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AbbVie Down Since Q4 Earnings Report: How to Play the Stock
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 15:01
Core Insights - AbbVie reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results but faced stock price pressure due to declining oncology drug sales and market caution regarding growth sustainability [1] - The company has successfully launched new drugs, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, to offset the decline from Humira, which lost patent protection [2][3] - AbbVie expects continued revenue growth driven by strong performance in immunology and neuroscience, despite challenges in aesthetics and oncology segments [9][23] Group 1: Financial Performance - AbbVie achieved combined sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq of $26 billion in 2025, representing over 40% year-over-year growth, with projections of over $31 billion for 2026 [3][9] - The company anticipates a revenue growth of approximately 9.5% in 2026, driven by Skyrizi, Rinvoq, and Vyalev, while facing headwinds from Humira erosion [23][24] - AbbVie's neuroscience drugs generated nearly $10.8 billion in sales in 2025, marking a 20% increase, supported by products like Botox Therapeutic and Vraylar [6] Group 2: Product Pipeline and Growth Drivers - AbbVie is focusing on expanding its immunology portfolio with potential new indications for Rinvoq, which could add approximately $2 billion to peak-year sales [4] - The oncology segment generated $6.6 billion in 2025, with new drugs like Elahere and Epkinly contributing to revenue despite a decline in Imbruvica sales [8][10] - AbbVie has been actively acquiring innovative pipeline candidates, investing over $5 billion in 2025 to enhance its early-stage pipeline [11] Group 3: Challenges and Market Conditions - Humira sales are declining significantly due to biosimilar competition, with a projected 50% drop in 2025 and continued erosion expected in 2026 [12] - The aesthetics segment is facing challenges, with global sales declining 5.9% in 2025, and expectations for flat growth in 2026 [13][14] - AbbVie is navigating competitive pressures in its oncology portfolio, but remains optimistic about its pipeline and future product approvals [10][23] Group 4: Stock Valuation and Market Position - AbbVie stock has risen 17.9% over the past year, slightly underperforming the industry average of 19.5% [15][16] - The stock is trading at a price/earnings ratio of 15.75, which is lower than the industry average of 18.83, indicating reasonable valuation [18] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings has increased slightly from $14.45 to $14.49 per share, reflecting positive sentiment [20]
3 Leisure Stocks Set to Outperform Q4 Earnings Expectations
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 15:01
Key Takeaways POOL is set to report on Feb. 19 with 1.10% Earnings ESP and EPS seen at 99 cents vs. 97 cents a year ago.Hilton Grand Vacations has 1.19% ESP, with EPS projected at $1.05 vs. 49 cents last year.PENN Entertainment has 7.03% ESP, with loss expected to narrow to 20 cents per share.The leisure industry is likely to have benefited from resilient consumer demand in the fourth quarter of 2025, supported by steady employment levels and a continued preference for experiences over goods. Even with sele ...
IREN vs. MSTR: Which Bitcoin-Focused Stock is a Buy Right Now?
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 15:01
Core Insights - IREN Limited is transitioning from a pure-play crypto-mining company to an AI Cloud Service Provider, targeting $3.4 billion in annualized run-rate revenues by the end of 2026, primarily from its AI cloud business [3][19] - Strategy, the world's largest bitcoin treasury company, holds 713,502 bitcoins and achieved a bitcoin yield of 22.8% in 2025, translating to a gain of $8.9 billion [8][20] IREN Limited Overview - IREN reported $2.3 billion of annualized run-rate revenues under contract in Q2 2026, including a significant agreement with Microsoft [3] - The company secured $3.6 billion in GPU financing and received $1.9 billion in customer prepayments from Microsoft, covering approximately 95% of GPU-related capital spending [4] - IREN has over 4.5 gigawatts of secured power, with only 10% needed to reach its $3.4 billion ARR target, leaving substantial capacity for future growth [5] - Total revenues fell 23% in Q2 2026, primarily due to declining Bitcoin mining revenues as the company shifts focus [6][7] Strategy Overview - Strategy's bitcoin yield increased to 22.8% in 2025, supported by over $25 billion raised through equity offerings, which were primarily used to purchase Bitcoin [8][9] - The company continued to buy Bitcoin during price declines, acquiring 32,470 bitcoins for about $3.1 billion in Q4 2025 [10][11] - Strategy maintains controlled leverage with net leverage around 10-13% and a cash reserve of $2.25 billion, covering over 2.5 years of interest and dividend payments [11][12] Comparative Analysis - Earnings estimates for IREN have been revised downward, with a projected EPS of 38 cents for fiscal 2026, while Strategy's EPS estimate has been revised upward to $98.83 [13][15] - Over the past three months, IREN shares have decreased by 13.6%, while Strategy shares have lost 35.3% [16] - Strategy trades at a trailing P/B multiple of 0.87X, significantly lower than IREN's 5.59X, making it more attractive for value-seeking investors [18] Conclusion - IREN's long-term potential lies in its AI cloud services and strong power availability, but it faces short-term revenue pressures due to its shift away from Bitcoin mining [19] - Strategy's growth is driven by increasing Bitcoin holdings and strong capital access, making it a more stable investment option [20]
Earnings Preview: International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (IGIC) Q4 Earnings Expected to Decline
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 15:00
Core Viewpoint - International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (IGIC) is anticipated to report a year-over-year decline in earnings despite an increase in revenues for the quarter ending December 2025, which could significantly influence its stock price depending on the actual results compared to estimates [1][2]. Earnings Expectations - The upcoming earnings report is expected to be released on February 24, with a consensus estimate of $0.72 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 19.1%. Revenues are projected to be $138.2 million, representing a 2.2% increase from the previous year [3][2]. Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating that analysts have not significantly altered their initial projections during this period [4]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) model indicates that the Most Accurate Estimate for IGIC is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in an Earnings ESP of 0%. This suggests a lack of recent differing analyst views [11]. Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, IGIC was expected to post earnings of $0.91 per share but actually reported $0.87, resulting in a surprise of -4.40%. Over the past four quarters, the company has only beaten consensus EPS estimates once [13][14]. Investment Considerations - While IGIC does not appear to be a strong candidate for an earnings beat, investors are advised to consider other factors that may influence stock performance ahead of the earnings release [17].
Salesforce vs. Oracle: Which Cloud Software Stock Is the Better Bet?
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 14:55
Key Takeaways Salesforce takes the lead over Oracle in the cloud software investment debate.CRM's AI offerings drove $1.4B in Q3 recurring revenues, up 114% year over year.ORCL raised capex to $50B as Q2 free cash flow fell to negative $10B.Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) and Oracle Corporation (ORCL) are two major players in the cloud enterprise software market. Both companies offer powerful, enterprise-grade platforms spanning customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, database management and ...
Is the Options Market Predicting a Spike in Cencora Stock?
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 14:55
Investors in Cencora, Inc. (COR) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Mar 20, 2026 $130 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean ...
Walmart's Q4 Earnings Coming Up: Is WMT Stock Still a Smart Buy?
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 14:55
Key Takeaways Walmart to report Q4 results on Feb. 19, with revenues seen near $190B and EPS at 73 cents. Walmart's e-commerce, ads and membership income support sales and margins. Walmart faces tariff costs and trades at a premium 45.31 forward P/E. Walmart Inc. (WMT) is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on Feb. 19. The retail giant has been benefiting from steady traffic trends, robust omnichannel growth, improving merchandise mix, and rising contributions from membership and adv ...
Despite Fast-paced Momentum, Fluor (FLR) Is Still a Bargain Stock
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 14:55
Momentum investing is essentially an exception to the idea of "buying low and selling high." Investors following this style of investing are usually not interested in 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.Who doesn't like betting on fast-moving trending stocks? But determining the right entry point isn't easy. Often, these stocks lose momentum once their valuation moves ahead ...
Buy 5 Consumer Discretionary Stocks Despite the Sector's Recent Slump
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 14:51
Industry Overview - The consumer discretionary sector has experienced moderate growth over the past year, despite a strong rally in U.S. stock markets, and is currently in the negative year-to-date [1] - The sector is growth-oriented, with share prices typically increasing over a long period, but it is sensitive to market interest rate movements [1] Monetary Policy Impact - The Federal Reserve has implemented easy monetary policies with significant cuts in the benchmark lending rate over the last two years, leading to uncertainty about interest rate trajectories this year [2] - Concerns regarding AI-led corporate profits have also impacted growth-oriented stocks [2] Investment Opportunities - Five consumer discretionary stocks have been identified with favorable Zacks Ranks for investment, showing double-digit price upside potential in the short term: Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL), Roku Inc. (ROKU), Airbnb Inc. (ABNB), FOX Corp. (FOX), and Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) [3][9] - Each selected stock carries either a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) [3] Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL) - Ralph Lauren has benefited from its "Next Great Chapter: Drive Plan," focusing on brand elevation and operational agility, leading to robust financial performance [6] - The company expects revenues to increase in the high-single to low-double digits for fiscal 2026, with gross margin expected to rise by 40-80 basis points and operating margin by 100-140 basis points [7] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 11.7% and 30.5%, respectively, with a 5% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 30 days [8] Roku Inc. (ROKU) - Roku demonstrates strong platform revenue expansion driven by innovative advertising capabilities and a growing distribution of streaming services [11] - The company has achieved substantial household penetration and improved profitability, with expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 15.4% and over 100%, respectively, for the current year [15] - The short-term average price target indicates a potential increase of 35.7% from the last closing price, with a maximum upside of 77.8% [15] Airbnb Inc. (ABNB) - Airbnb is experiencing positive trends in Gross Booking Value due to improvements in Nights and Experiences Booked, driven by increasing guest demand and recovery in cross-border travel [16][17] - The expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 10.8% and 18.1%, respectively, with a 0.6% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last seven days [18] - The short-term average price target suggests a potential increase of 20.4% from the last closing price, indicating a maximum upside of 64.8% [18] FOX Corp. (FOX) - FOX produces and distributes a variety of content, including news and sports, but has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of -0.9% and -2.3%, respectively, for the current year [19] - The short-term average price target indicates a potential increase of 36.1% from the last closing price, with a maximum upside of 68.7% [20] Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) - Carnival is benefiting from sustained demand, increased booking volumes, and a focus on marketing to attract new customers [21][22] - The expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 4.6% and 12.9%, respectively, with a 5.8% improvement in the earnings consensus estimate over the last 60 days [23] - The short-term average price target suggests a potential increase of 19.1% from the last closing price, indicating a maximum upside of 44.8% [23]
Tesla or NIO: Which Stock Is Worth Retaining in Your Portfolio?
ZACKS· 2026-02-17 14:46
Core Insights - Tesla is facing intensified competition and a decline in market share, with an aging model lineup and CEO Elon Musk's political involvement impacting sales [1][5] - In contrast, NIO is focusing on EV growth in its domestic market and global expansion, showing strong delivery momentum [3][10] Tesla's Position - Tesla's deliveries fell more than 8% in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of decline, raising concerns about demand and pricing power [5] - The energy generation and storage segment achieved record deployments of 14.2 GWh in Q4 and 46.7 GWh for the year, a 49% year-over-year increase [6] - Tesla plans to significantly increase capital expenditures to over $20 billion in 2026, supporting major facilities and AI infrastructure [7][9] - Robotaxi services are expected to expand to seven new U.S. cities, with Musk suggesting autonomous Teslas could reach half of the U.S. population by year-end, pending regulatory approvals [8] NIO's Growth Strategy - NIO delivered 326,028 vehicles in 2025, a nearly 47% increase, and has crossed 1 million cumulative deliveries [10][12] - Vehicle margins improved to 14.7% in Q3 2025 from 13.1% a year earlier, with management targeting a 20% vehicle margin over time [13] - NIO's battery swap technology remains a key differentiator, with over 100 million swaps completed and plans for 1,000 additional swap stations by 2026 [14] - The company is expanding into Central Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, enhancing user engagement through software upgrades [15] Valuation and Investment Outlook - NIO appears more attractive from a valuation perspective, trading at a lower price-to-sales multiple compared to Tesla, which is above its historical average [16][18] - NIO is positioned for improving fundamentals and valuation comfort, while Tesla faces declining deliveries and heavy capital spending commitments [19]