Core Insights - JR Research is recognized as a top analyst in technology, software, and internet sectors, focusing on growth and GARP strategies [1] - The investment approach emphasizes identifying attractive risk/reward opportunities with robust price action to generate alpha above the S&P 500 [1][2] - The investment group Ultimate Growth Investing specializes in high-potential opportunities across various sectors with a focus on strong growth potential and contrarian plays [3] Investment Strategy - The strategy combines sharp price action analysis with fundamentals investing, avoiding overhyped stocks while targeting battered stocks with recovery potential [2] - The investment outlook is typically 18 to 24 months for the thesis to materialize, aiming for robust fundamentals and attractive valuations [3] Target Audience - The group is designed for investors looking to capitalize on growth stocks with strong fundamentals, buying momentum, and turnaround plays [3]

Core Viewpoint - Block is expected to report first-quarter 2025 results on April 30, with revenue estimates of $6.18 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 3.81% and earnings per share (EPS) of 88 cents, indicating a 3.53% increase from the previous year [1][2]. Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates that Block's earnings have beaten expectations in two of the last four quarters, with an average earnings surprise of 11.25% [2]. - Gross Payment Volume (GPV) for Block reached $61.95 billion in Q4 2024, marking a 7.8% year-over-year increase, driven by strong performance in the Square ecosystem [3]. - Gross profit is anticipated to grow 11% year-over-year to $2.32 billion, with adjusted operating income expected at $430 million and an adjusted operating margin of 19% [4]. Market Conditions - Block shares have declined 31% year-to-date, underperforming the Zacks Computer & Technology sector's decline of 11.1% and the Zacks Internet Software industry's fall of 6.2% [6]. - The company faces challenges from a difficult macroeconomic environment, including the risk of recession due to higher tariffs [6]. Competitive Position - Block's stock is currently trading at a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 21.84X, which is higher than the sector average of 18.75X and competitors like PayPal at 8.84X [10]. - The company is expanding its product offerings, including a new Square POS app that integrates various functionalities for different industries [14][15]. Strategic Initiatives - Cash App's partnership with Google Play enhances its payment options, and the Afterpay division has seen significant consumer engagement, with over $72 billion spent since its acquisition [16]. - Block's comprehensive commerce ecosystem supports sellers by combining software, hardware, and payment services, which is expected to sustain momentum [13]. Investment Outlook - Despite strong product offerings and a growing partner base, challenging macroeconomic conditions and sluggish consumer spending trends raise concerns [18]. - Block's shares are currently trading below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating a bearish trend [18].

Core Viewpoint - Block (XYZ) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.88 per share, a 3.5% increase year-over-year, with revenues projected at $6.18 billion, reflecting a 3.8% year-over-year growth [1]. Earnings Estimates - Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate has been revised upward by 0.4%, indicating a collective reassessment by analysts [2]. - Changes in earnings estimates are crucial for predicting investor reactions, as empirical studies show a strong correlation between earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock performance [3]. Revenue Projections - Analysts project 'Revenue- Hardware' at $32.20 million, a decrease of 0.9% from the previous year [5]. - 'Revenue- Subscription and services-based' is expected to reach $1.89 billion, an increase of 12.4% year-over-year [5]. - 'Revenue- Transaction-based' is forecasted at $1.59 billion, reflecting a 4.9% year-over-year increase [5]. - 'Revenue- Bitcoin' is estimated at $2.70 billion, a decline of 1.2% from the prior year [6]. - 'Revenue- Square- Total' is projected at $1.86 billion, indicating a 7.8% increase year-over-year [6]. - 'Revenue- Square- Subscription and services-based' is expected to reach $338.32 million, a 14.2% increase from the previous year [7]. - 'Revenue- Cash App- Bitcoin' is projected at $2.63 billion, a decrease of 3.8% year-over-year [8]. - 'Revenue- Cash App- Transaction-based' is estimated at $94.50 million, reflecting a decline of 13.5% from the prior year [8]. Gross Payment Volume - The estimated 'Gross Payment Volume (GPV)' is $58.01 billion, up from $50.50 billion reported in the same quarter last year [9]. Stock Performance - Over the past month, Block shares have returned +7.3%, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.8% change [9].

Group 1 - Block & Leviton is investigating Landstar System, Inc. for potential securities law violations following a significant drop in share price [1][2] - Shares of Landstar System, Inc. fell over 3% on April 25 after the company announced a delay in filing its 10-Q and postponement of its earnings release to May 13 due to ongoing evaluation of internal accounting controls and financial reporting related to previous supply chain fraud issues [2] - Investors who have lost money in their Landstar System, Inc. investment are encouraged to contact Block & Leviton for potential recovery options [3][5] Group 2 - Block & Leviton is considering filing an action to recover losses on behalf of investors who have been affected by the company's issues [4] - The firm is recognized as a leading securities class action firm, having recovered billions of dollars for defrauded investors [7] - Whistleblowers with non-public information about Landstar System, Inc. may assist in the investigation and could receive rewards of up to 30% of any successful recovery [6]

Core Insights - Block Advisors by H&R Block has relaunched its Fund Her Future grant program, accepting applications from April 28 to May 30, 2025, to support women-owned small businesses with high growth potential [1][5] - The program will award a total of $100,000 in grants, with one recipient receiving $50,000 and up to five others receiving $10,000 each, along with a year of small business services valued at nearly $30,000 [1][4] Group 1: Program Details - The 2025 Fund Her Future program aims to recognize six women-owned small businesses that demonstrate community impact [1][5] - Eligibility requires applicants to be over 18 and owners of a U.S.-based business, with a focus on those showing community impact [5] - The program received over 6,000 applications in 2024, highlighting the significant interest and need for support among female entrepreneurs [6] Group 2: Challenges for Female Entrepreneurs - Female entrepreneurs face significant barriers in accessing capital, with 42% of women business owners denied bank loans and nearly 90% relying on personal finances and credit cards for funding [2] - The 2024 State of Women's Small Business Report indicates that women entrepreneurs encounter more hurdles compared to their male counterparts [2] Group 3: Impact of Previous Grant Recipients - Grant recipient Heather Jiang reported a 50% increase in online traffic to her business after receiving the grant, which allowed her to expand product lines and hire staff [7] - Erica Cole leveraged the funding to launch a sensory-friendly collection in Walmart and acquire another brand, demonstrating the scaling potential enabled by the grant [7] - Ameka Coleman anticipates a 400% revenue increase from onboarding additional hospital networks due to the support received from the grant [7] Group 4: Company Overview - H&R Block, through its Block Advisors division, provides year-round services for small businesses, including bookkeeping, payroll, and advisory services [10] - The company combines digital innovation with human expertise to assist clients in achieving better financial outcomes [10]

Core Insights - Albert Anthony is a Croatian-American media personality active on investor platforms, focusing on markets and stocks, with a growing follower base of over 1,000 since 2023 [1] - He is set to launch a new book titled "Financial Markets: Growing A Dividend Income Portfolio" in 2025, coinciding with an ongoing series of articles on the same topic [1] - Albert Anthony has a background in management and information systems, having worked in a top-10 financial firm's IT department, and has participated in various business and innovation conferences [1] Company Overview - Albert Anthony & Co. is a sole proprietorship registered in Austin, Texas, and is wholly owned by Albert Anthony [1] - The company does not provide personalized financial advisory services but offers general market commentary based on publicly available data [1] - Albert Anthony has launched the Future Investor Fund, focusing on building a dividend portfolio [1] Educational Background - Albert Anthony holds degrees and certificates from several institutions, including Drew University, Corporate Finance Institute, UVA Darden School of Business, CompTIA, and Microsoft [1]

Core Insights - The Zacks Focus List is a curated portfolio of 50 stocks expected to outperform the market over the next 12 months [3][4] - The Focus List has demonstrated strong past performance, gaining 13.85% in 2020 compared to the S&P 500's 9.38%, and a cumulative return of 2,519.23% since February 1, 1996 [5] - The selection methodology relies on earnings estimate revisions, which are crucial for predicting future company performance [6][7] Focus List Methodology - Stocks are selected based on the power of earnings estimate revisions, with brokerage analysts evaluating factors affecting future earnings [6] - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock-rating model, classifies stocks into five groups based on four main factors: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise [9] - The Focus List primarily includes stocks ranked 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), indicating a bullish consensus among analysts [9] Stock Spotlight: Block - Block, formerly known as Square, was added to the Focus List on March 28, 2017, at a price of $17.25 per share, and has since increased by 233.33% to $57.50 [12] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 have increased the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.08 to $4.12, with an average earnings surprise of 11.3% [13] - Analysts project Block's earnings to grow by 22.3% for the current fiscal year [13]

Core Insights - The fintech sector is experiencing significant growth, with the global market expected to reach $1.13 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2025 to 2032 [2] - Block (XYZ) and Affirm (AFRM) are key players in this sector, each leveraging unique strengths to capitalize on market opportunities [1][2] Company Analysis: Block (XYZ) - Block is seeing strong engagement with its Cash App, which had 2.5 million paycheck deposit actives in December, marking a 25% year-over-year increase [3] - Cash App Borrow has reached 5 million monthly active users, contributing to the ecosystem's growth [4] - The BNPL platform of Block grew 19% year-over-year, achieving $10.3 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in Q4 2024 [5] - Investments in AI and open-source innovation are expected to enhance long-term growth and operational efficiency [6] Company Analysis: Affirm (AFRM) - Affirm is benefiting from strong consumer demand for flexible payment options, with over 337,000 active merchant partners as of December 31, 2024 [7] - The company reported a 34.7% year-over-year increase in GMV, reaching $10.1 billion in Q2 of fiscal 2025 [8] - Strategic partnerships, including collaborations with Shopify and Revolve Group, are facilitating international expansion [9][10] Price Performance and Valuation - In the trailing twelve months, AFRM shares increased by 31.7%, while XYZ shares decreased by 24.8% [11] - Valuation metrics indicate that both stocks are currently overvalued, with AFRM trading at a forward Price/Sales ratio of 3.53X compared to XYZ's 1.24X [13] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for XYZ's 2025 earnings is $4.12 per share, reflecting a 22.26% year-over-year increase [16] - AFRM's consensus estimate indicates a loss of 6 cents per share for fiscal 2025, but this represents a 96.41% year-over-year improvement [16] - AFRM has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with an average surprise of 84.09%, compared to XYZ's 11.25% [17] Conclusion - Affirm's strong fundamentals, positive earnings outlook, and expanding international presence make it a more attractive investment compared to Block, which faces macroeconomic challenges and stiff competition [17][18]

Datadog and Zscaler could eclipse the fintech company's market cap by 2027.Block (XYZ -2.56%), the fintech company formerly known as Square, was once a hot growth stock. It went public in 2015, and its revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55% from 2015 to 2021. That growth was fueled by the expansion of Square's digital payment platform and the popularity of its Cash app for peer-to-peer payments, Bitcoin transactions, and commission-free stock trades.But from 2021 to 2024, Block's revenu ...

Core Insights - Block, Inc (NYSE: XYZ) has been observed as a significant player during the COVID-era tech stock surge, particularly noted for its high performance [1] - The company's stock was included in Cathie Wood's ARK Innovation ETF, indicating strong market interest and potential growth [1] Company Overview - Block, Inc is involved in the cryptocurrency sector, with a focus on Bitcoin and related technologies [1] - The company has garnered attention from analysts and investors, reflecting its strategic positioning in the evolving tech landscape [1] Analyst Position - The analyst has disclosed a beneficial long position in Block, Inc shares, indicating confidence in the company's future performance [2] - The article expresses personal opinions and insights based on the analyst's own capital investments, emphasizing a personal stake in the company's success [2]