Core Insights - The focus for income investors is generating consistent cash flow from liquid investments, particularly through dividends [1][2] Company Overview - Federated Hermes (FHI), headquartered in Pittsburgh, has experienced a price change of 6.47% this year and currently pays a dividend of $0.34 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.45% [3] - The company's dividend yield is lower than the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield of 2.71% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.39% [3] Dividend Analysis - Federated Hermes has an annualized dividend of $1.36, which is a 2.3% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past five years, the company has increased its dividend three times, averaging an annual increase of 0.78% [4] - The current payout ratio is 27%, indicating that the company pays out 27% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Federated Hermes for 2026 is $5.07 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 1.81% [5] Investment Considerations - Dividends are favored by investors as they enhance stock investing profits, reduce overall portfolio risk, and offer tax advantages [5] - High-growth firms and tech start-ups typically do not provide dividends, while established companies with secure profits are preferred for dividend investments [6] - Federated Hermes is positioned as an attractive dividend investment opportunity, supported by a strong Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [6]

Core Insights - Altria Group, Inc. is focusing on sustaining its earnings per share (EPS) growth, projecting adjusted EPS of $5.56 to $5.72 for 2026, indicating a growth of approximately 2.5% to 5.5% [1][8] Earnings and Financial Management - The company is experiencing a decline in cigarette shipment volumes, which dropped about 10% in 2025, prompting reliance on price increases to maintain profitability and adjusted operating margins above 60% [2][8] - Share repurchases are significant for EPS growth, with $1 billion remaining under its repurchase authorization through the end of 2026, allowing the company to enhance per-share earnings by reducing shares outstanding [3][8] Investment in New Products - Altria is investing in smoke-free products, including nicotine pouches and e-vapor offerings, which are expanding but require ongoing investment, potentially limiting their near-term contribution to earnings [4] Competitive Landscape - In comparison, Philip Morris International Inc. is projected to achieve adjusted EPS growth of 11.1% to 13.1% in 2026, supported by its smoke-free business contributing over 40% of revenues [5] - Turning Point Brands, Inc. is also expected to maintain steady EPS growth through pricing discipline and expansion in modern oral nicotine products [6] Stock Performance and Valuation - Altria's shares have increased by 8.9% in the past month, outperforming the industry growth of 6.8% [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.02X, lower than the industry average of 16.08X [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Altria's 2026 EPS has slightly decreased to $5.57, while the estimate for 2027 has increased to $5.75 [10]

Core Insights - Western Digital Corporation (WDC) has expanded its buyback authorization by an additional $4 billion, supported by strong business momentum and cash generation [1] - The company generated $3.02 billion in revenues for the fiscal second quarter, reflecting a 7% sequential increase and a 25% year-over-year growth, primarily driven by data center demand and high-capacity hard disk drives [2] - Non-GAAP earnings per share reached $2.13, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.95 and representing a 78% year-over-year increase [2] - Gross margin improved to 46.1%, a 770 basis point increase from the previous year, due to a favorable product mix and cost control measures [3] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $653 million, allowing the company to return over 100% of its free cash flow to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends [6] - WDC shipped over 3.5 million latest-generation ePMR drives, indicating strong customer adoption, and delivered a total of 215 exabytes to customers, marking a 22% year-over-year increase [5] Financial Performance - Non-GAAP operating income totaled $1.02 billion, up 72% year over year, with margins expanding more than 930 basis points to 33.8% [3] - The company has returned a total of $1.4 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks since launching its capital return program [6] - WDC carries $4.7 billion in long-term debt, which includes the current portion [7] Market Dynamics - The demand for higher-density storage is rising due to accelerated AI and cloud adoption, with WDC collaborating closely with hyperscale customers to meet this demand [4] - The company is advancing its technology roadmaps, including HAMR and ePMR, to drive the adoption of higher-capacity drives [4] - The storage industry remains cyclical, with potential sharp shifts in pricing and demand [7] Competitive Landscape - Seagate Technology has resumed share repurchases, indicating a shift in capital allocation strategy [9] - Pure Storage has announced its largest-ever share repurchase authorization of $400 million, reflecting confidence in business momentum and balance sheet strength [12] - WDC's shares have gained 27.1% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks Computer-Storage Devices industry, which increased by 25% [14] Valuation and Estimates - WDC's shares are currently trading at a forward price/earnings ratio of 21.83X, compared to the industry's 19.32X [15] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WDC's earnings for fiscal 2026 has been revised up by 17.4% to $8.96 over the past 60 days [16]

Core Viewpoint - Investors are evaluating Barclays (BCS) and Banco Itau (ITUB) to determine which stock presents a better value opportunity for investment [1] Valuation Metrics - Both Barclays and Banco Itau currently hold a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating positive earnings estimate revisions and improving earnings outlooks [3] - Barclays has a forward P/E ratio of 8.79, while Banco Itau has a forward P/E of 10.64, suggesting that Barclays may be undervalued compared to Banco Itau [5] - The PEG ratio for Barclays is 0.38, indicating a favorable valuation when considering expected earnings growth, whereas Banco Itau has a PEG ratio of 1.01 [5] - Barclays has a P/B ratio of 0.85, which is significantly lower than Banco Itau's P/B ratio of 2.63, further supporting the argument that Barclays is the more attractive value option [6] - Based on these valuation metrics, Barclays has earned a Value grade of A, while Banco Itau has received a Value grade of D, indicating a stronger value proposition for Barclays [6]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics sector should consider CSL Limited Sponsored ADR (CSLLY) and Exact Sciences (EXAS) for potential value opportunities [1] Group 1: Zacks Rank and Valuation Metrics - CSL Limited Sponsored ADR has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a more favorable earnings estimate revision compared to Exact Sciences, which has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3] - Value investors focus on various valuation metrics to identify undervalued companies, including P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share [4] Group 2: Valuation Comparisons - CSLLY has a forward P/E ratio of 15.23, significantly lower than EXAS's forward P/E of 73.88, suggesting CSLLY is more attractively priced [5] - The PEG ratio for CSLLY is 1.72, while EXAS has a PEG ratio of 2.44, indicating that CSLLY offers better value relative to its expected earnings growth [5] - CSLLY's P/B ratio is 2.4, compared to EXAS's P/B of 7.81, further supporting the notion that CSLLY is the superior value option [6]

Core Viewpoint - Investors are evaluating Ford Motor Company (F) and Federal Signal (FSS) to determine which stock offers better value opportunities at present [1] Valuation Metrics - Ford has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) while Federal Signal has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating that Ford's earnings estimate revisions are more favorable [3] - Ford's forward P/E ratio is 9.28, significantly lower than Federal Signal's forward P/E of 26.24, suggesting Ford may be undervalued [5] - The PEG ratio for Ford is 0.34, while Federal Signal's PEG ratio is 1.87, indicating Ford's expected earnings growth is more attractive relative to its price [5] - Ford's P/B ratio stands at 1.56 compared to Federal Signal's P/B of 5.54, further supporting Ford's valuation advantage [6] Earnings Outlook - Ford is experiencing an improving earnings outlook, which enhances its attractiveness in the Zacks Rank model [7]

Core Viewpoint - Carrefour SA (CRRFY) and Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (WMMVY) are both attractive options for value investors, but Carrefour appears to be the superior choice based on valuation metrics [1][7]. Valuation Metrics - CRRFY has a forward P/E ratio of 9.87, while WMMVY has a forward P/E of 19.08, indicating that Carrefour is potentially undervalued compared to Wal-Mart de Mexico [5]. - The PEG ratio for CRRFY is 1.80, suggesting a more favorable earnings growth expectation relative to its price, whereas WMMVY has a PEG ratio of 5.55, indicating less attractive growth prospects [5]. - CRRFY's P/B ratio is 1.11, which is significantly lower than WMMVY's P/B of 4.95, further supporting the notion that Carrefour is undervalued [6]. Earnings Outlook - Both companies currently hold a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), reflecting an improving earnings outlook due to positive analyst estimate revisions [3].

Core Insights - The article compares Telefonica Brasil (VIV) and Chunghwa (CHT) to determine which stock offers better value for investors [1] Group 1: Zacks Rank and Analyst Outlook - Telefonica Brasil has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a more favorable earnings estimate revision trend compared to Chunghwa, which has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3] - The improving analyst outlook for VIV suggests a more positive sentiment among analysts [3] Group 2: Valuation Metrics - VIV has a forward P/E ratio of 19.00, while CHT has a higher forward P/E of 25.43, indicating that VIV may be undervalued relative to CHT [5] - The PEG ratio for VIV is 0.88, significantly lower than CHT's PEG ratio of 5.40, suggesting better growth prospects relative to its valuation for VIV [5] - VIV's P/B ratio is 2.03, compared to CHT's P/B of 2.54, further supporting the argument that VIV is a more attractive investment [6] Group 3: Value Grades - VIV has earned a Value grade of B, while CHT has a Value grade of D, indicating that VIV is perceived as a better value stock [6] - The combination of Zacks Rank and Style Scores suggests that VIV stands out as the preferable option for value investors at this time [6]

Investors interested in stocks from the Mining - Miscellaneous sector have probably already heard of Glencore PLC (GLNCY) and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (WPM) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out.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 emphasizes companies with positive estimat ...

Investors looking for stocks in the Waste Removal Services sector might want to consider either Veolia Environnement SA (VEOEY) or Waste Management (WM) . 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.Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with s ...