Core Insights - United Parcel Service (UPS) and Copa Holdings (CPA) are committed to dividend payments despite economic challenges, reflecting their focus on shareholder value [1][3] - Dividend-paying stocks like CPA and UPS provide steady income and lower price volatility, making them attractive in uncertain economic conditions [2] Company Performance - Copa Holdings has significantly increased its quarterly dividend from $0.82 to $1.61 per share, indicating strong financial health [3] - UPS has only marginally increased its quarterly dividend from $1.63 to $1.64 per share, raising concerns about its long-term dividend sustainability due to a high payout ratio [3][4] Financial Metrics - UPS's free cash flow has declined from a peak of $9 billion in 2022 to an estimated $6.3 billion by the end of 2024, barely covering its dividend payments of $5.4 billion [5][6] - In contrast, CPA's lower dividend payout ratio suggests a more sustainable dividend policy, with no immediate concerns about maintaining payouts [6] Stock Performance - CPA has achieved a year-to-date gain of 44.8%, while UPS has seen a significant decline in stock value in 2025 [8][10] - UPS's stock performance is negatively impacted by revenue weakness due to geopolitical tensions and high inflation, leading to reduced shipping volumes [12] Revenue and Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects a 4.7% and 8.5% year-over-year increase in CPA's sales for 2025 and 2026, respectively, with a 13.5% rise in EPS for 2025 [15] - Conversely, UPS's sales are expected to decrease by 4% in 2025, with a 16.3% decline in EPS for the same year [17] Conclusion - CPA's lower dividend payout ratio and strong price performance, supported by robust air travel demand, position it favorably compared to UPS, which faces sustainability concerns regarding its dividends [18]

Company Performance - Copa Holdings closed at $127.14, reflecting a +1.88% increase from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 1.07% [1] - The stock has gained 4.22% over the past month, while the Transportation sector and S&P 500 gained 1.14% and 1.08%, respectively [1] Upcoming Earnings - The earnings report for Copa Holdings is scheduled for November 19, 2025, with projected EPS of $4.04, indicating a 15.43% increase year-over-year [2] - Revenue is estimated at $916.67 million, up 7.25% from the same quarter last year [2] Full-Year Estimates - Full-year earnings are projected at $16.53 per share and revenue at $3.61 billion, representing year-over-year changes of +13.53% and +4.73%, respectively [3] - Recent revisions to analyst forecasts are important indicators of business outlook [3] Valuation Metrics - Copa Holdings has a Forward P/E ratio of 7.55, which is lower than the industry average of 9.97 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.09, compared to the Transportation - Airline industry's average PEG ratio of 0.75 [6] Industry Ranking - The Transportation - Airline industry ranks in the top 37% of all industries, with a current Zacks Industry Rank of 90 [7] - The top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7] Zacks Rank - Copa Holdings currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), with an average annual return of +25% for stocks rated 1 since 1988 [5]

Core Viewpoint - Copa Holdings, S.A. (CPA) has shown strong performance over the past year and is expected to maintain this momentum in the future, making it an attractive investment opportunity [1] Performance Overview - CPA's stock has increased by 39.7% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the Zacks Airline industry's growth of 3% [2][8] - The company holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of A, indicating strong investment potential [5] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CPA's 2025 earnings has been revised upward by 0.3% in the last 60 days, while the 2026 estimate has increased by 0.95% [6] - CPA has consistently surpassed earnings expectations, achieving an average earnings surprise of 7.27% over the last four quarters [7] Growth Projections - For the third quarter of 2025, CPA's earnings are projected to grow by 15.43% year-over-year, with an expected annual growth of 13.53% for 2025 [9] - The company anticipates a consolidated capacity growth of 7-8% year-over-year for 2025, with operating margins expected to be between 21-23% and a load factor of 87% [10][8] Fleet Expansion - CPA is modernizing its fleet to reduce CO2 emissions, planning to end 2025 with 125 aircraft and 131 aircraft by 2026 [11]

Core Insights - Copa Holdings, S.A. (CPA) is experiencing growth due to increased passenger volumes and robust air travel demand, with significant improvements in traffic numbers for September 2025 [1][8] Group 1: Traffic and Capacity - Revenue passenger miles (RPM) for CPA improved by 6.4% year-over-year in September 2025, indicating strong passenger demand [2][8] - Available seat miles (capacity) increased by 5.2% year-over-year in September, reflecting the company's efforts to match rising demand [2][8] - The load factor rose to 86.9% from 85.9% in September 2024, as traffic growth outpaced capacity expansion [2][8] Group 2: Market Performance - CPA holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and has seen its shares gain 39.7% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Airline industry's 3% increase [3] Group 3: Comparisons with Other Airlines - LATAM Airlines reported an 8.8% year-over-year increase in revenue passenger-kilometers (RPK) for September 2025, with a consolidated load factor of 84.2% [9][10] - Ryanair transported 19.4 million passengers in September 2025, reflecting a 2% year-over-year increase, with a load factor of 94% [12]

Core Insights - Atossa Therapeutics has appointed Mark Daniel as Chief Financial Officer to support its transition to commercial operations with (Z)-endoxifen [1][3] - Daniel brings over 25 years of experience in life sciences finance, including revenue forecasting, public company controls, and capital markets expertise [1][2] - The company aims to focus on revenue-ready systems, disciplined spending, and milestone-aligned financing as it prepares for commercialization [3] Financial Management - Daniel has managed operating expense budgets exceeding $200 million and has implemented Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) controls [1] - He has overseen a cash and investments portfolio of $400 million and executed nearly $1 billion in various financing transactions [2] - The company emphasizes disciplined capital allocation and aims to align spending with value-creating milestones [5] Operational Strategy - Atossa plans to operationalize commercial readiness through improved financial planning and analysis (FP&A), revenue forecasting, and capital planning [3] - The company is focused on enhancing systems that support scale and pursuing a balanced financing strategy for efficient market entry [3] - Daniel's experience includes leading international subsidiaries and managing supply agreements to ensure operational scale and margin discipline [7]

Core Insights - Copa Holdings reported a 5.2% increase in available seat miles (ASMs) for September 2025 compared to September 2024, reaching 2,628.2 million ASMs [1][2] - Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) increased by 6.4% year-over-year, totaling 2,283.1 million RPMs for September 2025 [1][2] - The load factor for September 2025 was 86.9%, which is an improvement of 1.0 percentage points from the previous year [1][2] Company Overview - Copa Holdings is a prominent provider of passenger and cargo services in Latin America, operating in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean [3]

Company Performance - Copa Holdings has seen a stock increase of 2.9% over the past month, reaching a new 52-week high of $127.09, with a year-to-date gain of 38.5% compared to the Zacks Transportation sector's decline of 7.2% and the airline industry's increase of 3.1% [1] - The company has a strong record of positive earnings surprises, having beaten earnings consensus estimates in the last four quarters, including an EPS of $3.61 against a consensus estimate of $3.25 in its latest report [2] - For the current fiscal year, Copa Holdings is projected to post earnings of $16.53 per share on revenues of $3.61 billion, reflecting a 13.53% change in EPS and a 4.73% change in revenues [3] Valuation Metrics - Copa Holdings has a Value Score of A, with Growth and Momentum Scores of B and F respectively, resulting in a combined VGM Score of A [6] - The stock trades at 7.4X current fiscal year EPS estimates, below the peer industry average of 9.8X, and at 5.3X trailing cash flow compared to the peer group's average of 4.6X, with a PEG ratio of 1.06, indicating strong value potential [7] Zacks Rank - Copa Holdings holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), supported by favorable earnings estimate revisions from analysts [8] - The stock meets the criteria for selection, as it carries a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B, suggesting potential for future growth [9] Industry Comparison - International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (ICAGY) is a notable peer with a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and strong earnings performance, having beaten consensus estimates by 158% [10][11] - ICAGY is expected to post earnings of $1.62 per share on revenues of $38.55 billion for the current fiscal year, with shares gaining 4.7% over the past month [11][12] - Despite the Transportation - Airline industry ranking in the bottom 63% of all industries, both Copa Holdings and ICAGY show promising fundamentals and potential tailwinds [12]

Industry Overview - The Zacks Airline industry is experiencing strong air travel demand, benefiting both domestic and international markets, with increased passenger volumes acting as a tailwind [1] - Higher bookings are positively impacting airlines' top-line performance, particularly in leisure travel, while business travel is also showing signs of recovery [1] Cost Factors - A decline in fuel expenses due to falling oil prices is contributing positively to the airlines' bottom-line growth, as fuel costs are a significant input for airlines [2] - However, high labor costs are a concern, with U.S. airlines facing labor shortages post-COVID, leading to increased bargaining power for labor groups and subsequent pay hikes [3] - Production delays at Boeing are affecting fleet expansion plans for U.S. airlines, and weak pricing power remains a challenge for the industry [3] Copa Holdings - Copa Holdings is benefiting from increased passenger volumes, with revenue passenger miles (RPM) improving by 9.8% year-over-year in August 2025 [5][6] - The company is expanding capacity, with available seat miles (ASM) increasing by 5.8% year-over-year, resulting in a load factor rise to 88.3% from 85.1% in August 2024 [6] Allegiant Travel Company - Allegiant reported a 12.1% increase in scheduled traffic (RPM) year-over-year for August 2025, while capacity (ASM) rose by 14.6% [7] - Despite the traffic increase, the load factor declined to 82.6% from 84.5% due to capacity growth outpacing demand [7] - Total departures grew by 15.9% year-over-year, with system-wide capacity improving by 14.4% [8] LATAM Airlines Group - LATAM Airlines reported a 9.4% year-over-year increase in consolidated capacity for August 2025, driven by a 12% increase in international operations and an 11.3% increase in domestic capacity in Brazil [11][12] - The consolidated traffic increased by 10.8% year-over-year, with a load factor growth of 1.1 percentage points to 85.4% [12] Ryanair Holdings - Ryanair transported 21 million passengers in August 2025, marking a 2% year-over-year increase and reflecting eight consecutive months of traffic growth [13][14] - The load factor remained stable at 96%, indicating consistent passenger demand [15] - Ryanair operated over 114,000 flights in August 2025, an increase from previous months, despite earlier delays in Boeing deliveries affecting growth [16]

Core Insights - During market turbulence, investors often seek dividend-yielding stocks, which typically have high free cash flows and offer substantial dividends [1] Group 1: High-Yielding Stocks in the Industrials Sector - Karat Packaging Inc. (KRT) has a dividend yield of 7.46%. Analyst Jake Bartlett from Truist Securities maintained a Hold rating and raised the price target from $28 to $31, with an accuracy rate of 68%. Analyst Ryan Merkel from William Blair downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform, with an accuracy rate of 66%. Recent news indicates that Karat Packaging posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings [7] - United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) has a dividend yield of 7.70%. Analyst Ken Hoexter from B of A Securities downgraded the stock from Neutral to Underperform, cutting the price target from $91 to $83, with an accuracy rate of 61%. Analyst Ariel Rosa from Citigroup maintained a Buy rating but lowered the price target from $127 to $114, with an accuracy rate of 67%. Recent news includes an expanded agreement between UPS and American Express to support small businesses [7] - Copa Holdings, S.A. (CPA) has a dividend yield of 5.54%. Analyst Savanthi Syth from Raymond James maintained a Strong Buy rating and increased the price target from $147 to $150, with an accuracy rate of 67%. Analyst Stephen Trent from Citigroup maintained a Buy rating with a price target of $159, with an accuracy rate of 64%. Recent news shows that Copa Holdings posted mixed quarterly results [7]

Group 1 - JD Bancshares, Inc. has appointed Carrie H. Calvin, CPA, CFE and Preston Castille to its Board of Directors [1]