Core Viewpoint - Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF (BUL) has reached a 52-week high and shows a significant increase of 48.7% from its 52-week low price of $37.67 per share, raising questions about its future performance [1]. Group 1: Fund Overview - BUL provides exposure to quality large-cap and mid-cap companies that exhibit high free cash flow yield, with an annual fee of 60 basis points [2]. Group 2: Performance Drivers - The rise to a 52-week high for BUL is attributed to strong market sentiment favoring growth and quality stocks, its focus on profitable companies with high free cash flow, positive momentum in the technology sector, and a general uplift in the U.S. stock market, particularly the S&P 500's strong performance in late 2025 [3]. Group 3: Future Outlook - The fund may continue its strong performance in the near term, indicated by a positive weighted alpha of 22.79, suggesting potential for further gains [4].

Core Insights - Paychex reported revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter ended November 2025, reflecting an 18.3% increase year-over-year and a surprise of +0.22% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.55 billion [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $1.26, up from $1.14 in the same quarter last year, with an EPS surprise of +1.61% compared to the consensus estimate of $1.24 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Average investment balance for funds held for clients was $5.35 billion, exceeding the three-analyst average estimate of $5.22 billion [4] - Average interest rates earned on funds held for clients was 3.5%, slightly above the three-analyst average estimate of 3.4% [4] - Average investment balance for corporate cash equivalents and investments was $1.68 billion, surpassing the $1.55 billion average estimate based on two analysts [4] - Average interest rates earned on corporate cash equivalents and investments was 3.9%, below the two-analyst average estimate of 4.1% [4] - Revenue from Management Solutions was $1.17 billion, slightly below the $1.18 billion average estimate from five analysts, but represented a +21.1% year-over-year change [4] - Revenue from interest on funds held for clients was $54.3 million, exceeding the $45.65 million estimated by five analysts, marking a +50.4% change year-over-year [4] - Total service revenue was $1.5 billion, slightly below the $1.51 billion estimated by five analysts, with a +17.4% year-over-year change [4] - Revenue from PEO and Insurance Solutions was $336.9 million, above the five-analyst average estimate of $330.83 million, representing a +6% year-over-year change [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Paychex have returned +0.7% over the past month, underperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating potential underperformance relative to the broader market in the near term [3]

Technical Analysis - Heico Corporation (HEI) has recently reached a key level of support and has overtaken the 50-day moving average, indicating a short-term bullish trend [1] - The 50-day simple moving average is a significant technical indicator that helps identify support or resistance levels for securities [1] Performance Metrics - Over the past four weeks, HEI has gained 7.7% [2] - The company is currently ranked a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting potential for further stock price increases [2] Earnings Estimates - There have been positive earnings estimate revisions for HEI, with no estimates decreasing in the past two months and two estimates increasing, leading to a higher consensus estimate [2] - The bullish case for HEI is strengthened by these positive revisions [2] Investment Consideration - Investors are encouraged to consider adding HEI to their watchlist due to the important technical indicators and positive earnings estimate revisions [3]

Core Viewpoint - ASML is showing potential for investment due to its recent technical breakout and positive earnings revisions, indicating a bullish trend in the near future [1][2][3] Technical Analysis - ASML has recently broken above the 50-day moving average, which is a significant indicator of a bullish trend [1] - The stock has reached a key level of support, suggesting further upward movement may be possible [1] Performance Metrics - Over the past four weeks, ASML's stock has increased by 9.3% [2] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating potential for further gains [2] Earnings Estimates - There have been two upward revisions in ASML's earnings estimates for the current fiscal year, with no downward revisions [2] - The consensus earnings estimate for ASML has also increased, strengthening the bullish outlook [2]

ANALYSIS: IBD's 2026 Stock Market Forecast Today's Spotlight IBD's 12 Days of Holiday Deals Celebrate the holidays with big discounts on IBD's premium products every day from Dec. 13-24. Get Market Insights on IBD Live Join IBD Live to watch and discuss the market action in real time with a team of top market analysts. Is the Santa Claus Rally Real? Something big may be coming to town—check out IBD's guide to the Santa Claus Rally. More News (© Chris Gash) Next Data Center Roadblock For Google, Microsoft, O ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations and their influence on stock prices, particularly focusing on Strategy (MSTR) and the average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for the stock [1][5]. Brokerage Recommendation Summary - Strategy has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.33, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 15 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 15 recommendations, 12 are classified as Strong Buy and 1 as Buy, which accounts for 80% and 6.7% of all recommendations respectively [2]. Analysis of Brokerage Recommendations - The article suggests that relying solely on brokerage recommendations may not be wise, as studies indicate they often fail to guide investors effectively towards stocks with high price appreciation potential [5]. - Brokerage firms tend to exhibit a positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, with a ratio of five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][11]. Zacks Rank Comparison - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock rating tool, is presented as a more reliable indicator of near-term price performance, classifying stocks from Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) [8]. - Unlike the ABR, which is based solely on brokerage recommendations, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions, which are strongly correlated with stock price movements [12]. Current Earnings Estimates for Strategy - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Strategy remains unchanged at $78.04 for the current year, indicating steady analyst views on the company's earnings prospects [14]. - The Zacks Rank for Strategy is currently 3 (Hold), suggesting a cautious approach despite the Buy-equivalent ABR [15].

Paramount Skydance said Monday that billionaire Larry Ellison is personally backing its hostile offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery to the tune of more than $40 billion, escalating its bidding war with Netflix. Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle and one of the richest people in the world, is the father of Paramount chief David Ellison. Paramount has been seeking to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery, taking a hostile offer directly to Warner Bros. shareholders after the board rejected Paramount's offe ...

Predicting where the S&P 500 Index will land one year from now is a tall task for any analyst, even the most experienced ones on Wall Street. However, there are reasonable prediction bands we canThe Sunday Investor is focused exclusively on U.S. Equity ETFs. He has a strong analytical background, has received a Certificate of Advanced Investment Advice from the Canadian Securities Institute, and has completed all the educational requirements for the Chartered Investment Manager designation.Having covered hu ...

The share price of Solvay SA ( SVYSF ) remains under pressure, as some concerns about the sustainability of the dividend are being voiced. I’m not married to the dividend and all I careThe Investment Doctor is a financial writer, highlighting European small-caps with a 5-7 year investment horizon. He strongly believes a portfolio should consist of a mixture of dividend and growth stocks. He is the leader of the investment group European Small Cap Ideas which offers exclusive access to actionable research on ...

WILMINGTON, Mass., Dec. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UniFirst Corporation (the “Company” or “UniFirst”) (NYSE: UNF) today confirmed it received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Cintas Corporation (“Cintas”) (NASDAQ: CTAS) to acquire all the outstanding UniFirst common and Class B shares for $275.00 per share in cash on December 12, 2025. Upon receipt of Cintas’ proposal, the UniFirst Board of Directors, engaged independent financial and legal advisors. Consistent with its fiduciary duties and in co ...