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GM Stock Up 42% in 6 Months: Worth Holding Onto for More Gains?
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:55
Core Viewpoint - General Motors (GM) is experiencing strong performance driven by robust vehicle offerings, a growing software and services business, and restructuring efforts in China, alongside a revised electric vehicle (EV) strategy to address slower adoption rates [1] Stock Performance - Over the past six months, GM shares have increased by approximately 42%, outperforming industry peers such as Ford, which rose by 22%, and Stellantis, which declined by 21% [2] Market Position and Strategy - In 2025, GM became the top-selling automaker in the U.S., achieving a market share of around 17%, marking its fourth consecutive year of growth [6] - GM has adjusted its strategy in response to slower EV demand, selling its stake in the Ultium Cells Lansing plant and reallocating assembly capacity from EVs to internal combustion engine vehicles, incurring $7.6 billion in charges to reduce EV capacity [7] Financial Outlook - GM anticipates North America EBIT margins to be in the range of 8-10% for 2026, an increase from 6.8% in 2025, driven by lower costs and a better product mix [8] - The company expects net income for 2026 to be between $10.3 billion and $11.7 billion, with adjusted EBIT projected at $13 billion to $15 billion [13] Software and Services Growth - GM's software and services business is becoming a significant profit driver, with OnStar reaching 12 million subscribers and Super Cruise subscribers growing by nearly 80% year-over-year [9] - Deferred revenues from software and services are expected to rise to about $7.5 billion by the end of this year, nearly 40% higher than 2025 levels [9] Capital Investment and Shareholder Returns - Over the past two years, GM has invested more than $20 billion in capital projects, with plans to spend $10-12 billion annually in 2026 and 2027 [11] - GM has returned $23 billion to shareholders since late 2023, including $6 billion in share repurchases and over $500 million in dividends in 2025 [12] Valuation and Market Sentiment - GM stock is currently trading at a forward P/E ratio of 6.48, lower than Ford's 9.06 and Stellantis's 4.32, indicating it may be undervalued [15] - The consensus price target for GM stock is $92.24, suggesting an upside of more than 13% from current levels [19]
Sabre (SABR) Reports Q4 Loss, Beats Revenue Estimates
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:55
Core Insights - Sabre (SABR) reported a quarterly loss of $0.01 per share, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.07, representing an earnings surprise of +84.62% [1] - The company posted revenues of $666.53 million for the quarter ended December 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.02%, but down from $714.72 million year-over-year [2] - Sabre shares have declined approximately 31% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's zero return [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.03 on revenues of $742.1 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.12 on revenues of $2.86 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Sabre was mixed ahead of the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Internet - Software and Services industry, to which Sabre belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges for stock performance [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact investor sentiment [5]
Fast-paced Momentum Stock American Well (AMWL) Is Still Trading at a Bargain
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:55
Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," contrasting with traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum if future growth does not justify high valuations [1] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum [2] Group 2: American Well Corporation (AMWL) Analysis - AMWL has shown a price increase of 20.2% over the past four weeks, indicating growing investor interest [3] - The stock gained 36.5% over the past 12 weeks, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [4] - AMWL has a beta of 1.36, suggesting it moves 36% higher than the market in either direction [4] - The stock has a Momentum Score of A, indicating a favorable entry point for investors [5] - AMWL has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which attract more investors [6] - The stock is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.36, indicating it is relatively cheap at present [6] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides AMWL, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen [7] - Investors can explore over 45 Zacks Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles [8]
Legato Merger (ASTL) Is Attractively Priced Despite Fast-paced Momentum
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:55
Momentum investors typically don't time the market or "buy low and sell high." In other words, they avoid betting on cheap stocks and waiting long for them to recover. Instead, they believe that "buying high and selling higher" is the way to make far more money in lesser time.Everyone likes betting on fast-moving trending stocks, but it isn't easy to determine the right entry point. These stocks often lose momentum when their future growth potential fails to justify their swelled-up valuation. In that phase ...
Here Is Why Bargain Hunters Would Love Fast-paced Mover LiveOne (LVO)
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:55
Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher" rather than traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investors often face challenges in determining the right entry point, as stocks may lose momentum when their valuations exceed future growth potential [2] - Investing in bargain stocks that have recently shown price momentum can be a safer strategy [3] Group 2: LiveOne (LVO) Stock Analysis - LiveOne (LVO) has shown a price increase of 20.6% over the past four weeks, indicating growing investor interest [4] - LVO has gained 8.4% over the past 12 weeks and has a beta of 1.64, suggesting it moves 64% more than the market [5] - LVO has a Momentum Score of A, indicating a favorable time to invest [6] - The stock has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which attract more investors [7] - LVO is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.74, suggesting it is undervalued at 74 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides LVO, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, which may present additional investment opportunities [8] - The Zacks Premium Screens offer over 45 different strategies to help identify winning stock picks based on various investing styles [9]
Wingstop (WING) Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:55
Core Insights - Wingstop (WING) reported quarterly earnings of $1 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.84 per share, and showing an increase from $0.88 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +18.85% [1] - The company posted revenues of $175.69 million for the quarter ended December 2025, which was slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.37%, but an increase from $161.82 million year-over-year [2] - Wingstop has surpassed consensus EPS estimates in all four of the last quarters, but has only topped revenue estimates once in the same period [2] Earnings Outlook - The immediate price movement of Wingstop's stock will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and future earnings expectations [3] - Current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.09 on revenues of $192.32 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $4.71 on revenues of $809.64 million [7] Industry Context - The Retail - Restaurants industry, to which Wingstop belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 29% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges for stock performance [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which could impact Wingstop's stock performance [5]
Cadence Q4 Earnings & Revenues Surpass Estimates, Both Rise Y/Y
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:46
Core Insights - Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reported Q4 2025 non-GAAP EPS of $1.99, exceeding estimates by 4.7% and up 5.9% year over year, surpassing management's guidance of $1.88-$1.94 [1][3] - Revenues for Q4 reached $1.44 billion, beating estimates by 1.1% and increasing 6.2% year over year, driven by strong demand for AI-driven solutions [2][9] - For the full year 2025, revenues surged 14% to $5.297 billion, with non-GAAP EPS rising 20% to $7.14 [3] Revenue and Earnings Outlook - For 2026, CDNS estimates revenues between $5.9 billion and $6 billion, with a consensus estimate of $5.95 billion, indicating a 12.6% growth from the previous year [4] - Non-GAAP EPS for 2026 is projected to be between $8.05 and $8.15, with a consensus estimate of $8.03, reflecting a 13.8% increase from the prior year [4] Stock Performance - CDNS stock rose 4.7% in after-market trading and 6.9% in pre-market shares, outperforming the Computer - Software industry, which declined by 11.3% over the past year [7] Segment Performance - Product & Maintenance revenues, accounting for 92.5% of total revenues, increased 7.5% year over year to $1.332 billion, while Services revenues fell 7.7% to $108 million [8] - Core EDA revenue grew 13% in 2025, driven by AI-driven solutions, while the IP business rose 25% due to increased demand across various sectors [10][13] Margin and Cost Performance - Total non-GAAP costs and expenses rose 6.5% year over year to $781 million, with non-GAAP gross margin expanding by 300 basis points to 88.5% [14] - Non-GAAP operating margin contracted by 20 basis points year over year to 45.8% [14] Balance Sheet and Cash Flow - As of December 31, 2025, CDNS had cash and cash equivalents of $3 billion, up from $2.753 billion in the previous quarter [15] - Operating cash flow for Q4 was $553 million, with free cash flow at $512 million, compared to $311 million and $277 million in the prior quarter, respectively [16] Future Guidance - For Q1 2026, revenues are estimated to be between $1.42 billion and $1.46 billion, with a consensus estimate of $1.38 billion [17] - Non-GAAP EPS for Q1 is anticipated to be between $1.89 and $1.95, compared to $1.57 in the year-ago quarter [18]
Ovintiv to Report Q4 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:40
Key Takeaways OVV will report Q4 2025 results on Feb. 23, with EPS seen at 98 cents on $1.95B revenues.Ovintiv's Q3 EPS beat on higher condensate volumes and gas prices, but revenues fell 11%.OVV's operating expenses seen down 28.2% to $1.6B, with broad cost declines across categories.Ovintiv Inc. (OVV) is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results on Feb. 23. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 98 cents per share on revenues of $1.95 billion.Let us examine the key driver ...
Core Labs Jumps 79% in 6 Months: Time to Buy or Stay on the Sidelines?
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:40
Key Takeaways Core Labs' shares jumped 78.8% in six months, outpacing its sub-industry and sector peers.CLB's Q4 2025 revenues rose 7% year over year to $138.3M, driven by strong international demand.CLB cut net debt by $18.7M in 2025, but faces U.S. activity slowdown and tariff-driven margin pressure.Core Laboratories Inc. (CLB) has been on a strong run over the past six months, catching the attention of investors looking for momentum plays in the energy space. The Houston, TX-based oil and gas equipment a ...
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
ZACKS· 2026-02-18 14:40
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) came out with quarterly earnings of $8.71 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.25 per share. This compares to earnings of $6.15 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +20.18%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this financial and professional services company would post earnings of $4.24 per share when it actually produced earnings of $4.5, delivering a surprise of +6.13%.Ove ...