Market Overview - Markets ended higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices advancing by 0.47% and 0.94%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 10.52 points [1] - Market sentiment was positively influenced by a trade accord between the United States and Vietnam, easing concerns over prolonged trade tensions [1] Economic Indicators - A recent ADP report indicated an unexpected drop in private payrolls for June, with the private sector losing 33,000 jobs, suggesting potential challenges for the U.S. economy [2] - This decline in job numbers has raised scrutiny from investors, particularly in light of the Federal Reserve's cautious stance on interest rates [2] Investment Strategy - In the current macroeconomic environment, focusing on companies with strong financial fundamentals is crucial [3] - Relying solely on sales and earnings metrics may not yield long-term returns; a deeper analysis of a company's financial health and stability is essential for sustainable investment growth [3] Financial Analysis - A critical analysis of a company's financial background, including coverage ratios, is necessary for informed investment decisions [4] - The Interest Coverage Ratio is a key indicator used to evaluate a company's ability to pay interest on its debt, ensuring it is not over-leveraged [4][6] Interest Coverage Ratio Insights - The Interest Coverage Ratio is calculated as Earnings before Interest & Taxes (EBIT) divided by Interest Expense [5] - A ratio lower than 1.0 indicates a company may struggle to meet its interest obligations, while a higher ratio suggests a stronger financial position [9] Company Performance - Hudbay Minerals Inc. (HBM), Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL), Molina Healthcare, Inc. (MOH), and Vertiv Holdings Co (VRT) have strong interest coverage ratios, indicating solid financial footing [10] - HBM and STRL posted over 40% EPS growth estimates, while VRT shows a growth potential of 24.9% [10] - MOH projects 8.4% sales growth and 7.9% EPS growth, despite a 19.3% stock decline over the past year [10] Stock Screening Criteria - Stocks should have an Interest Coverage Ratio greater than the industry average, a favorable Zacks Rank, and a VGM Score of A or B for better investment results [11] - Additional criteria include a minimum stock price of $5, strong historical and projected EPS growth, substantial trading volume, and a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 [12][13] Company Highlights - Hudbay Minerals has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 50% on average, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate suggesting growth of 9.2% in sales and 41.7% in EPS [14] - Sterling Infrastructure has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.5% on average, with a projected EPS growth of 41.2% [15] - Molina Healthcare's Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates growth of 8.4% in sales and 7.9% in EPS [16] - Vertiv Holdings has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.4% on average, with projected growth of 18.8% in sales and 24.9% in EPS [17]

Market Overview - Wall Street ended the first day of July 2025 on a mixed note, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained slightly [1] - The contrasting movements in the major stock indices were influenced by opposing forces, including a feud between President Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and the U.S. Senate's passage of Trump's tax bill aimed at stimulating economic growth [2] Investment Opportunities - Amid market uncertainty, there is a potential opportunity to invest in low-leverage stocks that are not expensive and can provide a protective shield during turbulent times [3] - Suggested low-leverage stocks include Novartis (NVS), Alamo Group (ALG), ArcelorMittal (MT), Bilibili (BILI), and Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) [3][10] Low-Leverage Stocks - Low-leverage stocks are characterized by a lower debt-to-equity ratio, indicating reduced financial risk and improved solvency [7][8] - Investing in low-leverage stocks is recommended to avoid significant losses during economic downturns [6][7] Company Highlights - **Novartis (NVS)**: Recently completed the acquisition of Regulus Therapeutics, enhancing its drug portfolio. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NVS's 2025 sales suggests a 7.3% improvement from 2024, with a long-term earnings growth rate of 7.9% [15][16] - **Alamo Group (ALG)**: Completed the acquisition of Ring-O-Matic, expanding its product offerings. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALG's 2025 earnings indicates a 7.2% year-over-year improvement [17][18] - **ArcelorMittal (MT)**: Signed an agreement to sell operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing a focus on higher-growth areas. The company has a long-term earnings growth rate of 49.8% [19] - **Bilibili (BILI)**: Reported a 24% year-over-year revenue increase and a 58% improvement in gross profit for Q1 2025. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 sales indicates a 12.1% improvement from 2024 [20][21] - **Sterling Infrastructure (STRL)**: Announced the acquisition of CEC Facilities Group, enhancing its service portfolio in high-growth markets. The company has a long-term earnings growth rate of 15% [22][23]

Key Takeaways STRL's E-Infrastructure backlog rose 27% YoY to $1.2B, with total visibility nearing $2B. AI data-center work drives 65% of the backlog, with revenues up 60% from last year. STRL eyes mid-to-high teens segment growth in 2025, with margins in the mid-20% range.Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) continues to benefit from a strong backlog and expanding pipeline in its E-Infrastructure Solutions segment, but sustaining this visibility over the long term is becoming a key focus. As of March 31, ...

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying and sustaining trends in short-term investing, highlighting that sound fundamentals and positive earnings estimates are crucial for maintaining momentum in stock prices [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Sterling Infrastructure (STRL) has shown a significant price increase of 95.5% over the past 12 weeks, indicating strong investor interest [3]. - The stock has also increased by 14.6% in the last four weeks, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [4]. - STRL is currently trading at 91.1% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout [4]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - STRL holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises [5]. - The stock has an Average Broker Recommendation of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [6]. Group 3: Investment Strategy - The article suggests that investors can utilize the "Recent Price Strength" screen to identify stocks like STRL that are on an uptrend with strong fundamentals [2]. - It also mentions that there are over 45 Zacks Premium Screens available for investors to find potential winning stock picks based on their investing style [7].

Company Performance - Sterling Infrastructure (STRL) closed at $222.54, reflecting a -3.55% change from the previous day, which is less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.11% [1] - Prior to the latest trading session, STRL shares had increased by 21.69%, outperforming the Construction sector's gain of 3.97% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.17% [1] Upcoming Earnings - The upcoming earnings release is expected to show an EPS of $2.26, representing a 35.33% increase compared to the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is anticipated to be $555.13 million, indicating a 4.75% decline compared to the year-ago quarter [2] Annual Forecast - Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $8.61 per share and revenue of $2.09 billion for the year, reflecting changes of +41.15% and -1.22% respectively compared to the previous year [3] - Recent changes to analyst estimates may indicate shifting near-term business trends, with positive revisions suggesting analyst optimism about the company's profitability [3] Analyst Ratings - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), currently ranks Sterling Infrastructure at 2 (Buy) [5] - The consensus EPS projection has remained stable over the past 30 days, indicating consistent analyst sentiment [5] Valuation Metrics - Sterling Infrastructure has a Forward P/E ratio of 26.81, which is a premium compared to the industry average Forward P/E of 20.46 [6] - The company also has a PEG ratio of 1.79, slightly above the Engineering - R and D Services industry average PEG ratio of 1.76 [7] Industry Context - The Engineering - R and D Services industry is part of the Construction sector and holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 97, placing it in the top 40% of over 250 industries [8] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [8]

Moving into 2025, the infrastructure solutions company Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ: NASDAQ: STRL ) experienced slight headwinds from double-digit revenue decline, primarily in the transportation segment. While the transportation segment revenue growth is expected to remain under pressure in the near term dueAs a finance enthusiast with experience in research, I am deeply engaged in studying diverse businesses, especially in the technology, industrial, and conglomerate sectors. I really like companies th ...

Key Takeaways STRL raised 2025 EPS guidance to $8.40-$8.90, projecting up to 25.5% year-over-year growth. EPS estimates rose to $8.61 for 2025, reflecting 41.2% growth on robust data center project momentum. E-Infrastructure backlog hit $1.2B, with 65% tied to data centers and total backlog reaching $2.13B.Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. (STRL) has shifted its focus toward large-scale mission-critical projects, including data centers, which are proving incremental for its bottom line and revenue visibility. ...

Financial Highlights - The company's market capitalization was $5.77 billion as of June 2, 2025 [13] - The company reported 2024 revenue of $2.12 billion [13] - The company's 2024 adjusted EBITDA was $329 million, with a 15.1% margin [13] - The company had a net cash position of $329 million as of March 31, 2025 [13] Growth and Strategy - The company is focused on high-margin growth, strategic market expansion, and operational excellence [5] - The company's backlog includes approximately $750 million of future phases of work associated with current projects [26] - The company's Q1 2025 revenue was $430.9 million [57] - The company's Q1 2025 adjusted EBITDA was $80.3 million [57] Segment Performance - E-Infrastructure Solutions revenue was $924 million in 2024, with a 22.0% operating margin [38] - Transportation Solutions revenue was $784 million in 2024, with a 6.5% operating margin [45, 46] - Building Solutions revenue was $408 million in 2024, with a 13.2% operating margin [52] 2025 Guidance - The company projects full year 2025 revenue between $2.05 billion and $2.15 billion [69] - The company projects full year 2025 adjusted EBITDA between $410 million and $432 million [69]

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In the 'long' context, investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.Even though momentum is a popular stock char ...

In the latest close session, Sterling Infrastructure (STRL) was up +2.08% at $222.50. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.96%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.89%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 0.94%. Coming into today, shares of the civil construction company had gained 18.2% in the past month. In that same time, the Construction sector lost 2.29%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.5%. Market participants will be closely following the financia ...