Key Takeaways Capital One settled a lawsuit with creators who alleged its browser tool redirected affiliate commissions.The Capital One Shopping extension was accused of misattributing referral traffic at checkout.Judge Trenga allowed claims of unjust enrichment and contract interference to proceed in June 2025.Capital One (COF) has settled a lawsuit by social media creators who claimed that the bank’s free browser extension deprived them of commissions on sales generated through their content.Capital One a ...

Key Takeaways UPS ended its planned Estafeta acquisition after failing to meet closing conditions.Weak demand, inflation and tariffs caused revenue declines and no 2025 guidance.UPS plans 20,000 job cuts and facility closures to counter high labor expenses.United Parcel Service (UPS) recently announced that it is withdrawing from the deal to acquire Mexican firm Estafeta. UPS cited the inability to satisfy all closing conditions as the reason for the cancellation. The agreement was initially announced in Ju ...

Core Insights - Visa Inc. is evolving from a traditional transaction processor to a provider of value-added services (VAS) aimed at enhancing the payment experience for businesses and consumers [1][2] - The company's VAS includes real-time fraud monitoring, AI-driven analytics, digital checkout solutions, and tools for small and medium businesses [1][2] Financial Performance - Visa's value-added services experienced a robust 26% year-over-year growth in constant dollars during Q3 of fiscal 2025, driven by key portfolios such as advisory services, issuing solutions, and acceptance solutions [3][8] - The company's payment volume increased by 8% year-over-year in the same quarter [4] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Mastercard and American Express are also enhancing their value-added services, focusing on features such as AI-driven fraud detection and secure digital payment options [5][6] - Mastercard's VAS aims to improve payment experiences through innovative solutions, while American Express emphasizes building stronger connections with consumers and businesses [5][6] Valuation Metrics - Visa's shares have risen by 8.1% year-to-date, outperforming the industry average increase of 2.3% [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 26.67, which is above the industry average of 21.49 [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa's fiscal 2025 earnings suggests a 13.7% increase compared to the previous year [11]

Core Viewpoint - Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX) has experienced significant stock growth, outperforming industry benchmarks, driven by increased demand for mass capacity storage solutions and expansion into the SSD market [1][8]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Seagate's stock has surged 153.4% over the past six months, significantly outperforming the Computer - Integrated Systems industry's growth of 36.1%, the Zacks Computer and Technology sector's increase of 30.6%, and the S&P 500's growth of 17.2% [1]. - In the last three months, the stock has risen by 66.2% [1]. Group 2: Growth Drivers - The company is benefiting from a rise in demand for mass capacity storage, with mass capacity revenues increasing by 40% year-over-year due to stronger nearline cloud demand and enterprise sales [3][8]. - Nearline drives accounted for 91% of total mass capacity exabytes shipped in the last reported quarter, indicating strong market demand [3][8]. - Seagate's expansion into the SSD market is a key growth area, as SSDs offer faster speeds and energy efficiency, making them suitable for mobile devices and data centers [6]. Group 3: Technology and Innovation - A significant growth catalyst for Seagate is the rollout of its HAMR technology, which enhances areal density and supports next-generation storage solutions [5]. - The successful ramp-up of HAMR-based Mozaic products has already qualified three major cloud customers, with more in progress [5]. Group 4: Financial Outlook - For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Seagate anticipates revenues of $2.5 billion, reflecting a 15% year-over-year improvement, with expected non-GAAP earnings of $2.3 per share [10]. - The company projects non-GAAP operating margins to grow in the mid-high 20s percentage range of revenues [10]. Group 5: Challenges - Seagate faces challenges with high debt levels, reporting $891 million in cash and cash equivalents against $5 billion in long-term debt as of June 27, 2025 [11]. - The company also contends with stiff competition in the data storage industry and ongoing global macroeconomic issues [11].

Key Takeaways Applied Materials expects 50% DRAM revenue growth in fiscal 2025, boosting its etch business.AMAT is investing heavily in R&D while cutting G&A expenses, lifting operating margins in Q3.U.S.-China tensions, weak memory demand, and stiff competition create pressure on AMAT's growth.Applied Materials (AMAT) stock is trading far above its 52-week low. In the year-to-date period, AMAT stock has climbed 3.1% compared with the industry’s return of 34.5%.AMAT YTD Price Performance ChartImage Source: ...

Company Overview - Preferred Bank (PFBC) is headquartered in Los Angeles and operates in the Finance sector, with a stock price change of 8.31% since the beginning of the year [3]. Dividend Information - The current dividend payout is $0.75 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.21%, which is higher than the Banks - West industry's yield of 3.08% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.52% [3]. - The annualized dividend of $3.00 represents a 7.1% increase from the previous year, and over the last 5 years, the company has increased its dividend 5 times, averaging an annual increase of 23.36% [4]. - The current payout ratio is 32%, indicating that the company paid out 32% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4]. Earnings Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in fiscal year 2025 is $9.82 per share, with an expected increase of 1.87% from the previous year [5]. Investment Appeal - Preferred Bank is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [6].

Core Insights - C3.ai, Inc. (AI) started fiscal 2026 with profitability concerns as non-GAAP gross margin decreased to 52%, down 1,800 basis points from 70% in the previous year, primarily due to higher initial production deployment costs and reduced revenues from demonstration licenses [1][9] - The shift towards initial production deployments (IPDs) indicates both growth potential and margin risks, with management expecting moderate gross margins in the near term as support capacity is built [2] - Subscription revenues remained strong, contributing $60.3 million, or 86% of total revenues, while liquidity is robust with $711.9 million in cash, although negative free cash flow of $34.3 million highlights ongoing investment intensity [3] Financial Performance - C3.ai's gross margin contraction reflects the challenges of scaling new deployments, impacting the path to achieving non-GAAP profitability and free cash flow [1][3] - The company’s reliance on upfront-cost-heavy IPDs contrasts with peers like Palantir and Snowflake, which are demonstrating profitable scaling with strong margins [7] - C3.ai's stock has declined 23.6% over the past three months, compared to a 6.1% decline in the industry [8] Peer Comparison - Palantir Technologies Inc. reported an adjusted gross margin of 82% in Q2 2025, enabling a 46% adjusted operating margin and robust free cash flow of $569 million [5] - Snowflake Inc. achieved a non-GAAP product gross margin of 76.4% in Q2 fiscal 2026, with a modest operating margin of 11% but strong gross margin fundamentals [6] - C3.ai's current stage of maturity, characterized by negative free cash flow and moderated gross margins, places it at a disadvantage compared to peers with proven operating models [7] Valuation and Estimates - C3.ai trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 7.86X, significantly lower than the industry average of 17.20X [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for C3.ai's fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year decline of 224.4%, while fiscal 2027 EPS is expected to rise by 23.7% [12]

Investors with an interest in Chemical - Diversified stocks have likely encountered both Avient (AVNT) and Air Liquide (AIQUY) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that tar ...

Investors looking for stocks in the Mining - Gold sector might want to consider either Newmont Corporation (NEM) or Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisi ...

Core Viewpoint - Genpact (G) is currently viewed as a better value opportunity compared to ServiceNow (NOW) based on various financial metrics and analyst outlooks [1]. Group 1: Zacks Rank and Analyst Outlook - Genpact has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings estimate revision trend, while ServiceNow has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3]. - The earnings estimate revision activity for Genpact has been more impressive, suggesting a more favorable analyst outlook [3]. Group 2: Valuation Metrics - Genpact has a forward P/E ratio of 11.62, significantly lower than ServiceNow's forward P/E of 57.17 [5]. - The PEG ratio for Genpact is 1.26, while ServiceNow's PEG ratio is 2.40, indicating that Genpact is expected to grow earnings at a more favorable rate relative to its price [5]. - Genpact's P/B ratio is 2.78, compared to ServiceNow's P/B of 18.29, further highlighting Genpact's relative undervaluation [6]. - Based on these valuation metrics, Genpact earns a Value grade of A, while ServiceNow receives a Value grade of F [6].