Core Insights - Steven Madden, Ltd. (SHOO) reported second-quarter fiscal 2025 results, indicating ongoing tariff impacts on profitability despite solid consumer demand for the brand [1][10] - Order cancellations and shipment delays, particularly in mass and off-price channels, negatively affected performance, pushing deliveries into later periods and creating pressure on earnings [1][5] Financial Performance - Gross margin remained at 41.9%, an increase of 40 basis points year over year, but tariffs reduced profitability by approximately 230 basis points after supplier discounts [2][10] - Wholesale gross margin decreased to 31% from 33.1%, while direct-to-consumer margin fell to 61.3% from 64.3%, influenced by higher landed costs and the lower-margin Kurt Geiger concessions business [2][10] - Operating income dropped to 4% of revenues compared to over 10% a year ago, leading to adjusted quarterly earnings declining 64.9% from $0.57 to $0.20 per share [2][10] Supply Chain Management - To address supply-chain pressures, the company diversified production to countries like Vietnam and Cambodia while shifting some orders back to China to ensure timely delivery and maintain quality [3][10] - Global trade uncertainty continues to inflate inventory costs and lengthen transit times, making sourcing diversification an ongoing process [3] Pricing Strategy - The company implemented average price increases of about 10% to counter rising costs, with early consumer acceptance being encouraging in categories like boots and dress shoes [4] - Price-sensitive items, such as sandals and sneakers, remain under pressure, and the full impact of pricing strategies is expected to be clearer in the fall season [4] Future Outlook - Management anticipates margin pressure to persist through the fiscal third quarter, with potential easing later in the year if trade conditions stabilize [5] - Until the tariff environment becomes clearer, EBIT margins are unlikely to return to historical double-digit levels, but the company remains confident in brand strength and consumer demand for new assortments [5] Stock Performance and Valuation - Shares of the company have gained 13.6% in the past six months, outperforming the industry's 5.5% growth [8] - From a valuation perspective, Steven Madden is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 0.87X, significantly lower than the industry average of 1.96X [9]

Brighthouse Financial (BHF) shares rallied 27.2% in the last trading session to close at $57.59. This move can be attributable to notable volume with a higher number of shares being traded than in a typical session. This compares to the stock's 2.5% loss over the past four weeks.The shares likely have gained on the news of Brighthouse Financial to get acquired by Aquarian Holdings along with few other co-investors per news published in Globaldata. Early this year there were news about Brighthouse Financial ...

Core Insights - Target Corporation (TGT) reported mixed second-quarter fiscal 2025 results, with adjusted earnings per share falling 20.2% year over year to $2.05 and revenues dipping 0.9% to $25.21 billion, indicating challenges from cautious consumer spending and ongoing tariff-related costs [1] Financial Performance - Comparable sales declined 1.9%, despite improved store traffic and digital demand, reflecting a shrinking average basket size, which signals consumer restraint on discretionary purchases [1] - Gross margin contracted 100 basis points to 29%, primarily due to approximately 210 basis points of pressure from merchandising, including inventory-adjustment costs and tariff-related expenses [2] - Operating margin decreased 120 basis points to 5.2% from 6.4% in the prior-year period, with ongoing tariff-related expenses continuing to impact profitability [3] Future Outlook - Target reaffirmed its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook, predicting a low-single-digit decline in sales and adjusted earnings of $7.00-$9.00 per share, indicating cautious planning amid tariff and consumer uncertainties [4] - The company is investing in operational and merchandising initiatives, including over 10,000 AI licenses to enhance forecasting and inventory accuracy, alongside programs aimed at increasing basket size [5] Market Performance - Target's stock has lost 33.5% year to date, underperforming key peers such as Dollar General Corporation (DG) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), which saw share increases of 37.7% and 5.6%, respectively [6] - Target's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 11.39 reflects a lower valuation compared to the industry's average of 30.14, indicating a discount relative to peers [7] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TGT's fiscal 2025 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of 15.5%, while the estimate for fiscal 2026 indicates growth of 8.9%, with recent upward adjustments in earnings estimates for both fiscal years [10]

GrafTech International (EAF) shares ended the last trading session 6% higher at $13.46. The jump came on an impressive volume with a higher-than-average number of shares changing hands in the session. This compares to the stock's 35.1% gain over the past four weeks.Per the American Iron and Steel Institute, domestic raw steel production was up 6.5% year over year to 1,764,000 net tons for the week ending on Sept. 13, 2025.  For 2025, domestic steel output is expected to increase modestly, and increased adop ...

Key Takeaways KGC advances Great Bear and Round Mountain Phase X projects with drilling confirming strong grades.Studies for Lobo-Marte progress, supporting a long-life, low-cost production outlook.KGC shares surged 151.1% YTD, outpacing the industry's 112.5% rally.Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) has a strong production profile and boasts a promising pipeline of exploration and development projects. These are expected to boost production and cash flow and deliver significant value. Its key development projec ...

Key Takeaways Petrobras, WEG and Statkraft launched a 7-MW wind turbine in Bahia, Brazil.The turbine can supply power for 15,000 households with 2,500 MWh monthly.Installed at Statkraft's Seabra Wind Farm, it boosts the Brotas de Macaubas Complex.Petrobras (PBR) , in collaboration with WEG SA and Norway’s Statkraft AS, has launched the most powerful onshore wind turbine ever installed in Brazil. Located in Bahia state, this 7-megawatt (“MW”) turbine marks a transformative moment for renewable energy in the ...

Company Overview - Centrus Energy Corp. (LEU) shares increased by 12.1% to $294.49 in the last trading session, with a notable trading volume, contributing to a total gain of 48.2% over the past four weeks [1][2] Market Dynamics - The rise in Centrus Energy shares is linked to uranium futures, which reached $76.5 per pound, approaching a two-month high of $77. This increase is driven by expectations of expanding nuclear power capacity amid tightening supply [2] - The U.S. government plans to increase uranium in its national strategic stockpile, and a recent Technology Prosperity Deal between the U.S. and U.K. aims to enhance collaboration in nuclear energy, with goals to expedite reactor design and site licensing processes [2] Earnings Expectations - Centrus Energy is projected to report quarterly earnings of $0.21 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 170%. Revenue is expected to be $76.54 million, up 32.7% from the same quarter last year [3] - The consensus EPS estimate for Centrus Energy has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating that stock price movements may not sustain without trends in earnings estimate revisions [4] Industry Context - Centrus Energy is categorized under the Zacks Mining - Non Ferrous industry, which includes other companies like United States Antimony Corporation (UAMY). UAMY shares rose by 10.2% to $6.49, with a 29.7% return over the past month [5] - United States Antimony has a consensus EPS estimate of $0.02 for its upcoming report, representing a 300% increase from the previous year, but currently holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) [6]

Key Takeaways EIA reported a 90 Bcf injection, above forecasts and the five-year average for the week.Stockpiles reached 3,433 Bcf, now 204 Bcf higher than the five-year average levels.Futures closed at $2.888, pressured by oversupply. weaker LNG exports, and soft demand.The U.S. Energy Department’s latest storage update showed a natural gas injection well above both market expectations and the five-year average. The larger build, alongside softer weather-driven demand and weaker LNG exports, weighed on pri ...

Group 1: AI and Data Center Growth - The demand for data center capacity is surging due to the growth of AI and cloud computing, with global AI-powered data center infrastructure capex projected to reach around $7 trillion by 2030 [1] - Data centers are expected to increase from 4% of total U.S. power demand in 2023 to over 12% by 2030, necessitating a significant expansion of electricity supply [10] Group 2: Company Recommendations - Three non-technology U.S. companies are recommended for investment due to their potential benefits from the AI-driven data center boom: MasTec Inc. (MTZ), Comfort Systems USA Inc. (FIX), and Talen Energy Corp. (TLN) [2] Group 3: Comfort Systems USA Inc. (FIX) - Comfort Systems USA is a national provider of HVAC services, primarily in commercial and industrial markets, and is well-positioned to benefit from the demand for specialized HVAC solutions in data centers [3][4] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 15.5% and an earnings growth rate of 52.4% for the current year, with a recent 2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings [5] Group 4: Talen Energy Corp. (TLN) - Talen Energy is an independent power producer that operates various types of power plants and is developing battery storage projects [6] - The company has expanded its nuclear energy partnership with Amazon to supply 1,920 megawatts of carbon-free power to AWS data centers through 2042, benefiting from the demand for reliable and clean energy [7][8] - Talen Energy has an expected revenue growth rate of 11.7% but a negative earnings growth rate of -38.8% for the current year, with a recent 0.9% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings [11] Group 5: MasTec Inc. (MTZ) - MasTec is an infrastructure construction company that provides services for communications, energy, and utility infrastructure, benefiting from the expansion of the energy industry to support AI and reshoring [12] - The company is a leading provider of design, construction, and maintenance services in the wireless network space, which is crucial for AI-driven products [13] - MasTec has an expected revenue growth rate of 13.6% and an earnings growth rate of 58% for the current year, with a recent 2.6% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year's earnings [15]

Endeavour Silver (EXK) shares rallied 9.4% in the last trading session to close at $6.76. This move can be attributable to notable volume with a higher number of shares being traded than in a typical session. This compares to the stock's 9.8% gain over the past four weeks.The company’s shares have gained as gold and silver prices soared to record highs, fueled by rising expectations of additional U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts. The Fed lowered interest rates by 25 basis points last week and indicated the po ...