On a recent Diet TBPN segment, Jordi Hays and his co-host wandered back to December 2010, when a young neuroscientist named Demis Hassabis raised a small amount of funding for a research outfit called DeepMind. The number Jordi surfaced is the kind that makes you spit out your coffee. He said DeepMind “sold half the company at $5 million post” when it was already, in his framing, one of the most elite AI research labs on the planet.
Sixteen years later, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) is a $4.4 trillion company whose AI story runs directly through the lab it eventually bought. So the retrospective question the hosts kept circling is uncomfortable and fair. Did the world’s best AI lab leave a generational fortune on the table by getting into bed with Google when it did?
The $5 million number A $5 million post-money valuation in 2010 sounds like a seed round for a productivity app, not a stake in what would become AlphaGo, AlphaFold, and the intellectual spine of Google’s Gemini program. Google acquired DeepMind in 2014, reportedly for around $500 million, and the lab has since produced work that, by any measure, changed biology and gaming and shipped straight into the products powering Alphabet’s current results.
Those results are not subtle. Alphabet’s Google Cloud backlog sits at roughly $462 billion, with revenue in the segment compounding at 63%. Q1 FY2026 revenue came in at 21.8% year-over-year growth, and the stock is up 106.01% over the past year. The SEC filing behind the quarter is here. DeepMind’s fingerprints are everywhere in that number.
Did DeepMind sell too early? Jordi’s co-host said the quiet part out loud. “It seemed like they sold too early,” he offered, and you can see why. OpenAI, a peer lab that stayed independent longer, has been valued in the hundreds of billions. Anthropic just anchored a $1.8 billion, seven-year cloud deal with Akamai. The going rate for a top-tier AI lab in 2026 runs into the tens of billions.
Jordi pushed back. “Hard to say,” he said, before landing a “paper hands Pete” joke at Hassabis’s expense. The co-host then noted a piece of Silicon Valley folklore worth remembering. Back then, VCs were warning founders not to sell to Google, calling it “the bad one”. That framing has aged strangely. As the co-host allowed, “Google’s been very responsible and great, great company”.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Google didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Why Google might have been the right call Consider the case for Hassabis. Frontier AI research eats compute the way a foundry eats coke and iron. Alphabet is guiding to $175 billion to $185 billion in capital expenditures for FY2026, the kind of number a 2014 startup could not have dreamed of raising on the open market. DeepMind inside Google got TPUs, data, distribution, and a patient owner. It also got Gemini, which is now processing 16 billion tokens per minute via API.
Would an independent DeepMind have built AlphaFold if it were burning through venture money worrying about the next round? Perhaps.
The co-host conceded the uncertainty. “Maybe there’d be another path or something,” he said. The segment also touched on Google’s Veo video models, which the co-host described as “so close and yet so far” from indistinguishable-from-reality output. That gap gets closed with compute. Compute gets bought with Google’s balance sheet.
The takeaway for anyone scrolling GOOGL on their phone is a reminder that the acquisitions that look like steals in hindsight often looked like lifelines at the time, and that the counterfactual, an independent DeepMind IPO in 2024, lives only in group chats and podcast segments like this one.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Google didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
It’s no secret that AI is a hog, consuming energy and water like no digital technology before it. Now we know just how much Big Tech’s pursuit of AI is costing the environment.
Both Google and Amazon released their sustainability reports this week, and the numbers aren’t pretty. Each company has pledged to zero-out its carbon emissions in the coming years, but AI has made those goals a lot harder to hit. Google’s total carbon emissions are up 25% since last year, Amazon’s are up 16%.
A close reading of the reports suggests that both Amazon and Google will have to make some serious, and potentially costly, adjustments to their businesses if they’re going to achieve their net-zero targets.
Neither company comes out and blames AI directly for the rising emissions, but there’s plenty of indirect evidence.
AI at the center of it all Both Amazon and Google acknowledge their energy use has increased significantly in the last year as use of AI has risen. Both talk about carbon intensity — essentially, how much pollution a company generates for every dollar of revenue it brings in — a metric China has used over the last several years when negotiating climate treaties even as its emissions were skyrocketing. And both devote several pages touting how AI can benefit the environment, a case of “protesting too much,” to borrow some Shakespeare.
The picture gets clearer the deeper you dig into the data. Both companies are actually doing OK when it comes to carbon pollution from energy purchases. Years of buying renewable power have helped keep a lid on things, though that may change in the near future as tech companies, including Google, have begun to invest heavily in natural gas power plants to keep pace with AI’s power demands.
Rather, most of Amazon’s and Google’s growing carbon footprint comes from so-called Scope 3 emissions — a catch-all category covering pollution a company doesn’t directly control, like the goods and services it buys or the products it sells. For companies like Amazon and Google, Scope 3 includes things like GPU purchases and the use of a company’s products, like phones and tablets.
Google lumps together two categories of Scope 3 emissions — capital goods and use of sold products —though it admits the latter is small enough to not be material. (Most of Google’s hardware products are small devices that don’t consume a lot of electricity.) That likely leaves data centers as the main driver. Last year, Google’s Scope 3 emissions increased by 2.1 million metric tons, which means they’re now double what they were in 2019, the year Google uses as its baseline when assessing its performance.
Amazon’s rising Scope 3 emissions mostly come from capital goods and fuel and energy. The former can include data centers and warehouses, which can help explain why Amazon’s Scope 3 emissions spiked higher than Google’s. Still, a good chunk is probably data centers. “To meet strong customer demand, in 2025 we added more data center capacity globally than any other company, including more than 1.2 gigawatt (GW) in Q4 alone,” Amazon wrote in the report.
Hitting a wall That kind of spending helps explain why decarbonization is suddenly getting so much harder. For years, the biggest contributor to their carbon footprints was energy for offices and more modestly sized data centers. That could easily be canceled out buying renewable power.
AI has upended that approach. While tech companies could still use renewables plus batteries to power their data centers, they’re starting to fall back on fossil fuels. It’s a trend that will make their net-zero pledges that much harder to deliver, but it’s not irreversible.
The more pernicious emissions come from the construction and outfitting of data centers themselves. The steel and cement industries are both heavy polluters, and while startups are working on low-to-zero carbon approaches, they’re still not ready to deliver at the scale that tech companies need.
Then there are the GPUs and memory chips powering the AI boom. Semiconductor manufacturing uses lots of energy, and many of the world’s leading-edge chip factories are located in Asia, where the electrical grids remain dominated by fossil fuels. Making matters worse, many of the chemicals used in those factories are also potent greenhouse gases, capable of warming the atmosphere thousands of times more than an equivalent amount of CO2. The bingeing on chips has probably inflated both Amazon’s and Google’s carbon footprints.
None of these problems are intractable, though Amazon, Google, and their peers have their work cut out for them. To deliver on their net-zero pledges, they’ll need to ramp up their renewable energy purchases, invest heavily in advanced steel and cement manufacturing, and buy many millions of tons of carbon removal credits. It’s still possible, but their embrace of AI hasn’t made it any easier.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was founding editor.
De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College.
You can contact or verify outreach from Tim by emailing [email protected].
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced a $2.5 billion investment to launch Microsoft Frontier Company, a new operating business focused on helping organizations deploy artificial intelligence at scale by embedding engineering and industry experts directly within customer operations.
The company said it will place 6,000 engineers, consultants, customer support specialists and industry-focused sales professionals with customers to co-design, deploy and continuously improve AI systems tailored to their businesses. Microsoft said the initiative expands on the industry's "forward-deployed engineering" model by combining AI engineering expertise with industry knowledge and change management capabilities.
Rodrigo Kede Lima, who currently leads Microsoft's Asia business, will serve as president of Microsoft Frontier Company.
According to Microsoft, the new unit is intended to help customers move beyond AI experimentation and focus on measurable business outcomes and returns on investment while protecting proprietary data and intellectual property.
The company said the platform will allow customers to use AI models from multiple providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft AI, open-source models and industry-specific models, rather than requiring a single vendor. Microsoft also emphasized that customer data and intellectual property will not be used to train AI models in ways that could diminish a company's competitive advantage.
Microsoft cited early deployments with organizations including London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Land O'Lakes, Unilever and Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), saying the projects have produced measurable business outcomes by integrating AI into business workflows.
The company added that it will work with global systems integration partners, including Accenture, Capgemini, EY, KPMG and PwC, to expand the initiative worldwide.
The announcement comes as competition among major technology companies to help enterprises implement AI continues to intensify. Earlier this week, Amazon announced a $1 billion AI implementation initiative, while OpenAI and Anthropic have also established customer deployment teams this year aimed at accelerating enterprise AI adoption.
Key Takeaways NKE beat Q4 EPS and revenue estimates, supported by North America recovery and stronger wholesale sales. NIKE saw North America revenues rise 3%, wholesale revenues up 4% despite weaker Greater China demand.NKE is executing its Win Now action via innovation, wholesale partnerships and sport-led retail experiences. NIKE, Inc. (NKE - Free Report) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings per share (EPS) and revenues exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company’s EPS of 20 cents increased 42.9% year over year and beat the consensus estimate of 11 cents.
However, NKE’s consolidated revenues dipped 1% year over year to $10.97 billion but came above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.85 billion. Results were driven by wholesale growth and increased revenues in North America. Also, gains from the expected recovery of tariffs further supported performance. (Read More: NIKE Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, North America Revenues Up 3%).
We note that NKE’s shares have risen 4.9% yesterday, after reporting fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on June 30, 2026. Shares of the Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company have lost 2.6% in the past six months compared with the industry’s decline of 3.2%.
North America Recovery & Wholesale Growth Aided NKENorth America revenues rose 3% year over year to $4.83 billion. This slightly missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.85 billion. Within the segment, footwear sales increased 4% to $3.23 billion and apparel sales rose 1% to $1.31 billion. Both categories have outperformed the consensus mark of $3.21 billion and $1.30 billion, respectively. The segment’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) surged a whopping 91% to $2 billion, also exceeding the consensus mark of $348 million. The company’s North America region is showing signs of recovery with growth in running, global football and basketball categories, and gains from “Win Now” actions.
APLA revenues increased 1% on a reported basis to $1.60 billion, outperforming the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.56 billion. Footwear remained flat at $1.1 billion, up from $1.08 billion and apparel rose 6% to $420 million, up from the consensus estimate of $404 million. The segment’s earnings before interest and taxes came in at $316 million, up from the consensus estimate of $104 million.
Wholesale revenues increased 4% on a reported basis and 1% on a currency-neutral basis to $6.6 billion, up from the consensus estimate of $6.5 billion. Growth was mainly driven by North America, partly offset by lower revenues in Greater China. The company continued rebuilding relationships with wholesale partners, emphasizing direct-to-consumer sales. Wholesale trends improved, helping offset weakness in NIKE Direct. NIKE Direct revenues declined 7% on a reported basis and 9% on a currency-neutral basis to $4.1 billion. The drop was due to a 12% decline in NIKE Brand Digital and a 7% fall in NIKE-owned stores.
Some Segments Remain Soft in Q4NIKE continues to remain under pressure in Greater China as it restructures inventory and its marketplace. Greater China revenues were down 12% on a reported basis and 17% on a currency-neutral basis to $1.30 billion. Nevertheless, the segment outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21 billion. Footwear fell 13% to $938 million, apparel declined 10% to $334 million and equipment dropped 17% to $25 million.
EMEA revenues fell 1% on a reported basis and 6% on a currency-neutral basis to $2.98 billion, almost in line with the consensus estimate. Footwear declined 4% to $1.82 billion, while apparel rose 6% to $982 million and equipment dropped 3% to $172 million.
Converse revenues dropped 32% on a reported basis and 34% on a currency-neutral basis to $244 million due to decreases in all territories. This lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $261 million.
NKE’s Outlook and Key PrioritiesManagement indicated that the operating environment remains volatile, citing evolving tariff policies, Middle East disruption, oil prices, operating costs, consumer behavior and weaker store traffic and retail sales. For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, NIKE expects reported revenues to decline in the low to mid-single digits. Meanwhile, the fiscal second quarter is expected to further decline sequentially compared with the first quarter. The gross margin is expected to be slightly positive in the fiscal first quarter. The forecast assumes incremental tariff rates of 10% through the end of July and 15% thereafter. SG&A dollars are expected to be flat in the fiscal first quarter.
Although the company’s outlook is not encouraging, NIKE is taking actions to improve EBIT margins and increase cash flow from operations. The company continues to execute its "Win Now" turnaround strategy, which focuses on strengthening culture, accelerating product innovation, reinforcing brand strength and enhancing consumer engagement.
NIKE is expanding its pipeline of innovative footwear and apparel across performance categories, while introducing new Sportswear styles and leveraging performance technologies across multiple product lines. Such efforts are expected to support NIKE's growth trajectory.
Key Picks in the Consumer Discretionary Space Columbia Sportswear Company (COLM - Free Report) , which engages in the sourcing, marketing and distribution of outdoor and active lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
COLM delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 44.1%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Columbia Sportswear’s current financial-year sales indicates growth of 2.6% from the year-ago number.
Duluth Holdings Inc. (DLTH - Free Report) , which deals in casual wear, workwear and accessories for men and women, currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1.
Duluth Holdings delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 107.5%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLTH’s current financial-year EPS indicates a rise of 39.5% from the year-ago number.
Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL - Free Report) , which is a leading major designer, marketer and distributor of premium lifestyle products, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). RL delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 9.1%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ralph Lauren’s current financial-year EPS indicates a rise of 10.5% from the year-ago number.
by Todd Bishop on Jul 2, 2026 at 12:43 pmJuly 2, 2026 at 12:55 pm
Microsoft executive Nick Parker at a conference in 2018. (Microsoft Photo) Nick Parker, a 26-year Microsoft veteran who led the company’s worldwide commercial sales business, is leaving to become Nvidia’s new sales chief — a high-profile talent shift between two of the biggest players in the AI boom.
Parker will join Nvidia as executive vice president of worldwide field operations, effective Aug. 24, according to a regulatory filing. He succeeds Jay Puri, who is retiring after 21 years running Nvidia’s global sales operation and will stay on as a senior adviser.
“Microsoft and NVIDIA are great partners and I look forward to continuing to nurture that fantastic relationship,” Parker wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing the move.
The regulatory filing by Nvidia sets Parker’s base salary in the new role at $1 million, with a $5 million signing bonus and equity grants targeted at $40 million. The bulk of that, $35 million in restricted stock units, vests over roughly four years, while the additional $5 million in shares is tied to Nvidia outperforming the S&P 500 over three years.
The new role puts him in charge of global sales and customer relationships at the center of the AI boom, reporting directly to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang — one of the most consequential commercial roles in the industry, overseeing the operation that sells Nvidia’s chips to the world’s largest companies.
Parker, 55, rose through OEM, device and partner sales roles at Microsoft before being named president of industry and partner sales in 2022. After a promotion this year, he served most recently as executive vice president and chief business officer of Microsoft Worldwide Sales & Solutions, reporting to Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business.
Puri, 71, is credited with helping transform Nvidia from a consumer gaming brand into an AI infrastructure giant, building the enterprise sales operation Parker will now inherit.
On Thursday, Microsoft unveiled a $2.5 billion initiative called the Microsoft Frontier Company, which will embed AI engineers inside customers. It will be led by Rodrigo Kede Lima, a longtime Microsoft sales and enterprise leader, most recently president of Microsoft Asia.
With 2026 halfway over, it's a good time for investors to reassess their holdings. Artificial intelligence (AI) investing has been a bit of a mixed bag this year. Most of the big-name, dominant companies really haven't had great years so far, and the spotlight has been stolen by some smaller upstarts or companies that have major momentum behind them. Some of these stocks still look like great buys in July, while there are also good reasons to return to the big tech companies.
There are five AI stocks at the top of my shopping list in July, and I believe investors can be confident that they'll be trading far higher by the time 2026 is wrapped up.
Image source: Getty Images.
Can they go higher? Two of the stocks I have my eye on have actually done phenomenally well in 2026 already. Sandisk (SNDK 14.13%) and Nebius (NBIS 6.09%) have risen 780% and 187%, respectively. After a start to the year like that, you're likely wondering how in the world they will go higher. That's a fair question, but when you dig in, it's clear that both have far more upside potential.
Sandisk makes NAND memory, and the construction of AI data centers is consuming all that the manufacturers in that niche can supply. Sandisk's exposure to this industry mostly comes through its solid-state drives (SSDs), which are used for long-term data storage. With the data center build-out not expected to slow down anytime soon, the supply crunch that has allowed Sandisk to boost its prices won't be over either. This should help spur the stock higher, and with it trading for a mere 11 times its expected earnings for its fiscal 2027 (which starts in July), it could have far more room to run.
Today's Change
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-14.13
%) $
-287.22
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$
1745.00
Nebius is a neocloud provider, which means it's focused on providing AI cloud computing infrastructure. This is a brilliant space to operate in right now, and that showed up in a big way during Q1, when Nebius grew its revenue at a 684% year-over-year pace. Wall Street expects more of the same: Its 2026 growth is expected to be 547%, followed by 233% growth in 2027. If Nebius can live up to or exceed expectations, the stock could go far higher from here.
These stocks should have major rallies in the second half of 2026 Next, let's look at some big tech players that haven't been strong in the first half of the year. Nvidia (NVDA 1.39%) has only risen 3% so far in 2026. However, I think it could easily explode higher due to the strength of GPU demand. Nvidia's stock looks like an absolute steal right now, trading for just 21.5 times expected forward earnings and 15 times next year's expected earnings.
NVDA PE Ratio (Forward 1y) data by YCharts.
The chipmaker doesn't often trade at multiples that low, particularly at this point in the year.
Even cheaper is Microsoft (MSFT +1.69%), which has sold off by more than 20% year to date. Microsoft's fiscal 2027 started July 1, and it trades for just 19 times fiscal 2027 earnings right now. With the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.00%) trading for 21.5 times forward earnings, this AI giant is cheaper than the broader market. With Microsoft growing its revenue at a 18% clip during its past quarter, it's also growing at a market-beating pace, making it a solid stock to buy right now.
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Last is Amazon (AMZN +0.55%), which is basically flat for the year. However, it has some major catalysts upcoming that could drive the stock to new heights. The biggest reason to buy the stock is Amazon Web Services (AWS). Amazon is seeing huge demand for its cloud computing platform and is spending big to capture more of that demand. It's spending $200 billion on data center expansion this year, and it has told investors that it already has users lined up for the next tranche of computing power it's developing as it becomes available. That will spur further growth. I think a rapidly rising AWS growth rate will be exactly what Amazon needs to push its stock higher throughout the rest of the year.
Keithen Drury has positions in Amazon, Microsoft, Nebius Group, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Like all of the large banks that underwent the Federal Reserve's bank stress test, Bank of America (BAC +0.46%) passed. However, after passing, many of the other big banks announced sizable dividend increases. For example, Goldman Sachs (GS +0.14%) hiked its dividend by 11%, while Citigroup (C 0.17%) increased its dividend by 12%. Bank of America, by contrast, didn't increase its dividend. But investors shouldn't worry, a dividend hike is likely on the way.
Bank of America: It's just a timing issue Over the last few years, Bank of America has increased its dividend in the third quarter. The dividend increase is announced alongside second-quarter earnings. Bank of America will report second-quarter earnings in a couple of weeks. Basically, management is simply waiting until the normal time it makes dividend announcements, given how close the results of the Fed stress tests were announced relative to earnings season.
Image source: Getty Images.
In other words, Bank of America's choosing not to announce a dividend increase is probably not a sign that something is wrong with the company. The real question here is how large the increase will be. Obviously, that's entirely up to the board of directors. That said, the last two annual dividend increases were 8% and 7%. Both are sizable compared to the historical inflation rate, which is closer to 3%. It is reasonable to expect the next hike to be larger, though probably not dramatically so, since the last two increases were fairly generous.
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58.63
A discounted price could be a buying opportunity What's interesting is that Bank of America's price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios are lower than those of JPMorgan Chase (JPM 0.11%) and Goldman Sachs, suggesting it's a value play in the banking sector. Meanwhile, Bank of America's P/E is lower than Citigroup's, even though Citigroup's P/B ratio is lower. So, it could still be viewed as the value option, given that Citigroup's stock has risen 60% over the past year, compared with Bank of America's 20%.
A dividend increase from Bank of America is unlikely to close the valuation gap in one fell swoop. But it will still be a nice reward for investors and provide a reason to stick around for the long term, allowing the market more time to close the valuation gap. Given that Bank of America's roughly 2% dividend yield is currently higher than its peers', income-focused investors should probably take a close look at the stock before it reports second-quarter earnings (and a likely dividend increase).
Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
JPMorgan Chase has been ordered to keep paying convicted fraudster Charlie Javice‘s legal bills, with a Delaware judge rejecting the banking giant’s bid to halt what it called “astronomical” defense costs that have now topped $70 million.
Delaware Chancery Court Magistrate Judge Christian Wright said in his ruling on Thursday that JPMorgan failed to meet its “challenging burden” of proving that Javice’s legal fees were “so unmistakably unreasonable or clearly abusive” that they could only have resulted from bad faith.
The decision requires JPMorgan to continue advancing roughly $10.1 million in disputed legal fees incurred by Javice between January and September 2025.
JPMorgan Chase must keep paying Charlie Javice’s legal bills, a Delaware judge ruled. Alec Tabak for NY Post Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Javice is seeking a presidential pardon as she seeks to overturn her March 2025 conviction for defrauding JPMorgan into paying $175 million for Frank, the college financial-aid startup she founded.
The bank also sought to stop paying the legal fees of former Frank chief growth officer Olivier Amar, who was convicted alongside Javice and sentenced to 68 months in prison.
Wright rejected that request, too, ruling JPMorgan must continue advancing approximately $11.3 million in Amar’s disputed legal fees covering a similar period.
The latest ruling means JPMorgan remains on the hook for legal costs that now exceed $70 million for Javice alone and more than $136 million combined for her and Amar, according to court filings.
JPMorgan argued that the costs had spiraled out of control and sought to end its obligation to bankroll Javice’s defense under advancement rights stemming from its 2021 acquisition of Frank.
The dispute has featured some eyebrow-raising accusations by JPMorgan over what it says were lavish charges buried in Javice’s legal bills.
A Delaware judge rejected the bank’s bid to halt the “astronomical” defense costs. Corbis via Getty Images In separate court filings unsealed last year, the bank claimed defense lawyers sought reimbursement for $530 worth of gummy bears, more than $3,000 in first-class airfare, a $581 dinner that included a $161 seafood tower and more than $25,800 in luxury hotel upgrades.
JPMorgan also objected to charges that it said included a $284 car ride covering just half a mile, cocktails and wine, cellulite butter, a Spotify subscription, a suitcase, a Cookie Monster toddler toy, a pet hair roller, a coffee maker and even transportation to the American Museum of Natural History.
Javice’s spokesman countered that none of the disputed expenses were incurred, used or approved by her, saying they were attorney expenses that the bank was using to distract from its contractual obligation to advance her legal fees.
“We appreciate the court’s time and attention to this matter,” JPMorgan spokesman Pablo Rodriguez said in a statement to The Post.
“We respectfully disagree with the Delaware decision about the bounds of reasonableness and are considering next steps.”
Javice was sentenced to 85 months in prison after being convicted of defrauding JPMorgan Chase in the $175 million sale of Frank. Alec Tabak for NY Post Federal prosecutors said Javice falsely claimed Frank had data on more than 4 million students when it actually had information on only about 300,000, enabling her to pocket tens of millions of dollars from the sale.
She was later sentenced to 85 months in prison and is appealing both her conviction and sentence.
JPMorgan has been paying Javice’s legal bills since June 2023 under an earlier Delaware court order requiring the bank to advance defense costs while the underlying litigation proceeds.
The Delaware dispute centers on advancement rights rather than whether Javice is ultimately entitled to indemnification.
Under Delaware corporate law and the merger agreements governing the Frank acquisition, JPMorgan has been required to front legal expenses while challenges over the scope and reasonableness of those bills play out.
Wright concluded the bank had not shown the invoices were so excessive that they reflected bad faith, allowing the advancement obligations to continue despite Javice’s criminal conviction.
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HomeIndustriesTelecommunicationsBoth AT&T and Verizon shares are down this week as the threat of Starlink loomsUpdated July 2, 2026, 4:55 p.m. ET
The specter of SpaceX is hanging over AT&T, Verizon and other telecommunications stocks as investors fear an Elon Musk-led industry shakeup.
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The likely path is a slow drift, with no move expected this week. The Federal Reserve has held its policy rate steady for about seven months, and the market is not pricing an imminent cut. That means the yield on a competitive high yield savings account is likely to drift rather than lurch. If the Fed signals a resumption of cuts at today’s 2:00 p.m. ET FOMC press release, banks will begin trimming APYs within days to weeks. If it holds and sounds patient, savers keep what they have for a while longer.
How a Fed decision reaches your savings account The federal funds rate is the overnight rate banks charge each other for reserves. Your savings APY is not tied to it by law, but it tracks closely because banks fund themselves in the same short-term markets that the Fed steers. When the Fed lowers its target range, banks can borrow more cheaply and have less need to compete for your deposits. Deposit rates ease down. When the Fed raises the range, the opposite happens.
The link is tight but not instant. Online banks that lead the market on APY tend to move within a week or two of a Fed decision, sometimes the same afternoon. Big traditional banks that pay very little on savings barely react at all. Certificates of deposit reprice on their own schedule as new issues are posted, which is why the FDIC national average 12-month CD sat at 1.65% on June 1, 2026, after dipping to 1.52% in March 2026 and peaking at 1.76% in August 2025. That gap between the average and what a competitive online bank pays is where careful savers earn most of their extra yield.
Where the policy rate sits today The upper bound of the federal funds target range is 3.75% as of July 1, 2026, unchanged for roughly seven months since the December 11, 2025 cut. The path to get here was three quarter-point cuts over the past year. The range moved from 4.5% in mid-September 2025, to 4.25% on September 18, to 4.0% on October 30, and to the current 3.75% in December. Total easing over the past twelve months is 75 basis points.
The extended pause is the important part. A Fed that has been on hold for seven months is telling you it wants more evidence before its next move. For savers, that translates to a period where deposit APYs at the top online banks tend to hover, with the occasional quiet trim as competition softens.
What the market is saying about the next move Treasury bills are the cleanest market read on near-term Fed expectations. On July 1, 2026, the 4-week bill closed at an average discount rate of 3.57% and a bond-equivalent yield of about 3.63%, with the 13-week at 3.71% and the 26-week at 3.84%. Short bills trading a bit below the top of the Fed’s range is normal. It becomes interesting when the 4-week bill drops well below the policy rate, because that is the market pricing in a cut before the bill matures.
The yield curve carries a similar message. The 10-year minus 2-year Treasury spread was 0.31% on July 1, 2026, down from 0.74% in early February and sitting in the bottom 2.4th percentile of the past year. A flatter curve tends to reflect expectations of slower growth and eventual easing, both of which pressure savings yields lower over time.
Outside forecasters see modest additional cuts. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS | GS Price Prediction) Research projects the Fed to reduce its policy rate by 50 basis points to a 3% to 3.25% range in 2026. JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) noted the market was pricing roughly 80 basis points of cuts through 2026, while cautioning that further adjustments are far from a foregone conclusion. Vanguard has been more hawkish, expecting the Fed to cut only once in the first half of 2026 given sticky core inflation above 2.5%. Consensus is not unanimous, which is exactly why the Fed is patient.
The inflation picture the Fed is watching The Fed cares most about its preferred gauge, core PCE. The core PCE index reached 130.082 in May 2026, up 0.41 points or 0.3% from April, and sits in the 90.9th percentile of the past twelve months. That is a steady grind higher rather than a spike, and still well short of the clean glide back to the 2% target that would give the Fed cover to cut aggressively. Headline CPI told a similar story, rising to 335.123 in May 2026 from 325.252 in January 2026.
Working against that is a weakening consumer. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index printed 44.8 in May 2026, down from 61.7 a year earlier and approaching recessionary territory. Sticky inflation argues for holding. Fragile sentiment argues for cutting. That tension is what today’s FOMC statement will try to resolve.
Three indicators you can watch yourself You do not need a subscription to follow this in real time. Three data points give you most of what matters for the next move in your APY.
The federal funds target range. Track it directly from the Fed’s own statements after each FOMC meeting. The next FOMC press release lands July 2, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET. If the upper bound moves, your APY will follow within weeks. The 4-week Treasury bill yield. Published daily by the Treasury. When the 4-week yield drifts noticeably below the Fed’s upper bound, the market is telling you a cut is coming before that bill matures. When it hugs the upper bound, the market expects the Fed to sit still. The next CPI release. June 2026 CPI is due in early July 2026. A cooler print gives the Fed room to cut. A hotter one keeps the pause in place. Core PCE later in the month is the more important read for policy, but CPI hits first and moves markets. None of these will tell you the exact day your bank’s APY will change. Together they will tell you which direction the wind is blowing weeks before the change shows up in your account.
What savers should actually do Compare offers on the spread rather than the headline. The gap between what a competitive online savings account pays and what a big brick-and-mortar bank pays is usually far larger than any single Fed cut. Moving from a legacy account paying almost nothing to a top online account matters more than shaving basis points between two strong offers.
If you want to protect against a decline in short rates, consider laddering some cash into CDs or Treasury bills to lock in a yield for a defined period. Wes Moss noted on the Clark Howard Podcast that in a savings account "you make it 3.5% this year. And if the Fed lowers rates next year, you’re only getting two". A CD or bond locks the rate. A savings account keeps you liquid. Most people want some of each.
I bonds are another comparison point rather than a substitute. The composite I bond rate for the May 2026 through October 2026 earning period is 4.26%, made up of a 0.9% fixed rate and a 1.67% semi-annual inflation component. They come with a one-year lock and a three-month interest penalty if redeemed inside five years, so treat them as a longer-term inflation hedge rather than emergency cash.
Here is a scratchpad you can use to compare a rate move against your own balance.
Frequently asked questions When the Fed cuts rates, how fast does my HYSA APY drop? Competitive online banks typically adjust within a week or two of an FOMC decision, sometimes the same day. Larger legacy banks that pay very little on savings barely change their rates at all, since they were not competing on yield to start.
Can HYSA rates fall even if the Fed does not cut? Yes. Banks trim deposit rates when they need fewer deposits, when short-term funding markets ease, or when a competitor pulls back. A quiet drift lower during a Fed pause is common, particularly after promotional periods end.
Is a CD a better option than a savings account right now? It depends on whether you value locked yield or full liquidity. A CD fixes your rate for the term. A savings account resets as the market moves. Splitting cash between the two is a reasonable compromise for money you might, but might not, need soon.
What signal from the Fed would move HYSA rates the most? A change in the target range itself, and a shift in the statement’s forward guidance. If the Fed says it expects further cuts, banks will lead APYs lower ahead of the actual move. If the statement sounds patient, the pause in deposit rates continues.
How high above the national average should a good HYSA pay? Look for something on the order of several times the FDIC national average for savings. Competitive online banks have historically paid meaningfully more than the average, which is anchored down by the largest branch-heavy banks.
[OFFERS MODULE]
The near-term path for savings yields is more likely to be flat than dramatic. Watch the Fed’s statement today, watch the 4-week bill this month, and watch the next CPI print. Those three inputs will tell you which way your APY is headed before your bank sends the email.
Fresh off last year’s BTS collaboration with their TinyTan figurines in Happy Meals, McDonald’s is partnering with their other character affiliate, BT21. McDonald’s Official Instagram posted a teaser featuring the characters’ shadows zooming through the universe, past stars that form a Happy Meal. In the sneak peek, it is revealed that BT21 x McDonald’s Happy Meals will launch on July 14. Like the TinyTan toys, they will be sold exclusively with Happy Meals.
Developed by LINE FRIENDS, BT21 is a set of creature characters representing each BTS member, created by the members themselves. Since its launch in 2017, the products have been popular, selling out at launch, and have been expanded to other companies, such as Converse and Olive Young.
The popular brand previously worked with McDonald’s in 2023, selling its characters standing atop chicken nugget containers, exclusively in Asia. The toy sold out quickly.
BT21
LINE FRIENDS
What are the BT21 Figures? Who do they represent?BT21, whose name derives from BTS and the 21st Century, was created by each BTS member to represent them, giving them a name, look, and personality. There is even a lore. The brand has since launched into products, games, foods, ads, and even web series. BTS documented their process for creating their characters and continues to actively develop them.
Play Puzzles & Games on Forbes
KOYA - RMKOYA is a blue koala who is brilliant, sleepy, and thoughtful, with removable ears. RM thought koalas were cute. He painted KOYA’s nose purple to represent love (and ARMY). When KOYA is shocked, his ears fall off, but he can put them back on.
RJ - JinJin has been drawing alpacas for years, especially since he’s been referenced as looking like one. So he decided to embrace it and make his character one with a red/orange scarf. He named it “RJ” because “AL” from ALpaca, but in Korean, it sounds like “R,” and the letter of his first name is J. RJ, like his father, enjoys eating.
Fun fact: Jin has displayed his giant RJ statue at home.
SHOOKY - SUGAInspired by Jung Kook’s drawing, SUGA gave his character the name SHOOKY. The brown, round cookie has arms and legs, one eyebrow thicker than the other, and one buck tooth. The character is known to be mischievous.
MANG - j-hopeInitially, MANG was a purple-bodied character with a blue horse mask over its face and a pink heart-shaped nose. j-hope wanted to explore the mystery of a character hiding their true self from the world. MANG is, like his father, a superb dancer. The name “Mang” translates to pony and is the latter part of the word Hope in Korean. In 2023, MANG revealed its face, showing the world it was a chipmunk. His smile is exactly the same as j-hope’s.
CHIMMY - JiminCHIMMY is a white puppy with black ears, wearing a yellow hoodie. Jimin wanted the character to represent the entire group because they were all like puppies – playful and active. CHIMMY’s face also resembles Jimin’s when they first debuted.
TATA - VV likes drawing cute and unique characters, and had the idea of TATA in his head for some time before creating it. He created the character as an alien with a heart-shaped head, yellow lips, and a blue body dotted with yellow. The heart-shaped head represents the love he sends out into space. V gave the character its name because the sound was cute.
COOKY - Jung KookJung Kook, whose fans have associated him with a bunny, sketched a rabbit as his character, naming it after him and his nickname, “Kookie,” but with a different spelling. COOKY is a pink rabbit with the right ear bent down, with one eyebrow thicker than the other. He is very strong and likes to work out.
VAN - ARMYIn addition to their own characters, BTS wanted to create a character that represented their fanbase - ARMY. Created by TATA, VAN is a robot with grey and white stripes on both sides of its body and XO eyes. VAN is sworn to protect the characters – just like ARMY.
What is the BT21 Lore?According to LINE FRIENDS, “Hailing from Planet BT, Prince TATA dreams to spread love across the galaxy. Deciding that destiny is at hand, TATA summons guardian robot VAN to prepare for an interstellar journey to Earth. Shortly after arrival, the Prince concludes that the most effective means to win over the hearts of earthlings is to become a super, no... something much more ambitious. A UNIVERSTAR. Realizing that a collective effort is crucial, TATA & VAN scout for like-minded hopefuls to share in the dream. Soon they discover 6- KOYA, RJ, SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY, and COOKY- to become what will be known as the most influential pop-culture sensation the galaxy has ever witnessed. BT21.”
What can we expect from this collaboration with McDonald's?More to come on this BT21 x McDonald’s collaboration SOON!
Moderna Inc. MRNA shares rose 9.2% on Thursday, making the biotechnology company one of the top performers in the S&P 500.
Investors responded positively to new pipeline updates, encouraging influenza vaccine data, and favorable analyst commentary.
The stock extended its recent rally after climbing to a new annual high on Wednesday.
At one point, shares gained nearly 12% as investors welcomed the company's latest Science Day presentation and progress across its mRNA development programs.
Investor sentiment also received a boost after an FDA advisory panel unanimously supported Moderna's mRNA-1010/mFLUSIVA influenza vaccine for adults aged 50 to 64 and those 65 and older.
The recommendation comes ahead of a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) decision expected on Aug. 5, 2026, as well as planned global regulatory filings.
During its recent Science Day presentation, Moderna outlined plans to expand its mRNA platform beyond infectious disease vaccines into oncology, autoimmune diseases and other therapeutic areas.
The company showcased programs targeting multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer and in vivo CAR-T therapies, while emphasizing increased use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and robotics to accelerate research and development.
Plans to begin the in vivo CAR-T program mRNA-6007 in 2027 also contributed to investor optimism.
Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said the company's strategy extends across multiple areas of development.
Working across three strategic horizons, we are applying our mRNA platform expertise to validate, scale and expand our modalities, with new modalities in the clinic, including T-cell engagers, and new modalities soon to be in the clinic, like in vivo CAR-T. At the same time, we are driving innovation by using data, AI and machine learning, and robotics to accelerate discovery and continuously improve how we execute for near-term growth while fuelling the next generation of mRNA medicines for patients around the world.
Analysts remained constructive on Moderna's long-term prospects despite differing views on the pace of commercialization.
Jefferies maintained a Hold rating and a $45 price target, stating that while eventual approval of the influenza vaccine appears likely, meaningful flu-related revenue is not expected until 2027.
Piper Sandler took a more optimistic stance, raising its price target to $77 from $69 while reiterating an Overweight rating following the recent rally.
The positive analyst commentary added to growing optimism surrounding Moderna's expanding pipeline beyond COVID-19 vaccines.
Financial position remains supported by cash reservesDespite renewed enthusiasm surrounding its research programs, Moderna continues to operate at a loss as it invests heavily in product development.
The company generated approximately $389 million in quarterly revenue and about $1.94 billion in trailing 12-month revenue.
However, it reported a net loss of roughly $1.34 billion in the latest quarter and an EBITDA loss of approximately $1.28 billion. Free cash flow stood at negative $692 million.
Moderna has approximately $5.21 billion in cash and short-term investments, a current ratio of 2.4 and long-term debt of about $1.25 billion, providing financial flexibility as it continues investing in its pipeline.
CNBC's Jim Cramer also expressed optimism about the company's direction.
“For the first time in a long time, the company seems like it has something to get excited about", Cramer said on Wednesday.
He added that Moderna's “plethora of thoughtful, new products” is presenting a clear roadmap to profitability for the first time in a long while.
However, Cramer also urged patience, saying, “I recommend waiting for a pullback before you buy. Take your time. I think Moderna’s got a bright future though, but it’ll take years to get there.”
HomeIndustriesSoftwareTech StocksTech StocksAdobe’s stock is rallying after a contrarian upgrade at HSBCUpdated July 2, 2026, 5:02 p.m. ET
Design software has been an easy target for those bearish on software in the artificial-intelligence era, and Adobe has struggled to break free of that narrative, even after recent earnings beats.
Now HSBC analyst Stephen Bersey is questioning why the stock has been suffering so much given that company has not seen any “material impact from AI-powered competitors.” Adobe shares ADBE have lost 34% so far this year.
Adobe remains fundamentally strong, with 12.68% YoY revenue growth and robust ARR momentum despite a 24% share price decline. Firefly ARR reached $300 million in Q2, growing 50% QoQ, with projections to exit 2027 at $1.6–1.9 billion. AI inference costs and freemium strategies are near-term margin headwinds, but user acquisition and future upselling position ADBE for durable growth.
Pfizer's (PFE +1.78%) shares have significantly underperformed broader equities over the past three years. The company's reliance on its coronavirus portfolio has been a weakness, as vaccination rates have declined, while U.S. regulators have made it harder for patients to access COVID-19 vaccines, even when they want to. Pfizer has tried to move beyond this problem. The company has expanded its pipeline through acquisitions.
However, there could be even more buyout deals on the horizon for the drugmaker. Pfizer's CEO, Albert Bourla, recently boasted about the company's "very big balance sheet" and ability to pursue potentially transformative acquisitions, if need be, even after spending quite a lot on buyout deals over the past few years. If Pfizer decides to buy another company, several candidates would be particularly attractive, including Kailera Therapeutics (KLRA +5.62%). Here's why.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Deepening its weight loss portfolio Like many pharmaceutical leaders, Pfizer recognizes the large and growing opportunity in the anti-obesity market. The drugmaker tried to develop several weight-loss medicines in-house, but for the most part, they were failures. Last year, Pfizer made an important move to bolster its position in this market: It acquired Metsera for up to $10 billion, including potential milestone payments. Metsera's lead asset, MET-097i, aced phase 2 studies. This medicine is now in phase 3 clinical trials. But what if Pfizer were to expand its weight-loss portfolio further to increase its chances of dominating this rapidly growing niche of the industry? Acquiring Kailera Therapeutics could help it do that.
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Kailera, which recently went public, boasts several attractive candidates for weight loss. The most advanced is ribupatide. What is noteworthy about this investigational medicine is that it mimics the actions of two separate gut hormones: GLP-1 and GIP. Some believe stimulating both hormones offers advantages not seen with medicines like MET-097i, which mimic only GLP-1. In fact, the current leader in the weight-loss market, Zepbound, is a dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist that has overtaken Wegovy, a single-pathway medication.
That doesn't guarantee that every dual GLP-1/GIP agonist will be successful. But if Pfizer were to acquire Kailera Therapeutics, including its leading candidate, ribupatide, the pharmaceutical leader would have a significantly stronger, more differentiated weight-loss pipeline. That becomes even more evident when we look at Kailera Therapeutics' other candidates. Kailera Therapeutics is developing an oral version of ribupatide.
Currently, no oral dual GLP-1/GIP agonist is approved for weight loss, even though oral anti-obesity medicines are seeing strong success. Pfizer already has some oral candidates, notably through its acquisition of Metsera, but adding oral ribupatide might be a significant improvement.
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Further, Kailera Therapeutics is developing KAI-4729, a medicine that mimics the action of three gut hormones: GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. No such medicine is approved, but at least one is in late-stage studies, and it has posted what look like best-in-class efficacy results. We won't know for a while whether Kailera's KAI-4729 can match that, but the point is that its triple pathway approach has shown strong promise.
That's why it would be a great addition to Pfizer's portfolio in the case of an acquisition. Now, it wouldn't be cheap for Pfizer to buy Kailera Therapeutics. The biotech's current market cap is $2.7 billion. Kailera's shareholders will certainly demand a significant premium, especially given the company's promising candidates in one of the industry's fastest-growing therapeutic areas. But if Bourla is right and Pfizer does have the funds to pull it off, it may be worth it.
Is Pfizer stock a buy? We can't be sure that Pfizer will acquire Kailera Therapeutics. So, we should decide whether the company's shares are attractive independently of that. True, the drugmaker's financial results haven't been great, and it also recently suffered a clinical setback. Pfizer's sigvotatug vedotin failed to meet its primary endpoint in a phase 3 study in patients with lung cancer.
Even so, there are good reasons to be optimistic about Pfizer's future. Despite this setback, the company's pipeline, especially in oncology, remains deep, and over the next few years, we should see significant clinical and regulatory progress from Pfizer. It could also establish itself as a leader in the weight-loss market with just the candidates in its pipeline.
Also, several of Pfizer's medicines are performing well, including newer ones such as Abrysvo, a vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus. Lastly, Pfizer has maintained its dividend program intact despite recent challenges, and it offers a juicy forward yield of 7.1%, making it a top pick for dividend seekers. It will take some patience, but investors who purchase Pfizer's shares today may be glad they did so down the line.
July 02, 2026 17:00 ET | Source: Kinross Gold Corporation
TORONTO, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX: K; NYSE: KGC) (the “Company”) will release its financial statements and operating results for the second quarter of 2026 on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, after market close. On Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. EDT Kinross will hold a conference call and audio webcast to discuss the results, followed by a question-and-answer session. The call-in numbers are as follows:
Canada & US toll-free – (888) 596-4144; Conference ID: 9425112
Outside of Canada & US – +1 (646) 968-2525; Conference ID: 9425112
Replay (available up to 14 days after the call):
Canada & US toll-free – +1 (800) 770-2030; Conference ID: 9425112 #
Outside of Canada & US – +1 (609) 800-9909; Conference ID: 9425112 #
You may also access the conference call on a listen-only basis via webcast at our website www.kinross.com. The audio webcast will be archived on www.kinross.com.
About Kinross Gold Corporation
Kinross is a Canadian-based global senior gold mining company with operations and projects in the United States, Brazil, Mauritania, Chile and Canada. Our focus is on delivering value based on the core principles of responsible mining, operational excellence, disciplined growth, and balance sheet strength. Kinross maintains listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: K) and the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: KGC).
Interest in financial stocks should be on the rise amid a potential increase in interest rates, which tend to benefit banks. As the financial landscape evolves, investors often choose between global reach and domestic strength. Deciding whether to buy Citigroup (C 0.11%) or Wells Fargo & Co (WFC 0.50%) requires weighing two very different banking strategies.
Citigroup positions itself as a global connector for institutional clients, while Wells Fargo remains a dominant force in the U.S. consumer market. Comparing these two companies helps reveal how their divergent business models and geographic footprints might impact your investment strategy during 2026.
The case for CitigroupAs one of the world's most geographically diverse bank stocks, Citigroup operates in more than 90 markets through five core business units. The company serves a global base of institutional and consumer clients, and no single customer represents more than 10% of its total revenue according to available disclosures. Its strategy centers on supporting client growth and facilitating complex cross-border financial transactions for multinational corporations.
In FY 2025, revenue was more than $85.2 billion, representing a 5% increase from the prior year. The bank reported net income of $13.1 billion for the same period, a 13% increase.
The case for Wells Fargo & Co.Wells Fargo provides banking, investment, and mortgage services primarily within the United States. The company serves approximately 60 million consumer and small business customers through a massive domestic branch network. Similar to its peers, the company maintains a broad client base in which no individual customer accounts for more than 10% of total revenue, organized into segments such as commercial banking and wealth management.
For FY 2025, the company reported revenue of nearly $83.7 billion, which was shy of 2% growth over the previous year. Net income for the period was roughly $20.3 billion, reflecting a 9% increase in profitability compared to 2024.
Risk profile comparisonCitigroup faces significant risks associated with its extensive international presence, including fluctuating currency values and diverse regulatory requirements across dozens of countries. The bank must navigate economic instability in emerging markets, which could negatively impact its institutional client base. It also faces intense competition for global corporate business from other large peers like JPMorgan Chase (JPM 0.11%) and HSBC Holdings (HSBC +0.90%).
Wells Fargo & Co deals with ongoing regulatory consent orders that require improvements in governance and anti-money laundering compliance. These mandates can limit how quickly the bank grows or changes its operations while increasing its compliance costs. The company also faces competition from fintech firms and Bank of America (BAC +0.63%), and its domestic focus makes it particularly sensitive to U.S. interest rate changes and economic downturns.
Valuation comparisonWells Fargo & looks slightly cheaper according to its Forward P/E, which measures price against future earnings estimates, while Citigroup has a lower P/S ratio, comparing price to revenue.
MetricCitigroupWells Fargo &Sector BenchmarkForward P/E13.2x12.1x17.3xP/S ratio2.9x3.3xn/aSector benchmark uses the SPDR XLF sector ETF.
Valuation metrics sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.
Wells Fargo is expected to post modest sales growth in 2026 of about 4.8%, with slightly better net income growth at just over 5%. What has some excited is that the Federal Reserve has removed a $2 trillion cap on deposits it had placed on Wells Fargo in 2018 for various scandals, including opening fake accounts to appear to be growing faster. That would change the calculus for Wells’ growth, since the cap on deposits has led it to reduce its deposit market share from 10% to 7% this decade.
Citigroup, meanwhile, is seen growing revenue by 10% in 2026 to $93.9 billion, with a 44% jump in profitability to net income of $18.8 billion. Wells Fargo actually has better net income margins than Citi, which is a plus for the California-based Wells. But Citigroup is seeing particular strength in retail deposits and wealth management, each up double digits in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Deposits at a bank are revenue multipliers, so rapid increases in deposits are a plus. Wells, meanwhile, is seeing strength in credit cards.
Ultimately, both Citigroup and Wells Fargo are similarly sized (by revenue) financial institutions. It’s tough to recommend Wells stock on the basis of its no longer being punished for financial misdeeds. If you can set aside grudges about past actions, Wells is cheaper on a price-to-earnings basis. But Citigroup is a more diversified bank and is cheaper on a price-to-sales basis. Coupled with its faster growth in revenue and net income in 2026, Citigroup is the bank stock to buy.
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Sony's announcement of its planned shift to digital-only PlayStation games sparked a frenzy on the internet. RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images Sony's decision to stop making physical discs for its PlayStation games starting in 2028 has opened the floodgates for brands eager to score points online.
Within hours of the announcement, companies ranging from creators of privacy software to fried chicken chains piled on, using the PlayStation's all-digital future as fodder for jokes.
Sony said the shift reflects the fact that the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces that for physical discs, Business Insider reported Thursday.
The posts tapped into a broader backlash from fans who have expressed worry about ownership, media preservation, and what happens when everything lives behind a download.
Those anxieties have been building for months as the gaming industry steadily shifts away from physical media. Grand Theft Auto VI — one of the most anticipated games of the decade — is being sold in stores with a download code rather than a game disc. The decision, announced by creator Rockstar Games last month, sparked a similar debate.
Gaming accessory maker GameSir quipped on X following Sony's announcement that it would stop making physical controllers and shift to downloadable ones, allowing gamers to control their devices "via quantum entanglement and pure imagination."
"True pro-gamers don't need a controller in their hands; they need the controller in their souls," GameSir's post read, calling the decision a pivot toward a "beautifully empty-handed future."
KFC España also took a swipe at Sony, saying it would begin offering its fried chicken only via downloadable PNG format, while Domino's UK compared Sony's all-digital move to replacing its pizzas with a download code so diners could enjoy them in "an entirely virtual sense."
Privacy-focused Proton joked that it would begin offering physical versions of its digital services in light of Sony's decision.
"Proton Mail becomes encrypted letters hand-delivered by our team, Pass becomes someone who follows you around and remembers your passwords for you, VPN flies you to one of 90+ locations so you can browse like a local, Drive ships every user a folder (additional folders available upon request), and Lumo AI sends a smart employee to your location to answer questions, help with work, and draw things."
In the meantime, pizzas, passwords, and fried chicken remain stubbornly physical — for now.
Read next
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert is a senior reporter on Business Insider's West Coast team. When she's not writing about trending business and tech news, from the latest supply chain snarls or advancements in AI, she covers the food and restaurant industries, specifically companies such as Starbucks and McDonald's.Some of her prior areas of focus have included coverage of the Supreme Court and emerging technologies such as quantum computing.Katherine has worked on award-nominated projects and has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC, CNN, and other outlets to discuss her reporting.Prior to joining Business Insider, she covered retail, hospitality, and nonprofits at the San Fernando Valley Business Journal and received a master's degree in investigative reporting from the University of Southern California.Reach outDo you have feedback or a story tip? Contact Katherine on Signal at byktl.50, or email her at [email protected] her on Twitter and Instagram @scrawlgirl.Some of her recent scoops, exclusives, and original stories include: Starbucks set up a new office. It's a 5-minute drive from the CEO's California home.Inside Starbucks' crackdown on cup notesEndless Shrimp was Red Lobster's rock bottom. Now it's clawing back.Chipotle's new PAC signals a change in how the company engages in politicsKFC lost its footing in the Chicken Wars. Now it's gunning for a 'Kentucky Fried Comeback.'A few other highlights include: Clarence Thomas raised him 'as a son.' Now he's facing 25-plus years on weapons and drug charges.Call her Ivanka Kushner'Maybe I'll just resign:' Federal workers react to DOGE productivity emailSpaceX launches cause late-night booms that rattle windows, set off car alarms, and may damage property. Locals are pushing back.The US-China tech race is moving from chips to the raw materials they're made of
DISTRIBUTED-WORK-MODEL/OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) will release financial results for the second quarter of 2026 on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, after market close. Block will also host a conference call and earnings webcast at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the same day to discuss these results.
To register to participate in the conference call, or to listen to the live audio webcast, please visit the Events & Presentations section of Block’s Investor Relations website at investors.block.xyz. A replay will be available at the same website following the call.
About Block
Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people. Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Together, we’re helping build a financial system that is open to everyone. Block.xyz
As chief marketing officer at Snowflake, Denise Persson engages with peers from some of the world's biggest companies about their artificial intelligence strategy.
These CMOs are all taking about the same thing, she says. "The big topic, which is the big topic here at Cannes as well, is how do we build this new AI operating model across the organization," Persson said.
In order for CMOs to succeed, Persson said, they need to understand the priorities for the company and figure out where they can have impact quickly.
"The greatest asset you have as a CMO is the trust that you have built in your organization," Persson said. "It's the same thing for brands and their customers — trust is the most important brand asset."
As chief marketing officer at Snowflake, Denise Persson engages with peers from some of the world's biggest companies about their artificial intelligence strategy.
These CMOs are all taking about the same thing, she says. "The big topic, which is the big topic here at Cannes as well, is how do we build this new AI operating model across the organization," Persson said.
In order for CMOs to succeed, Persson said, they need to understand the priorities for the company and figure out where they can have impact quickly.
"The greatest asset you have as a CMO is the trust that you have built in your organization," Persson said. "It's the same thing for brands and their customers — trust is the most important brand asset."
Investing in many different types of stocks can be a great way to minimize your risk while also giving you a chance to generate great returns in the long run. That's because it isn't always obvious which stock will take off, and when. Think about the stocks that are hot this year that are focused on memory and storage solutions. It wouldn't have been obvious five or 10 years ago that they would be amassing the gains that they are right now.
Three stocks that have done exceptionally well over the past decade are Nvidia (NVDA 1.39%), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 4.60%), and Micron Technology (MU 5.68%). Investing $5,000 into each of them back then would have resulted in your portfolio being worth approximately $1.8 million today. Here's a look at how much a $5,000 investment in each one of them would be worth as of June 29, why they have done so well, and if they're still worth buying today.
Image source: Getty Images.
Nvidia: $836k Nvidia has been leading the revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) as its cutting-edge chips have been crucial in the development of AI models and software. The company's dominance in the industry has allowed it to generate not only significant revenue growth but also command high margins, ensuring that as its sales have risen significantly, so too have profits. That's a big reason why, despite its valuation being around $4.8 trillion right now, its price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 30 isn't all that astronomical.
A $5,000 investment in Nvidia a decade ago would now be worth roughly $836,000. While it was still a big name in tech 10 years ago, its growth opportunities in AI were not on the horizon, and much of the stock's gains during that stretch have occurred during just the past couple of years.
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For investors who want exposure to AI, Nvidia remains a top growth stock to consider for the long haul.
Advanced Micro Devices: $526k Advanced Micro Devices, also known as AMD, is one of Nvidia's key rivals. Although it isn't nearly as large in size, the company's latest chips have been giving investors confidence that it may be able to take considerable market share from Nvidia in the future.
In its most recent quarter, which covered the first three months of the year, AMD's revenue rose at a rate of 38%, and that is expected to rise to 46% for the current quarter. The company has been winning over investors of late, and that's putting it lightly with its year-to-date gains at around 170%.
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516.00
Over the past decade, a $5,000 investment in AMD would have grown to around $526,000 today. The downside with its gains, however, is that its P/E multiple has risen to around 190. And even based on future earnings (as projected by analysts), its forward P/E is close to 80. Although it's been red hot, the stock could be due for a slowdown.
Micron Technology: $434k One of the hottest stocks to own this year has been Micron Technology. The company's memory and storage products have been in extremely high demand. As companies have invested heavily in AI and related infrastructure, this has led to a supply shortage in the types of products Micron sells. This has enabled it to raise prices drastically amid the heightened demand.
This year, it has skyrocketed by around 300% in value, and its market cap has now topped more than $1 trillion, making it one of the most valuable tech companies in the world. A $5,000 investment in the stock a decade ago would now be worth around $434,000. Between that and the other stocks on this list, a $5,000 in each one a decade ago would mean that your portfolio would now be worth approximately $1.8 million.
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-5.68
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973.59
Micron's valuation remains modest with a P/E multiple of 26. Whether it's still a buy ultimately depends on whether the demand for memory and storage products is part of a new normal for the tech sector due to AI, or if it will prove to be cyclical, as it has in the past. If you believe the former, then you may be bullish that the stock may still rally higher. But if it's the latter, your outlook would undoubtedly be bearish. Either way, it has the potential to be a significantly volatile holding.
Wall Street was torn between opposite catalysts on Thursday morning.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +1.14%) climbed 0.7% by 12:11 p.m. ET. The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.00%) dropped 0.2% at the same time, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.80%) fell 0.8%.
The culprit behind the confusion: Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is going one way while nearly everything else in tech is going the other.
^IXIC data by YCharts
Employment miss meets Middle East stalemate The iPhone maker jumped 4%, adding $182 billion in market capitalization. The company reportedly told its parts suppliers to prepare for a large-scale rollout of foldable iPhones this fall. The expected foldable unit count for 2026 is now 10 million, up from 7 to 8 million in earlier forecasts. That's alongside roughly 70 million iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max handsets, setting Apple up for a blockbuster sales push.
Without Apple's contribution, the S&P 500 would have had a much worse day.
Eight of the 10 largest market cap moves on that index today were printed in red ink, including a 7.4% price drop for Tesla (TSLA 7.35%) and a 5.8% retreat in Micron Technology (MU 5.68%) prices.
Tesla's June vehicle deliveries came in 18% above analyst estimates, but some investors are locking in profits after a 13% bull run over the last four market days. Micron is also trading near all-time highs, and memory chipmakers are facing a price-fixing lawsuit regarding older memory types.
These moves also weighed on the Nasdaq Composite, but neither Tesla nor Micron is a component of the Dow.
Image source: Getty Images.
The June jobs report landed with a thud: 57,000 new positions versus the 110,000 economists expected. May's numbers were revised down, too. Yet the unemployment rate fell to 4.2% from 4.3%, a contradiction explained by fewer people actively looking for work. Treasury yields declined on expectations that the soft data would reduce pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.
Over in the Strait of Hormuz, the vessel backlog dropped to 380 ships from 485 earlier this week, but only five ships actually passed through in the last 24 hours. U.S. and Iranian negotiators wrapped up talks in Doha claiming "positive progress," though concrete results remain elusive. The next round of discussions will follow funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader, scheduled to end on July 9.
Oil prices keep falling anyway, apparently more interested in diplomatic optimism than shipping data.
Gold and Bitcoin both rallied for the second straight day, showing an unusual market shift into different types of safe-haven investments.
The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD +2.04%) fund rose 2.1% while the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT +2.44%) gained 2.6%. When investors buy both the traditional haven and the newfangled digital one at the same time, it sends broad uncertainty signals for the market as a whole.
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52900.07
A long weekend to reassess Markets are closed on Friday for Independence Day, so everyone gets a long weekend to plan for what's ahead. As usual, the economy is sending mixed messages and the best move may very well be to do nothing.
The chip sector's two-day decline follows an 82% first-half gain; some pullback was inevitable, though the speed of the correction is surprising.
The Dow beating the Nasdaq by 1.5 percentage points reflects the rotation theme that's defined this year's market. Money is shifting from high-flying growth names into steadier sectors like financials and industrials. Sometimes boring outperforms exciting, at least for a few days.
Enjoy the holiday, and I'll see you again next week!
After a stunning surge in Micron Technology (MU 5.68%), investors are weighing rich recent gains against the realities of a cyclical memory market. Consider what today's price may already assume about tomorrow's demand, then watch the video for deeper insight.
*This video was published on Jun. 17, 2026.
David Meier has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Emily Flippen, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. John Bromels has positions in Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Micron Technology (MU 5.68%) investors have been a happy bunch in the market this past year. It's not a secret why: The stock is up 272% since 2026 began. Many investors wait decades before seeing 3x or greater returns, yet Micron did it in just six months.
With a return like that in such a short time, some investors may wonder if Micron's best days are already accounted for. But Micron's management team just told investors that the good times will keep rolling. If they're right, then Micron's run could just be getting started.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Micron expects market conditions to continue Micron makes dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND memory. Both are heavily used in data centers, and with an unprecedented data center build-out underway, Micron and its peers don't have the production capacity necessary to meet demand. With limited supply and soaring demand, memory chip prices are skyrocketing, driving strong results for Micron.
It recently released third-quarter results for fiscal 2026 (ending May 28), and some incredible news came out of that report.
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First, the company blew away internal expectations. For the quarter, management expected about $33.5 billion in revenue. Micron actually managed a jaw-dropping $41.5 billion in revenue. Management expects fourth-quarter revenue to come in at $50 billion. That's massive sequential growth and shows how strong the demand for memory chips is.
To be clear, there is growing concern that Micron might be in a bubble, and that new capacity coming online to meet huge demand could pop it. Micron downplayed that concern, as it expects "tight conditions" to persist beyond 2027 due to strong AI demand. This means that Micron could just be getting started, and Wall Street analysts' projections also back this up.
For Q4, analysts expect 315% year-over-year revenue growth. For fiscal 2027, they expect 82% revenue growth. Clearly, Micron's growth trend is far from over, yet the stock trades for 15.6 times forward earnings and 7.7 times next year's earnings.
Data by YCharts.
This suggests not all of the upside has been priced into Micron's stock quite yet, and it could easily head higher from here. Micron still looks to be a great investment. Just be aware that it will also involve increased volatility, as Micron stock has been known to give investors whiplash. Long-term and patient investors can get a nice return by purchasing Micron stock today, as there is more room to run as long as the AI build-out continues to go at full strength.
Keithen Drury has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
@morningstar's Philip Straehl says his firm and investors are reevaluating the tech space as the trade cools. He believes investors can hold tech but believes in diversifying into underappreciated corners of the space and trimming stocks like Micron (MU), SanDisk (SNDK), and other AI memory companies.
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
On June 30, Jim Cramer told Mad Money viewers his favorite stock is a company most people wrote off two years ago. “Intel, currently my favorite stock. CEO Lip-Bu Tan has turned this company around,” he said. He dismissed the mega-cap AI hyperscalers in favor of the chipmaker they all now depend on. The pick reflects a broader thesis he laid out the same night: “Wall street is now rewarding tech companies with products in high demand and punishing their customers.”
Why Cramer flipped on Intel Intel (NASDAQ:INTC | INTC Price Prediction) has become the loudest turnaround story in semis. The stock is up 278.4% year to date and 523.35% over the past year. A $22 broken-tech name has become something Cramer describes as a national treasure. CEO Lip-Bu Tan took over when the stock was near $20 and has since delivered six consecutive quarters of revenue above expectations.
The Q1 fiscal 2026 print, released April 23, 2026, showed the acceleration. Revenue came in at $13.577 billion, up 7.2% year over year. The Data Center and AI segment grew 22% year over year to $5.052 billion, and Intel Foundry revenue rose 16% to $5.421 billion. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.29 blew past the $0.0127 consensus. Details in the Q1 8-K spell out the mechanics.
Three growth engines Cramer wants you to see Cramer laid out three legs to the Intel story. First, CPUs remain essential for AI inference, and Tan himself said “The next wave of AI will bring intelligence closer to the end user, moving from foundational models to inference to agentic. This shift is significantly increasing the need for Intel’s CPUs and wafer and advanced packaging offerings.” Second is advanced packaging and automotive, where margins run hot.
Third is the foundry, which is finally moving. Intel 18A ramped to high-volume manufacturing in Arizona and Oregon, and Intel Xeon 6 was selected as host CPU for NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) DGX Rubin NVL8 systems. Moreover, add the $5 billion NVIDIA equity investment and the $5.7 billion CHIPS Act disbursement, and the balance sheet looks nothing like the one investors were panicking about a year ago.
Furthermore, insider behavior lines up with the narrative. CFO David Zinsner acquired 37,015 shares of common stock on June 1, 2026, and the endpoint counted 47 recent insider transactions with a net buying direction.
The memory boom Cramer is riding alongside Cramer’s Intel pick sits inside a larger frame he keeps repeating: “The spend can only be defended by profitability, not press release.” That is why memory suppliers are getting retail flows. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $41.456 billion, up 345.7% year over year, with non-GAAP EPS of $25.11 and gross margin at 84.6%. Guidance for the following quarter calls for $50 billion in revenue. The stock is up 304.62% year to date.
SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) has rallied even harder, up 857.84% year to date on datacenter revenue up 645% year over year. Cramer’s line about memory names tripling in three months tracks with the tape.
The customers are taking the punishment The flip side of Cramer’s thesis lives in the compute chipmakers. Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL), which Jensen Huang has flagged as a potential trillion-dollar company, is up 250.96% year to date on custom-silicon tailwinds. AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) sits up 171.25% year to date, with Lisa Su leaning into the Meta deal for up to 6 gigawatts of Instinct GPUs. Both are winning and volatile, and Cramer warns they could get repriced if hyperscaler capex slows without earnings to justify it.
Intel’s path forward runs through shipping 18A wafers, landing more Xeon sockets in Rubin racks, and keeping foundry losses shrinking. Cramer thinks Tan is doing exactly that. At a forward multiple of 152x and an analyst target of $98.50 against a current price near $127.92, the question is how much of the comeback is already in the tape.
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of Class A or Class C common stock of Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZG) (NASDAQ: Z) between February 11, 2025 and May 7, 2026, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important August 10, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Zillow common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Zillow class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/zillow-group-inc/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 10, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Zillow’s agreement with Redfin Corporation was not a “partnership,” but rather an acquisition of Redfin’s business; (2) as a result of the Redfin Agreement, Zillow faced a materially heightened risk of regulatory scrutiny and liability under federal antitrust laws; (3) upon the filing of an antitrust lawsuit, Zillow continued to downplay its legal exposure; and (4) as a result, defendants’ statements about Zillow’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Zillow class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/zillow-group-inc/join or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
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Growth-focused investors may struggle to find buys in today's market. The Shiller P/E ratio of 41 indicates the overall market is near record highs. Also, even if investors want to buy, they may gravitate to more popular technology stocks or give up on growth and turn to beaten-down dividend payers in the consumer space.
Fortunately, the market offers a choice for rapid growth without paying an outrageous valuation. If you are willing to take on risk, you have $1,000 that isn't needed for monthly bills or to pay down short-term debt, you could find an opportunity in July to invest it in MercadoLibre (MELI +1.27%), and here's why.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
The state of MercadoLibre First, investors might feel skittish about Latin America, a market with periodic economic and political turmoil.
Moreover, e-commerce competition has squeezed margins on the retail side of the business as MercadoLibre has attracted competition from Amazon, Sea Limited, and numerous smaller competitors. Furthermore, a significant increase in loan volumes has forced the company to absorb higher doubtful-account expenses, which rose 106% year over year in the first quarter of 2026.
And both of these factors reduced its profits in the first quarter of 2026, even as its growth is accelerating amid a 49% yearly revenue increase. These challenges likely led to the stock's 35% decline from its all-time high.
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22.12
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1764.31
Second, you might wonder why I would invest $1,000 in MercadoLibre when shares trade for around $1,700 at the time of this writing. Fortunately, most brokerages offer partial shares, and while that may incur additional fees or minor hassles, the company's value proposition probably makes that slight inconvenience worth it.
MercadoLibre has thrived by turning adversity into opportunity. When cash-based customers could not buy on MercadoLibre, Mercado Pago was created to offer financial products and, later, a fintech system to serve these customers. Also, when sellers lacked satisfactory logistics options, Mercado Envios was created to fulfill orders and ship products more quickly.
These businesses deepened MercadoLibre's competitive advantage, meaning that accepting lower margins now could mean higher sales and fewer competitors later, ultimately deepening its e-commerce leadership. Regarding fintech, MercadoLibre has responded by using AI more to evaluate potential borrowers. It has also limited loan amounts to reduce potential losses from bad loans.
Lastly, MercadoLibre sells at a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 45. While that is well above the 31 average for the S&P 500, it is also low given that Amazon routinely traded above 50 times earnings in its earlier growth years. When also considering the aforementioned revenue growth, that arguably means its valuation is reasonable.
Investors should buy as much of a partial share of MercadoLibre as they can with their $1,000. The company appears risky given its Latin American focus, rising competition, and higher bad-loan expenses.
However, it has repeatedly succeeded at turning adversity into opportunity, and as it addresses its challenges, profit growth could eventually match or exceed the company's huge revenue growth. Thus, if MercadoLibre's history is any indication, overcoming its current challenges should eventually take the consumer discretionary stock to record highs and beyond.
WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A Kansas federal court has granted class action status to a group of Wichita residents alleging that Union Pacific Corp. historically released hazardous waste from a rail yard site that contaminated the soil and groundwater of thousands of surrounding properties, according to attorneys at The Lanier Law Firm. Testing shows the contaminants include chlorinated solvents and other chemicals with known links to cancer that have migrated from the property at 29th Stre.
Lockheed Martin logo is seen in this illustration taken July 26, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
July 2 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab is leading the race to acquire Ultra Maritime, owned by private-equity firm Advent International, in a deal that could value the naval defence business at about $3.5 billion, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Talks are ongoing, and a deal could be announced as early as next week, the report said, adding that several other bidders remain interested in Ultra Maritime as part of a competitive auction process.
The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.
Lockheed Martin and Advent did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Ultra Maritime, which specializes in anti-submarine warfare and undersea defence technologies, is part of Cobham Ultra, a group created after Advent acquired British aerospace Cobham in 2019 and later combined it with Ultra Electronics following its 2022 takeover.
The potential deal comes as defence contractors seek to expand their military technology portfolios amid heightened geopolitical tensions and increased defence spending driven by conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and fighting in the Middle East.
Shares of Lockheed Martin were down marginally in extended trading.
Reporting by Apratim Sarkar in Bangalore; Editing by Vijay Kishore
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
As the world leans further into automation and data centers, choosing between Broadcom (AVGO 2.47%) and ON Semiconductor (ON 3.60%) has become a classic debate for tech investors.
Broadcom provides networking chips, wireless connectivity, and infrastructure software used across cloud, enterprise, and data-center environments, while ON Semiconductor specializes in power management for the automotive and industrial sectors. This comparison examines their revenue growth, balance sheet health, and current valuations to help you navigate these two industry leaders.
The case for BroadcomBroadcom designs and supplies a massive array of semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions for global organizations. The company focuses on high-end networking, wireless connectivity, and enterprise software that keeps large-scale cloud environments running smoothly. It supports a range of hyperscalers and equipment manufacturers, though it maintains high customer concentration with 40% of revenue coming from its top five end customers.
In FY 2025, revenue reached nearly $63.9 billion, representing a growth rate of approximately 23.9% over the previous year. This expansion was accompanied by net income of roughly $23.1 billion, resulting in a net margin of close to 36.2%. Recent growth has been driven partly by demand for AI-related semiconductor solutions, including custom AI accelerators and AI networking products.
As of its November 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio was roughly 0.8x. This ratio measures total debt against shareholder equity, where a lower number generally suggests less reliance on borrowed money. The current ratio, which compares short-term assets to liabilities, is approximately 1.7x, while free cash flow reached nearly $26.9 billion. Stock-based compensation represented roughly 27.5% of operating cash flow, which is worth noting because it is a non-cash add-back in the cash flow statement.
The case for ON SemiconductorON Semiconductor, often branded as onsemi, delivers intelligent power and sensing technologies primarily for the automotive and industrial markets. These chips are essential for electric vehicles and factory automation systems managed by its 26,000 employees across 19 manufacturing sites. In June 2026, ON Semiconductor agreed to acquire Synaptics in an all-stock deal valued at about $7 billion, aimed at expanding its exposure to physical AI and AI-enabled devices.
For FY 2025, revenue was nearly $6.0 billion, which reflected a decline of approximately 15.3% compared to the prior year. This drop contributed to a net income of roughly $121.0 million, yielding a net margin of close to 2.0% as the company worked through market shifts. The company remains highly dependent on the automotive sector, which accounts for about 51% of its total revenue.
As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the current ratio stands at approximately 4.5x, indicating a strong ability to cover short-term obligations. The debt-to-equity ratio was below 0.5x based on long-term debt and stockholders’ equity and the company generated free cash flow of nearly $1.4 billion. Free cash flow is the cash a company produces after paying for its operating costs and equipment upgrades.
Risk profile comparisonBroadcom faces significant sensitivity to the capital spending of its largest customers, as 40% of revenue is tied to just five entities. Its global manufacturing footprint in China and Taiwan also exposes it to geopolitical tensions and trade tariffs. Furthermore, if the current build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure slows down, the company might struggle to maintain its recent growth rates.
ON Semiconductor is heavily concentrated in the automotive and industrial sectors, making it vulnerable to cyclical downturns in those specific markets. The acquisition of Synaptics also introduces integration risks that could impact operational performance if synergies are not achieved. The company must also compete against large rivals like Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics in a crowded sensing market.
Valuation comparisonWhile Broadcom carries a much higher P/S ratio than its peer, ON Semiconductor currently offers a slightly lower Forward P/E based on future earnings estimates.
MetricBroadcomON SemiconductorSector BenchmarkForward P/E31.5x29.4x36.4xP/S ratio27.2x5.9x8.0xSector benchmark uses the SPDR XLK sector ETF.
Valuation metrics sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.
The comparison between Broadcom and ON Semiconductor centers on the specific semiconductor risk profile that investors may prefer in 2026. Broadcom benefits from robust segments of the chip market, particularly artificial intelligence and data-center demand, which contribute to substantial profits and cash flow. In contrast, ON Semiconductor represents a more cyclical recovery opportunity, with its performance closely linked to the automotive and industrial sectors, as well as the pending Synaptics acquisition.
Broadcom’s primary strengths are its earnings power, profit margins, and cash generation. In fiscal 2025, Broadcom’s revenue grew nearly 24%, with a net margin of about 36% and free cash flow of $26.9 billion. Onsemi’s revenue declined by about 15%, and its GAAP net margin was approximately 2%, reflecting the impact of special items. Despite this, onsemi generated $1.4 billion in free cash flow and remains fundamentally sound and is awaiting improvement in its end markets.
However, Broadcom’s strengths are well known, and its shares already trade at a premium due to AI and data-center exposure, which limits upside if growth slows. Still, Broadcom appears to be the stronger 2026 option for investors focused on current earnings and cash flow. ON Semiconductor, on the other hand, may appeal more to investors willing to wait for a recovery in automotive and industrial chip demand.
Kalshi is looking into an incident in which streams of a song on Spotify may have been artificially boosted at the same time there was a jump in wagers on Kalshi’s prediction markets platform that the song would reach No. 1 on Spotify’s charts, the Financial Times reported Thursday (July 2).
The song, which was released in 2024, saw a nearly 70% leap in U.S. streams on Spotify between Sunday and Monday (June 28-29), according to the report.
During the preceding week, traders on Kalshi had priced only about a 2.5% probability that the song would reach No. 1 on the Spotify U.S. charts by the end of June.
Traders on Kalshi who placed wagers on the song during the week prior to Monday would have made about 20 times their initial outlay.
Spotify investigated the incident, determined that some of the streams were initiated by bots, and removed more than 500,000 streams of the song, which dropped the song to No. 4 in the charts.
There is no suggestion that the singer-songwriter of the song “Earrings,” Malcolm Todd, or his team were involved in any attempt to boost its ranking on Spotify, the report said.
Spotify said in the report that streaming services face all kinds of manipulation and that the company “has best-in-class detection and mitigation practices for manipulated streams, and we don’t pay out associated royalties.”
Kalshi told the FT, per the report: “We’re in touch with Spotify and are actively investigating this matter.”
Kalshi said in a June 9 blog post that it had implemented new market integrity updates that include risk scoring assigned to markets with heightened risk of insider trading or manipulation, employment verification to screen potential insiders, and enhanced whistleblower features that enable users to directly report abusive trading activity.
The company said that during the first quarter, it began more than 150 investigations, blocked more than 100 potential insider trades, made more than 20 referrals to law enforcement and implemented five disciplinary actions.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said in February that exchanges such as Kalshi are adhering to their oversight responsibilities and that they are the regulator’s first line of defense against insider trading in prediction markets.
Kroger said Wednesday it plans to buy regional grocer and pharmacy retailer Giant Eagle in a deal valued at $1.65 billion.
Giant Eagle, which is privately held, has 197 supermarkets and 11 stand-alone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana. They would continue to operate under the Giant Eagle name under the terms of the deal.
Kroger, which is the largest U.S. supermarket chain, has 2,685 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Its stores operate under various brand names, including Ralphs, King Soopers, Smith’s, and Fred Meyer.
The transaction includes $1.25 billion in cash and the assumption of approximately $400 million in outstanding liabilities, the companies said Wednesday.
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“Giant Eagle is a well-run, high-quality regional grocer with a strong reputation for fresh products, pharmacy, private label, and customer loyalty,” Kroger CEO Greg Foran said in a statement. “We evaluated the opportunity carefully, and the strategic fit is clear.”
Foran, a former Walmart executive, was named Kroger’s CEO in February.
Kroger and other traditional grocers have been squeezed in recent years as consumers do more of their food shopping at big retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon, and discount chains like Aldi.
Here is a breakdown of the key catalysts shaping Thursday afternoon’s price action.
CrowdStrike Holdings shares are trending higher. What’s driving CRWD shares up? What the 4-for-1 Stock Split Means for CrowdStrike ShareholdersThursday’s move also comes as CrowdStrike began trading on a split-adjusted basis Thursday morning following its previously announced four-for-one stock split.
Shareholders of record as of June 25 received three additional shares for every share held after the close of business on July 1, with split-adjusted trading beginning Thursday morning.
The split does not change CrowdStrike’s market value or the economic value of investors’ holdings, but it lowers the per-share trading price and increases the number of shares outstanding.
That can matter to investors because a lower nominal share price may make the stock appear more accessible to retail traders and can sometimes improve trading liquidity, even though the company’s underlying fundamentals are unchanged.
CRWD Stock: Critical Levels To WatchFrom a trend perspective, CRWD is extended but still firmly in control: it’s trading about 12.4% above its 20-day SMA ($174.09) and roughly 55.7% above its 200-day SMA ($125.65). The bullish stack of moving averages (20-day above the 50-day, and the 50-day above the 200-day) keeps the longer-term uptrend intact, reinforced by the golden cross that triggered in May.
Momentum is the bigger near-term question, with RSI at 72.82—overbought territory that often signals the move is getting stretched and may need consolidation even if the primary trend stays up. Price is also pressing right up against the top of its 52-week range, which can invite profit-taking and quick pullbacks.
Key Resistance: $196.50 — the 52-week high area where upside attempts can stall as sellers defend the prior peak What Is CrowdStrike and Its Business Model?CrowdStrike is a cloud-native cybersecurity company specializing in security verticals such as endpoint, cloud workload, identity, and security operations. Its core product is the Falcon platform, which aims to give enterprises a unified view to detect and respond to threats across their IT environments.
That positioning matters because security spending tends to be more resilient than many other IT budgets, especially when markets get choppy. The Austin, Texas-based company was founded in 2011 and went public in 2019, and it remains a closely watched bellwether for sentiment in high-growth cybersecurity.
What Would $1,000 Invested in CRWD Be Worth Today?A $1,000 investment in CrowdStrike Holdings on July 2, 2021, would have grown to $3,077 by July 2, 2026 — a 207.7% total return over the five-year period. The stake swung between $373 and more than $3,000 along the way.
The ride included a deep drawdown, with the period’s low arriving on January 6, 2023, and a maximum drawdown of -67.7%. After sitting at $736 on July 5, 2022, the position was $574 on July 3, 2023 before rebounding to $1,514 on July 2, 2024 and $1,951 on July 2, 2025. It crossed $2,000 on June 30, 2025 and reached $3,000 on June 1, 2026.
On an annualized basis, CrowdStrike Holdings returned 25.2% over the period, ahead of the S&P 500’s 11.5% annualized return and the Nasdaq 100’s 14.8%. Among peers, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. was the closest comparison listed, with a 41.4% annualized return.
Today, CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. has a market capitalization of about $199.22 billion.
CRWD Stock Price Action Update for ThursdayCRWD Stock Price Activity: CrowdStrike Holdings shares were up 1.87% at $196.80 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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Making tremendous strides in sales growth over the past decade, Plug Power (PLUG +0.00%) has proven adept at selling customers on its fuel cell and hydrogen offerings. But the company's prowess at proving that these alternative energy endeavors could be profitable? Well, that's another story. Since its founding in 1997, Plug Power has consistently failed to turn a profit.
But management has a plan to reverse that trend. Let's take a closer look at Plug stock and what could derail the company as management strives to achieve profitability.
Image source: Getty Images.
This isn't the first time Plug's management has prognosticated profits Investors often get excited when management teams suggest that profitability is on the horizon for their businesses -- especially ones that have been unprofitable for nearly 30 years, like Plug. So when Plug's management projects the company will generate positive operating income as 2027 winds down and achieve "overall profitability exiting 2028," it's understandable why investors get a little giddy.
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But those with long memories will recall Plug's past profitability projections -- and how they never came to fruition.
The company has a long history of failing to deliver on management's profit forecasts. In December 2013, for example, Plug CEO Andy Marsh forecast the company would achieve breakeven on an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) basis in 2014. Instead, it ended the year with EBITDA of negative $33.6 million.
Similarly, the company projected in January 2016 that it would achieve EBITDA break-even in the fourth quarter of that year. Again, it failed. Instead, Plug reported EBITDA of negative $9.4 million in Q4 2016.
Since its founding in 1997, Plug has reported neither operating income nor positive EBITDA.
PLUG Operating Margin (Annual) data by YCharts.
Plug plans to pull a lot of levers to post profits In an April 2026 investor presentation, management outlined a range of steps the company will take to achieve profitability. From raising prices throughout its material handling business to improving its service costs to consolidating its operating sites, the company sees a variety of opportunities to reduce expenses.
The problem, however, is that these numerous opportunities are far from guaranteed to succeed. While some of the steps the company is taking may yield benefits, there's no certainty they will be sufficient to result in overall profitability.
And while the company is continually incurring losses, it still needs to service its $1 billion in debt -- something it must do from its dwindling cash position of $223 million at the end of March 2026. Moreover, while it's servicing its debt, it still requires cash to maintain its operations. As a result, the company will likely raise capital by issuing equity, subjecting investors to shareholder dilution, as it has done many times before.
Take the forecast with a heaping tablespoon of salt Rather than buying this hydrogen stock on the belief that the company is on the precipice of posting profits, investors would be better served by looking for Plug to meet near-term targets, such as achieving positive EBITDA by the end of 2026. Should it succeed, the company could start to rebuild trust with investors, making its 2028 forecast seem more credible.
$1,000 might not seem like much in the stock market, where a single share of a popular company can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But now that most brokerages offer fractional shares, it's easy to spread $1,000 across several promising stocks.
If you're still a young investor, it's smart to invest in a few speculative stocks with explosive long-term growth potential. That's why we should take a closer look at Oklo (OKLO 0.17%) and Plug Power (PLUG +0.00%) -- which are both high-risk, high-reward plays that might turn a modest $1,000 investment into a small fortune.
Image source: Getty Images.
Oklo Oklo develops microreactors for modular nuclear power plants. Its Aurora microreactor can generate only 1.5 MWe on its own, but it can be connected to additional microreactors to reach up to 75 MWe per "Powerhouse" plant. That's much less than the 1,000 MWe generated by conventional nuclear plants, but these smaller plants can be easily deployed in remote areas.
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The Aurora uses metallic uranium fuel pellets, which are denser, have higher thermal resistance, and are cheaper to fabricate than the uranium dioxide pellets used in conventional reactors. The Powerhouse recycles its pellets in a closed loop, enabling them to last for a decade without refueling. Conventional reactors are still refueled in stages every two years.
Oklo plans to deploy its first Powerhouse reactors in 2027, and the growth of the power-hungry cloud and AI data center markets should generate strong tailwinds for its business. Analysts expect its revenue to surge from just $1 million in 2026 to $55 million in 2028 -- and it could soar even higher over the next few decades as its microreactors reinvent the nuclear energy market.
Plug Power Plug Power is a leading developer of hydrogen fuel cells, charging systems, electrolyzers, and storage solutions. Its top customers include Amazon (AMZN +0.55%) and Walmart, which use its fuel cells and charging systems to power their hydrogen-powered forklifts. Its total number of deployed fuel cell systems increased from around 50,000 at the end of 2021 to over 74,000 at the end of 2025.
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New decarbonization initiatives are also driving more governments to adopt Plug Power's green hydrogen solutions. The company is building six new green hydrogen facilities for the U.S. Department of Energy, and it recently secured a massive 275 MW electrolyzer contract for Hy2gen's Courant green hydrogen project in Quebec. From 2026 to 2023, the global green hydrogen market could expand at a 30.2% CAGR, according to Grand View Research.
From 2025 to 2028, analysts expect Plug's revenue to grow at an 18% CAGR to $1.16 billion as those tailwinds kick in. So if you expect hydrogen power to become more relevant over the next few decades, it's a great time to accumulate Plug's stock as it trades in the low single digits.
Tali Farhadian Will Join the Company's Board of Directors;
Appointment Effective July 1, 2026
, /PRNewswire/ -- Consolidated Edison, Inc. ("Con Edison") (NYSE:ED) today announced that its Board of Directors elected Tali Farhadian to Con Edison's Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2026.
Ms. Farhadian is an accomplished lawyer and former prosecutor with deep legal and regulatory experience, as well as a civic advocate. She serves as a Trustee of the New York Public Library, and recently completed seven years of service on the Yale University Council. Effective September 8, 2026, she will become the Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
Ms. Farhadian began her legal career clerking for Judge Merrick Garland at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She served in the Office of the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, and as General Counsel of the King's County District Attorney's Office.
She has also worked in private law practice, and has taught at New York University Law School and Columbia Law School. Ms. Farhadian is active in New York's civic life through board work and advocacy, and she was a candidate for Manhattan District Attorney in 2021. She holds a bachelor's degree and a law degree from Yale University, and a master's degree from Oxford University where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Consolidated Edison, Inc. is a holding company that provides a wide range of energy-related products and services to its customers through the following subsidiaries: Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., a regulated utility providing electric service in New York City and New York's Westchester County, gas service in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens and parts of Westchester, and steam service in Manhattan; Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., a regulated utility serving customers in a 1,300-square-mile area in southeastern New York State and northern New Jersey; and Con Edison Transmission, Inc., a regulated company primarily under the oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, that develops and invests in electric transmission projects and owns interests in both electric and gas assets.
Key Takeaways CI is rolling out Pharmacy Forward through Accredo to simplify specialty pharmacy with AI.Cigna expects faster prescription processing, lower admin work and stronger medication adherence.Evernorth's Q1 2026 adjusted revenues rose 9%, while Specialty and Care Services earnings grew 20%. The Cigna Group’s (CI - Free Report) health services division, Evernorth, has launched Pharmacy Forward, an AI-powered specialty pharmacy initiative designed to simplify and accelerate the prescription journey for patients with complex conditions. Backed by a $100 million investment through 2028, the program will first roll out through Accredo Specialty Pharmacy. By using artificial intelligence across prescription intake, clinical support and fulfilment, the platform aims to reduce delays, improve communication and help patients start treatment sooner.
The platform is expected to make specialty pharmacy operations more efficient for both patients and healthcare providers. Pharmacy Forward is projected to cut prescription processing times in half while reducing clinicians' administrative work. It also expands personalized digital support to improve medication adherence. Another advantage is its logistics network, with 90% of Accredo patients living within a one-day ground delivery radius. The initiative is expected to generate nearly $400 million in cumulative value by the end of 2028.
The launch fits into Cigna's broader plan to expand Evernorth Health Services, a key growth driver. The company has been investing in technology to simplify pharmacy services, improve efficiency and encourage biosimilar adoption. The strategy is already showing results. In the first quarter of 2026, Evernorth's adjusted revenues rose 9% year over year to $58.4 billion, while pretax adjusted earnings in its Specialty and Care Services business increased 20%.
Pharmacy Forward highlights Cigna's continued push to grow its healthcare services business beyond traditional insurance. Although the investment is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on near-term earnings, it could strengthen Evernorth's position in the growing specialty pharmacy market by improving efficiency and patient experience. Combined with higher adjusted EPS guidance for 2026 and the leadership of CEO Brian Evanko, the initiative reinforces Cigna's long-term growth strategy.
Cigna’s Stock Price PerformanceShares of Cigna have gained 0.7% year to date compared with the industry’s 25.2% gain over the same period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Cigna’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksCI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Medical space are UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) , Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV - Free Report) and CVS Health Corporation (CVS - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $18.32 per share, indicating 12.05% year-over-year growth. UNH beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 0.8%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $443.7 billion.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Elevance Health’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $26.86 per share, which has witnessed one upward revision in the past 30 days, with no movement in the opposite direction. ELV beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 10.6%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $ 194.24 billion.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CVS Health’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $7.44 per share, indicating 10.22% year-over-year growth. CVS beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 16.8%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues is pinned at $409 billion, implying 1.7% year-over-year growth.
Rivian Automotive (RIVN) rose 13.39% intraday after the electric vehicle maker reported Q2 2026 deliveries of 12,194 vehicles, topping its own guidance range of
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Stock Market Skids As Trump Makes This Trade Call; Jobs Report Due Robinhood Markets (HOOD) shares regained a significant price level Thursday, after the company unveiled new investing tools and gave an expansion update. An analyst raised the price target, too, saying Robinhood could become the first "hyperscaler" in the brokerage industry. The company's aggressive expansion strategy took several steps forward at a London event, signaling a deeper foray into Europe. The…
July 02, 2026 16:05 ET | Source: Robinhood Markets, Inc.
MENLO PARK, Calif., July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) (NASDAQ: HOOD) announced that it will release its second quarter 2026 financial results on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, after market close. Robinhood will host a video call with Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Vlad Tenev and Chief Financial Officer Shiv Verma to discuss its results at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET on the same day. The video call and supporting materials will be available at investors.robinhood.com. The event will also be live streamed to YouTube and X.com via Robinhood’s official channels, @RobinhoodApp, and within the Robinhood mobile app. Following the call, a replay and transcript will be available at investors.robinhood.com.
Ahead of the call, Robinhood shareholders can visit https://app.saytechnologies.com/robinhood-markets-2026-q2 to submit and upvote questions for management using the Q&A platform developed by Say Technologies. The Q&A platform will be open for question submission starting Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. Shareholders will be able to submit and upvote questions until Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. Management will address a selection of the most upvoted questions relating to Robinhood’s business and financial results on the earnings call. Shareholders can email [email protected] for any support inquiries.
About Robinhood
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) is a global leader in financial services offering retail brokerage, crypto, advisory, digital banking services, and private markets access to a new generation of investors. Additional information about Robinhood can be found at robinhood.com.
Robinhood uses the “Overview” tab of its Investor Relations website (accessible at investors.robinhood.com/overview) and its Newsroom (accessible at newsroom.aboutrobinhood.com), as means of disclosing information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg. FD). Investors should routinely monitor those web pages, in addition to Robinhood’s press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts, as information posted on them could be deemed to be material information.
“Robinhood” and the Robinhood feather logo are registered trademarks of Robinhood Markets, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. remains a Buy, driven by robust growth from Ingrezza, Crenessity, and the recent Vykat acquisition. Q1 2026 revenues rose 44% year-on-year to $811m, with Ingrezza and Crenessity annualizing at blockbuster levels and Vykat showing rapid ramp-up. NBIX stock valuation reflects high-growth expectations; forward P/S ~5.1x and P/E ~30x, justified by an expanding commercial portfolio and pipeline catalysts.
(Kitco News) - After a wild start to the year, gold's sharp correction has brought prices back toward fair value rather than signaling the end of the precious metal's secular bull market, according to one market strategist.
In an interview with Kitco News, Nitesh Shah, Head of Commodities and Macroeconomic Research at WisdomTree, said he sees an opportunity for gold to recover this year, as investors have become too aggressive in pricing in future Federal Reserve rate hikes following the central bank's hawkish guidance at its June monetary policy meeting.
"I think the market's gotten a little bit ahead of itself," Shah said, referring to expectations for tighter monetary policy.
Shah said investors are placing too much weight on policymakers' projections while overlooking the broader economic constraints facing the central bank.
"I don't think I'm fully convinced we're going to get that many hikes that soon," he said. "Yes, the labor market's strong-ish and inflation's high, but the narrative isn't that different."
Shah pointed out that if the Federal Reserve aggressively reduces the size of its balance sheet, that tightening would reduce the need for multiple interest rate increases.
"I think that's going to be monetary tightening in and of itself, and that will give less bandwidth for the hikes," he said.
He also questioned whether policymakers can realistically maintain a prolonged hawkish stance given the government's mounting debt burden.
"Getting hawkish just means the interest payment bill goes significantly higher," he said. "At some point, if you hike, you will be forced to cut them straight after because you've engineered your own recessionary-type scenario or a disruptive unraveling of the financial system."
Rather than seeing the recent decline as the start of a prolonged bear market, Shah described the correction as a healthy normalization after speculative excess pushed prices well beyond fundamental value earlier this year.
"I think prices just got too high," he said. "It doesn't surprise me that much that prices have fallen since then, largely correcting for what looked like frothiness."
Shah said his gold valuation model, which incorporates factors such as bond yields, the U.S. dollar, inflation, and speculative positioning, showed gold trading at an unusually large premium to fair value in January. That gap has now largely disappeared.
"If I revert back to my model, the gap between the actual prices and my model was massively wide in January," he said. "Now they're pretty much aligned with each other. I don't think we're massively far from fair value in gold prices."
That alignment leaves the precious metal well positioned to resume its longer-term advance if the macroeconomic backdrop evolves as expected.
"Should inflation remain elevated, should bond yields contract a little bit more, should the dollar depreciate, then there's upside potential from gold here onwards," Shah said.
According to Shah, the most important variable for gold remains the long-term direction of the U.S. dollar.
Although the dollar has strengthened in recent months as markets have priced in a more hawkish Federal Reserve, Shah believes the rally will ultimately prove temporary.
"I think the structural story for dollar depreciation still is there," he said.
He pointed to persistent U.S. fiscal deficits and current account imbalances as fundamental drivers that should eventually weigh on the greenback.
"Deficits on the budget and on the current account at some point should start to move towards more downward pressure," he said. "Right now, I think the dollar is strong just because of the expectations of higher Fed funds rates, which I also think may be a little bit misplaced."
Shah also expects easing geopolitical tensions and improved global energy supplies to help moderate inflation over the medium term, reducing pressure on the Federal Reserve to continue tightening policy aggressively.
Against that backdrop, WisdomTree is maintaining its long-term bullish outlook for bullion, expecting prices to be 25% higher by Q1 2027.
"I still think over $5,000 is easily achievable," he said.
While he acknowledged that some of the extraordinary buying momentum seen earlier this year may not return immediately, Shah said several structural sources of demand remain firmly in place.
He highlighted continued central bank accumulation, citing the World Gold Council's latest reserve manager survey which showed a record share of respondents planning to increase their gold holdings over the next year.
"Central banks certainly probably would be buying, and probably buying more now that price has eased," he said.
Despite gold's recent weakness, Shah said long-term investors should distinguish between tactical market positioning and gold's strategic role within diversified portfolios.
"There are a variety of investors," he said. "Some look at gold as a core strategic holding and then may top up with big tactical allocations.”
“We are seeing a little bit more inflow into our gold products, actually," Shah said. "Maybe it's to do with the fact that it's become a little bit cheaper."
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
SummaryRecent investments in Argentina, Angola, and Libya, together with the new Mercuria trading joint venture, further expand Eni's integrated gas, LNG, and energy trading platform, reducing reliance on upstream oil.E increased FY2026 guidance, including a 30% upgrade to Global Gas & LNG Portfolio EBIT, while maintaining its capital expenditure plan.The company also nearly doubled its share buyback program to €2.8 billion, reflecting confidence in future cash generation.Our updated sum-of-the-parts analysis values E's satellite businesses at approximately €20 billion and supports an equity valuation of €80.2 billion. Despite recent share price performance, we continue to see approximately 29% upside. Getty Images
Following our last update (Q3 results), we are back to comment on Eni S.p.A. (E). In our previous analysis, we noted falling oil prices compounded by OPEC+ production increases, and looking back, it already feels
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of E either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
, /PRNewswire/ -- EQT Corporation (NYSE: EQT) plans to issue its second quarter 2026 financial and operating results news release after market close on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and will host a conference call to review the results and other relevant matters on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET. A brief Q&A session for securities analysts will immediately follow the discussion.
To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, visit EQT's investor relations website at ir.eqt.com. A replay will be archived and available, for one year, in the same location after the conclusion of the live event.
About EQT Corporation
EQT Corporation is a premier, vertically integrated American natural gas company with production and midstream operations focused in the Appalachian Basin. We are dedicated to responsibly developing our world-class asset base and being the operator of choice for our stakeholders. By leveraging a culture that prioritizes operational efficiency, technology and sustainability, we seek to continuously improve the way we produce environmentally responsible, reliable and low-cost energy. We have a longstanding commitment to the safety of our employees, contractors, and communities, and to the reduction of our overall environmental footprint. Our values are evident in the way we operate and in how we interact each day – trust, teamwork, heart, and evolution are at the center of all we do. To learn more, visit eqt.com.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), a leading global water solutions company that empowers customers and communities to build a more water-secure world, will release its second quarter 2026 results at 6:55 a.m. (ET) on July 28, 2026. At 9:00 a.m. (ET), Xylem’s senior management team will host a conference call with investors.
The call can be accessed by calling +1 (866) 777-2509 (US) or +1 (412) 317-5413 (INTL) or by visiting Investors Events | Xylem US.
A replay of the briefing will be available on Investors Events | Xylem US and via telephone from July 28, 2026, 1:00 p.m. (ET) until August 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The telephone replay will be available at +1 (855) 669-9658 or +1 (412) 317-0088 (INTL) (Access Code #8084219).
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a Fortune 500 global water solutions company that empowers customers and communities to build a more water-secure world. Our 22,000 employees delivered revenue of $9 billion in 2025, optimizing water and resource management with innovation and expertise. Join us at www.xylem.com and Let’s Solve Water.
Key Takeaways McKesson posted 35% oncology revenue growth and 53% operating profit growth in fiscal Q4 2026.MCK's pharma segment profit rose 11% as specialty drug demand and GLP-1 distribution stayed strong.RxTS revenues grew 12%, though IRA pricing pressure and acquisition risks may challenge future growth. McKesson’s (MCK - Free Report) prospects are being driven by robust growth in specialty distribution, oncology services and biopharma solutions. Earnings are also improving on the back of ongoing operational efficiency and capital discipline despite persistent margin pressures and volatility across certain segments.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 6.4% so far this year compared with the industry's 2.7% decline. The S&P 500 has increased 9.7% in the said time frame.
MCK is one of the leading pharmaceutical distributors in North America, with a market capitalization of $88.46 billion. It forecasts 13.7% earnings growth over the next five fiscal years. The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 3.09%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Factors Favoring MCK StockOncology and Multispecialty Platform Drives Long-Term Growth: McKesson's oncology and multispecialty segment is increasingly emerging as one of its most durable long-term growth drivers.This segment delivered 35% revenue growth and 53% operating profit growth in fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.
Even after adjusting for acquisition benefits from PRISM Vision and Core Ventures, organic operating profit expanded 13%, indicating strong underlying demand. The U.S. Oncology Network added more than 570 providers in fiscal 2026, marking the largest annual provider addition since 2010.
Beyond distribution, McKesson is increasingly embedding technology solutions such as Ambient Scribe AI and Ontada analytics to improve physician productivity and deepen relationships with providers. The expanding community-care ecosystem supports recurring specialty revenue growth while positioning the company to benefit from shift of specialty care from hospital settings towards community settings over the long term.
Strong Specialty Pharmaceutical Momentum: McKesson’s North American Pharmaceutical segment remains highly resilient despite pricing pressure from branded drug deflation. Segment operating profit increased 11% to $980 million, supported by continued specialty drug demand, health-system growth and operating efficiency gains. Particularly notable was continued momentum in GLP-1 therapies, where quarterly distribution revenues reached $14 billion, growing 22% year over year.
Management highlighted that lower branded drug prices and softer sequential GLP-1 volumes had zero impact on operating profit, underscoring the strength of McKesson’s fee-based distribution economics.
With specialty pharmaceuticals remaining the fastest-growing healthcare category and biosimilars adoption increasing steadily, McKesson appears well positioned to sustain above-market earnings growth while leveraging its massive pharmaceutical distribution network.
Prescription Technology Solutions Support Margins: McKesson’s Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS) business is becoming an increasingly valuable earnings contributor as healthcare reimbursement complexity rises. In the fiscal fourth quarter, segment revenues grew 12%, while operating profit increased 13%, supported by strong demand for access, affordability and prior authorization services.
During the annual verification season, McKesson supported a record 3.4 million patients, while technology investments improved productivity, allowing each employee to serve 120 additional patients versus last year.
Management also introduced an integrated specialty access platform that combines benefits verification, prior authorization and affordability support into a single workflow. As specialty therapies, GLP-1 adoption and high-cost drugs continue to see rising demand, McKesson’s technology-enabled service ecosystem creates a competitive moat with structurally stronger margins than traditional pharmaceutical distribution businesses.
Factors That May Offset the Gains for MCKIRA-Driven Drug Pricing Pressure Creates Top-Line Headwinds: One of McKesson’s biggest structural challenges remains pricing pressure created by pharmaceutical policy changes, particularly the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Management disclosed that price reductions by branded manufacturer lowered North American Pharmaceutical revenue growth by approximately 3 percentage points during the fiscal fourth quarter. The company continues to expect similar pricing headwinds throughout fiscal 2027.
While McKesson’s fee-based contracts largely protect profitability, lower drug prices directly suppress reported revenue growth and may weaken investor perception of underlying business momentum. This issue becomes increasingly important because specialty pharmaceuticals account for a growing portion of McKesson’s business. Continued government intervention in drug pricing could create a structural environment where strong demand and prescription growth fail to translate proportionally into top-line expansion, potentially compressing valuation multiples over time.
Technology Solutions Growth Remains Uncertain: Although RxTS remains a high-margin growth business, management explicitly warned that future revenues and operating profit growth will be increasingly non-linear and unpredictable.
Approximately 55% of segment revenues comes from the 3PL business, which depends heavily on factors such as new drug launch timing, program launches, payer utilization trends, product maturity cycles, formulary changes and supply dynamics. Management guided fiscal 2027 revenue growth of only 2.5-6.5%, significantly slower than historical performance despite continued strong demand for access services.
As pharmaceutical manufacturers continuously adjust commercialization strategies, program support requirements may fluctuate materially, resulting in an uncertain quarterly performance. This is likely to reduce earnings visibility in one of McKesson’s most attractive technology-driven segments.
Acquisition-Led Growth Strategy Increases Integration Risk: McKesson’s accelerating expansion strategy depends on acquisitions and inorganic growth initiatives. In fiscal 2026, acquisitions including PRISM Vision and Core Ventures accounted for approximately 34% of operating profit growth in the oncology segment. This highlights growing dependence on purchased growth rather than purely organic expansion.
Management also indicated an active pipeline of additional oncology provider acquisitions, suggesting M&A will remain a central part of the growth algorithm. While integration has progressed smoothly so far, acquisition-heavy growth strategies introduce valuation risk, execution complexity and integration uncertainty.
McKesson is simultaneously funding acquisitions, executing large share repurchases and managing the Medical-Surgical separation, creating capital allocation complexity. If acquired assets underperform or future deals become expensive, sustaining double-digit EPS growth may become increasingly challenging.
Estimate Trends for MCKMcKesson is witnessing a positive estimate revision trend for 2026. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings per share has improved 1 cent to $44.28.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenues and earnings per share is pegged at $104.39 billion and $9.63, respectively. The estimate for revenues indicates a 6.7% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported number, while that for earnings implies a 16.6% gain.
MCK’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksCurrently, McKesson has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are BrightSpring Health (BTSG - Free Report) , Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) and West Pharmaceutical (WST - Free Report) .
BrightSpring Health, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 39 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 34.5%. Revenues of $3.61 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.35%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
BrightSpring Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 46.5%. BTSG’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, the average surprise being 14.6%.
Globus Medical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.12, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 22.1%. Revenues of $759.9 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.0%.
GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 10.2%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 26.3%.
West Pharmaceutical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 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%.
West Pharmaceutical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 13.9%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.4%.
RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE: KNSL) announced today that it will release financial results for the second quarter of 2026 after the market closes on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
The Company will host a conference call to discuss its results with analysts and investors on Friday, July 24, 2026, beginning at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). The release will also be available on the Company’s website, www.kinsalecapitalgroup.com.
To access the conference call, dial (833) 461-5787, conference ID# 761838118, or via the Internet by going to www.kinsalecapitalgroup.com and clicking on the “Investor Relations” link. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes before the call to register and download any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will be available on the website.
About Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.
Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. is a specialty insurance group headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, focusing on the excess and surplus lines market.
