforts translate into higher customer frequency, digital momentum could become a meaningful driver of Wendy’s broader turnaround story.

MCD and QSR International Raise the Competitive BarWendy's digital ambitions face stiff competition from larger quick-service restaurant players that have already built strong digital ecosystems. McDonald's (MCD - Free Report) continues to leverage its global loyalty program, mobile app, delivery partnerships and AI-driven personalization to boost customer engagement and repeat visits. Its extensive digital infrastructure and value offerings help drive traffic even in a challenging consumer environment, making McDonald's a formidable rival.

Restaurant Brands International's (QSR - Free Report) Burger King is also accelerating the digital transformation through its Royal Perks loyalty program, mobile ordering and targeted promotions. Under its "Reclaim the Flame" strategy, Burger King is investing in restaurant modernization, technology upgrades and value-focused marketing to improve guest traffic and franchise performance.

For Wendy's, growing digital sales is encouraging, but sustaining momentum will require converting online engagement into higher restaurant traffic. Continued investments in AI-powered recommendations, loyalty initiatives, menu innovation and operational improvements will be essential to narrowing the competitive gap with McDonald's and Burger King while strengthening its long-term market position.

WEN’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Wendy’s have gained 11.9% in the past three months against the industry’s 0.4% decline.

WEN Three-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, WEN trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 0.67, below the industry’s average of 3.41.

WEN’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WEN’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies a year-over-year decline of 34.1%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.

EPS Trend of WEN Stock 
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

WEN’s Zacks RankWEN stock 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 Quanta has surged 78.6% in a year, outpacing its industry, sector and the S&P 500.PWR trades at 44.11X forward earnings, well above the industry average of 29.8X.Quanta raised 2026 guidance after record Q1 revenue and backlog reached $48.5 billion. Quanta Services (PWR - Free Report) has been one of the biggest winners in the infrastructure sector over the past year, with its stock soaring 78.6%. The rally has comfortably outpaced the Zacks Engineering - R&D Services industry's 36.8% gain, the Zacks Construction sector's 18.9% advance and the S&P 500's 23.9% rise. Investors have rewarded the company for consistently delivering strong earnings, expanding its backlog and positioning itself at the center of several long-term infrastructure trends.

PWR Price Performance (1 Year)

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PWR's Technical Trend

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The stock's impressive performance, however, has come with a higher price tag. Quanta now trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 44.11X, significantly above the industry average of 29.8X. While Wall Street remains optimistic about the company's long-term prospects, investors now face an important question: Does    Quanta's business outlook justify paying such a premium, or has much of its future growth already been priced into the stock?

PWR Valuation (P/E F12M) vs Industry

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The answer depends on whether Quanta can continue converting its industry-leading project pipeline into sustained earnings growth while maintaining strong execution. Let's take a closer look at what continues to support the investment case and the factors that could limit further upside.

Quanta's Growth Drivers Remain StrongQuanta continues to benefit from one of the most attractive infrastructure spending environments in decades. Rising electricity demand, AI-driven data center construction, renewable energy integration, transmission expansion and electric grid modernization are creating significant opportunities across its end markets.

The company has evolved beyond being a traditional contractor into a provider of integrated infrastructure solutions. Its engineering expertise, skilled workforce, fabrication capabilities and supply-chain investments allow it to execute increasingly complex projects for utilities, hyperscalers and industrial customers. This integrated approach has strengthened customer relationships and enabled Quanta to participate earlier in customers' multiyear capital planning cycles.

Management also continues investing to support future demand. The company is expanding transformer manufacturing capacity and nearly doubling its off-site fabrication and logistics footprint, positioning itself to capitalize on accelerating investments in power infrastructure and AI-related projects. These investments should strengthen Quanta's competitive advantage as customers increasingly prioritize execution certainty and supply-chain reliability.

Strong Execution Supports Higher Earnings Outlook for PWRQuanta's first-quarter 2026 results reinforced confidence in its long-term growth strategy. Revenues increased 26.3% year over year to a record $7.87 billion, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) climbed to $2.68 from $1.78 in the prior-year quarter. Both the Electric Infrastructure Solutions and Underground & Infrastructure Solutions segments delivered margin expansion, highlighting disciplined project execution and favorable work mix. The company also ended the quarter with a record total backlog of $48.5 billion, providing excellent revenue visibility over the coming years.

Following the strong start to the year, management raised its full-year 2026 outlook. Quanta now expects revenues between $34.7 billion and $35.2 billion and adjusted EPS between $13.55 and $14.25, reflecting improved visibility across its utility, power generation and large-load infrastructure businesses.

Management remains equally optimistic about the longer term. At its recent Investor Day, Quanta outlined a strategy to more than double adjusted earnings power by 2030, supported by an estimated $2.4 trillion addressable market spanning utilities, power generation and large-load infrastructure.

Analysts also remain constructive. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 EPS has increased from $13.87 to $14.03, representing expected growth of 30.5% from 2025. Revenue estimates point to 22.1% growth in 2026, followed by continued double-digit growth in 2027.

PWR EPS Estimate

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PWR Stock’s Premium Valuation Demands Continued ExecutionQuanta's biggest challenge today is not demand but valuation. Despite trading below its 50-day moving average, the stock still commands a forward P/E multiple of 44.11X, substantially above the industry average of 29.8X. Such a premium reflects investor confidence that Quanta can sustain above-average earnings growth for several years.

Wall Street's optimism remains evident. The stock carries an Average Brokerage Recommendation (ABR) of 1.37, with 22 of the 27 analysts rating it a Strong Buy. Analysts' average price target of $808.00 also implies roughly 20% upside from current levels.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Nevertheless, premium valuations leave little room for disappointment. Any slowdown in backlog growth, project execution or margin expansion could pressure the stock more than lower-valued peers.

Macro Risks Could Create Near-Term VolatilityAlthough Quanta's long-term outlook remains favorable, several external factors could influence future performance.

Large infrastructure projects are often subject to permitting delays, regulatory approvals, adverse weather, supply-chain disruptions and changing customer schedules. Inflation, tariffs, labor shortages and higher interest rates may also increase project costs or delay customer capital spending.

Management acknowledged that weather, permitting, regulatory issues, trade policy, supply-chain conditions and broader macroeconomic uncertainty remain important variables affecting project timing and financial performance, even as underlying demand remains robust.

How Quanta Stacks Up Against CompetitorsQuanta competes with EMCOR Group (EME - Free Report) , Sterling Infrastructure (STRL - Free Report) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX - Free Report) across several infrastructure and mission-critical construction markets.

From a share price perspective, Comfort Systems has delivered the strongest performance, with shares rising roughly 240% over the past year. Sterling Infrastructure follows closely with a gain of 215.9%, while Quanta has advanced 78.6%. Although Quanta has significantly outperformed EMCOR, whose shares have gained 45.5%, it has lagged the exceptional rallies posted by Comfort Systems and Sterling Infrastructure.

Valuation paints a different picture. EMCOR trades at the lowest forward P/E multiple of 25.27X, suggesting a more modest growth premium. Sterling Infrastructure trades at 31.76X, while Comfort Systems commands 37.37X. Quanta's forward P/E of 44.11X is the highest among the four companies, indicating that investors assign the greatest premium to Quanta's earnings visibility, diversified business model and long-term infrastructure opportunities.

Should Investors Buy PWR Stock Now?Quanta continues to execute at a high level. Record backlog, improving financial guidance, rising earnings estimates and strong demand across electric infrastructure, AI data centers and power generation provide a solid foundation for long-term growth. Management's investments in manufacturing capacity, supply-chain capabilities and integrated solutions further strengthen its competitive position for the coming decade.

However, the stock's premium valuation cannot be ignored. After nearly an 80% gain over the past year, investors are paying a substantial premium for Quanta's quality and growth prospects. While the business fundamentals continue to justify optimism, the current valuation reduces the margin of safety and makes flawless execution increasingly important.

Considering the company's attractive long-term outlook alongside its elevated valuation, the current Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) appears appropriate. Existing investors can remain confident in Quanta's multiyear growth story, while new investors may benefit from waiting for either a more attractive entry point or further earnings growth to better support the premium multiple. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways Dutch Bros saw rewards members make up 74% of all transactions in Q1 2026.Dutch Bros' system same-shop transactions rose 5.1%, marking a seventh straight quarter of growth.Dutch Bros plans at least 185 new shops in 2026 and projects revenues of $2.05B-$2.08B. Dutch Bros Inc. (BROS - Free Report) has steadily transformed its digital rewards platform into one of its strongest competitive advantages. During the first quarter of 2026, 74% of all transactions were made by Dutch Rewards members, highlighting how deeply the loyalty program has become embedded in customer behavior. Rather than simply rewarding repeat visits, the platform is increasingly serving as a growth engine that drives frequency, supports new product launches, enhances marketing efficiency and encourages higher customer engagement.

A loyalty program is most valuable when it increases customer visits rather than merely rewarding existing purchases. Dutch Bros appears to be achieving that objective. During the first quarter, system same-shop transactions increased 5.1%, marking the company's seventh consecutive quarter of transaction growth. System same-shop sales rose 8.3%, while company-operated same-shop sales increased 10.6%. Unlike many restaurant companies that continue relying heavily on pricing, Dutch Bros generated healthy transaction growth alongside moderate ticket expansion, indicating that more customers are visiting its shops rather than simply paying higher prices.

Management credited the momentum to stronger customer engagement and rising Dutch Rewards adoption. The app gives Dutch Bros better visibility into purchase frequency, favorite beverages, seasonal demand and regional trends. These insights help the company personalize offers, target limited-time beverages to the right customers and support food promotions more effectively. Higher digital engagement also creates opportunities to launch new beverages more efficiently, promote food offerings and communicate seasonal campaigns without significantly increasing marketing expenses. As the rewards ecosystem expands, customer acquisition costs could decline while repeat visitation continues improving.

The loyalty platform becomes even more valuable as Dutch Bros continues opening new locations. The company finished the first quarter with 1,177 shops after opening 41 new stores during the quarter and now expects to open at least 185 new shops during 2026. Management also raised its full-year outlook, projecting revenues between $2.05 billion and $2.08 billion and same-shop sales growth of approximately 4-6%.

Dutch Bros' 74% rewards penetration represents far more than a loyalty statistic. It reflects an increasingly data-driven customer ecosystem that supports repeat visits, personalized marketing and more efficient expansion into new markets. The company's recent transaction growth suggests the strategy is already delivering tangible benefits. If Dutch Bros continues combining strong rewards engagement with disciplined new-store expansion, menu innovation and effective digital marketing, its loyalty platform could remain an important catalyst for sustaining faster traffic growth over the coming years.

Rewards Programs Become a Key Competitive BattlegroundDutch Bros' success in driving 74% of transactions through its Dutch Rewards program reflects a broader industry trend, with peers like Starbucks Corporation (SBUX - Free Report) and Shake Shack Inc. (SHAK - Free Report) increasingly investing in digital ecosystems to boost customer frequency, personalization and long-term loyalty.

Starbucks continues to strengthen its Rewards platform as part of its "Back to Starbucks" strategy. SBUX reported a record 35.6 million active U.S. Rewards members in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 and introduced new redemption options and personalized benefits to encourage more frequent visits. Management noted that the redesigned program is already increasing customer engagement and visit frequency, positioning Rewards as a key growth engine rather than simply a discount program.

Shake Shack is also expanding its digital engagement strategy. While the company has yet to launch its loyalty program, management plans to introduce it later in 2026 as part of its broader Project Catalyst initiative. The platform is designed to deepen guest engagement, improve retention and increase lifetime value through personalized experiences rather than points-based discounts, while SHAK’s growing digital customer base provides the data needed to support targeted marketing.

Against this backdrop, Dutch Bros appears well positioned with an already mature rewards ecosystem. With nearly three-fourths of transactions flowing through Dutch Rewards, the company has built a sizable base for personalized marketing, product launches and customer retention.

BROS’ Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Dutch Bros have gained 22.7% in the past three months against the industry’s decline of 0.4%.

BROS Stock’s Three-Month Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Dutch Bros stock trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 5.13, above the industry’s average of 3.41.

BROS’ P/s Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BROS’ 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies a year-over-year uptick of 22.4%. EPS estimates for 2026 have increased in the past 30 days.

EPS Trend of BROS Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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

Key Takeaways AMN Healthcare is poised for growth with its broad services, MSP momentum and demand from labor disruptions.AI tools in WorkWise and AMN Passport are boosting recruiting, engagement and workforce planning.Soft staffing markets, client concentration and regulatory challenges could pressure AMN's growth. AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN - Free Report) is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters, courtesy of its broad array of services. The optimism is led by strong momentum in its Managed Services Program (MSP), rising labor disruption demand and investments in technology and AI-driven platforms. However, industry shifts, pricing pressure and healthcare cost-consciousness are major downsides.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have jumped 126.9% in the year-to-date period against the industry's 14.6% decline. However, the S&P 500 Index has risen 10.3% in the said timeframe.

This renowned player in the healthcare total talent services space has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion. The company projects 98.5% of earnings growth for 2026 and expects to witness continued improvements in its business. AMN Healthcare surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, delivering an average earnings surprise of 53.25%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Factors Favoring AMN StockHealthcare Workforce Solutions Strengthening Client Relationships: AMN Healthcare is benefiting from a shift in healthcare providers' workforce priorities. During the first-quarter 2026 earnings call, management noted that hospitals are no longer primarily focused on reducing contract labor usage. They are seeking long-term workforce optimization through predictive analytics, technology-enabled staffing and total talent management. The company strengthened its MSP business by adding a new Locum MSP client, and renewing and expanding its largest Locums contract. These developments, combined with deeper client relationships built during recent labor disruption events, position AMN to capture additional market share as healthcare organizations increasingly prefer strategic workforce partners over traditional staffing vendors.

AI and Technology Investments Driving Operational Efficiency: AMN continues to leverage artificial intelligence and digital tools to improve recruiting efficiency, clinician engagement and workforce management. The company introduced new AI-powered capabilities within its WorkWise platform, including automated candidate scoring, enhanced job search functionality and AI-assisted job description creation. Its AI recruiter helped deploy more than 10,000 clinicians during the quarter, while the AMN Passport mobile app recorded more than 30% growth in users and over 50% growth in monthly active users.

The company recently partnered with Brightfield to enhance its workforce intelligence capabilities. Brightfield's Talent Data Exchange (TDX) complements AMN's proprietary workforce insights, improving market transparency and labor planning. The partnership also enhances AMN's WorkWise ecosystem with stronger decision-support capabilities.

These technology investments are improving hiring speed, strengthening clinician engagement and enhancing workforce planning capabilities, supporting management's long-term goal of expanding revenue while improving operating leverage.

Improving Core Business Momentum and Financial Strength: Beyond the temporary boost from labor disruption events, AMN Healthcare's underlying businesses showed encouraging signs of recovery. Excluding labor disruption assignments, Nurse and Allied Solutions returned to year-over-year traveler volume growth for the first time since 2022, while international staffing posted its first year-over-year revenue increase since late 2023. Leadership search also returned to growth, reflecting improving demand across multiple service lines. With improving demand trends, disciplined capital management and management targeting sustainable revenue growth alongside faster adjusted EBITDA expansion, the company appears well positioned for long-term growth.

Downsides of AMN StockSoftness in Key Staffing Markets: Although AMN's Nurse and Allied business is showing signs of recovery, some of its core staffing markets remain under pressure. During first-quarter 2026, management noted that physician staffing demand remains soft, with many Locums clients focusing on centralized program management and hiring permanent physicians. Demand has also shifted toward the more competitive third-party channel, where fill rates are lower and pricing pressure is higher. At the same time, healthcare systems are investing in internal recruiting capabilities, workforce analytics and AI-powered staffing tools, which could reduce reliance on external staffing providers over time.

Client Concentration and Industry Consolidation Risks: Consolidation among healthcare providers continues to strengthen customers' bargaining power, allowing them to negotiate lower staffing rates and centralize workforce management. Mergers may also result in the loss of contracts if the combined organizations choose existing vendors. AMN Healthcare derives approximately 22% of its consolidated revenues from Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, making the company dependent on a single large customer. As healthcare organizations use vendor management systems and group purchasing organizations, pricing pressure and customer concentration could weigh on future revenue growth and margins.

Regulatory and Competitive Challenges: AMN operates in a highly regulated and competitive healthcare staffing industry. Changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, workforce regulations, immigration policies and evolving rules surrounding AI, cybersecurity and data privacy could increase compliance costs and influence customer hiring decisions. The company also faces competition from large national staffing firms, specialized healthcare recruiters and technology-driven workforce providers. As hospitals continue expanding in-house staffing programs and adopting AI-enabled workforce management solutions, AMN Healthcare must invest in technology and service innovation to protect its competitive position.

Estimate TrendAMN Healthcare has been witnessing a positive estimate revision trend for 2026. Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings per share has improved 40% to $2.70.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 revenues and earnings per share is pegged at $626 million and 22 cents, respectively, suggesting 4.9% and 26.7% declines from the year-ago reported numbers.

Key PicksSome better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) , Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) and Pacific Biosciences of California (PACB - Free Report) .

West Pharmaceutical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present, reported first-quarter 2026 EPS 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%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported first-quarter 2026 core earnings per share of 85 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20.2%. Revenues of $2.77 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.2%.

Intuitive Surgical has a long-term estimated growth rate of 14.3%. ISRG’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.8%.

Pacific Biosciences of California, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted loss per share of 12 cents, which came narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 29.4%. Revenues of $37.2 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.3%.

Pacific Biosciences of California has an estimated earnings growth rate of 22.6% for 2026. PACB’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 29.8%.

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SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI | SOFI Price Prediction) is trading around $18 as of July 7, 2026, still down 31.3% year-to-date after a brutal spring. The catalyst for the drawdown: a March 2026 Muddy Waters report alleging accounting misstatements and undisclosed charge-off rates. Yet shares have rallied 12.2% over the past month, raising the question of whether the stock has bottomed.

The Fundamentals Never Broke The bear thesis was that credit was cracking beneath the surface. The Q1 2026 earnings report, filed April 29, 2026, argued otherwise. Revenue hit $1.10 billion, beating consensus by 4.9%, with EPS of $0.12 matching estimates for the fourth straight quarter. GAAP net income of $166.73 million rose 134.5% year over year, and loan originations set a record at $12.18 billion.

CEO Anthony Noto said, “We had an excellent Q1 delivering another quarter of durable growth and strong returns, fueled by our relentless focus on innovation and brand building.”

What Sparked the Bounce Recovery catalysts have stacked up quickly. On June 23, 2026, SoFi acquired Composer Securities and launched Composer by SoFi, an AI-powered investing platform. Noto argued, “As AI becomes a foundational part of investing, Composer by SoFi strengthens our ability to deliver powerful investing tools through an experience that is simple, intuitive, and accessible.” Days later, the company rolled out small business loans up to $250,000 with 24-hour funding.

Smart money has been leaning in. Cathie Wood’s ARK made four consecutive purchases, including over 200,000 shares (around $3.62 million) on June 30, 2026. Jim Cramer reiterated an “I Continue to Believe It’s Time to Buy” stance on June 23, 2026. For investors weighing how to play post-selloff setups, 24/7 Wall Street’s Breakout Buyers Rulebook covers the framework.

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The Bear Case Hasn’t Vanished The Muddy Waters overhang lingers. Signal Law Group followed up on June 27, 2026, with a Securities Disclosure Risk bulletin. Credit metrics are drifting: personal loan charge-offs rose to 3.0% from 2.8% sequentially, student loan charge-offs to 0.7% from 0.5%, and average asset yields fell 63 basis points. The Technology Platform segment shrank 27% after a large client departure.

Wall Street is unconvinced. The consensus rating is Hold, with an average target of $20.90. The forward P/E of 30x relative to 2026 guidance of approximately $0.60 in adjusted EPS leaves little room for error.

Verdict: Off the Lows, Not Yet Confirmed Shares have clearly recovered from the $16.03 low in early June, and the operational story continues to support the bulls. Whether $18 holds as a durable base depends on the July 29, 2026, Q2 earnings call, where analysts expect revenue of $1.1 billion and EPS of $0.11. Investors should monitor the stock and, more importantly, the charge-off trajectory.

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