Investors might want to bet on First Bancorp (FBNC) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade is essentially a reflection of an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system.Si ...

Investors might want to bet on AGNC Investment (AGNC) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade is essentially a reflection of an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system. ...

China’s tech giants Baidu (BIDU) and Tencent Holdings Limited (TCEHY) have both emerged as major players in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. Baidu – often called the “Google of China” – dominates Internet search and online advertising in its home market, while Tencent runs the ubiquitous WeChat super-app and a vast gaming and social media empire. Both companies are investing heavily in AI, from large language models to cloud computing and autonomous driving, making them prime candidates for investors ...

About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, ...

Company Performance - Phillips 66 reported a wider-than-expected loss for Q1, with an adjusted loss of 90 cents per share, missing the consensus estimate of a loss of 72 cents per share [2] - The company achieved quarterly revenue of $31.73 billion, surpassing the consensus of $31.33 billion [2] Stock Movements - Coursera, Inc. shares increased by 13% to $8.70 following better-than-expected quarterly results [8] - Baijiayun Group Ltd saw a significant surge of 65% to $0.3053 after announcing plans to invest tens of millions of dollars over the next five years for autism rehabilitation [8] - SES AI Corporation shares rose by 23% to $1.07 after reporting better-than-expected Q1 EPS results and authorizing a $30 million share repurchase program [8] - Saia, Inc. shares dropped by 30% to $249.41 due to weaker-than-expected quarterly results [8] - Coeptis Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. shares fell by 36% to $8.00 following the announcement of a merger agreement with Z Squared Inc. [8] - Lexaria Bioscience Corp. shares decreased by 20% to $1.34 after announcing a $2 million registered direct offering of common stock [8] Market Trends - In commodity news, oil prices increased by 0.3% to $62.97, while gold prices decreased by 1.7% to $3,291.10 [4] - Silver and copper also saw declines of 1.7% to $32.945 and 1% to $4.8085, respectively [4]

Following the release of two models in mid-March, Baidu unveiled ERNIE 4.5 Turbo and ERNIE X1 Turbo today, which stand out for their multimodal capabilities, strong reasoning, and low costs. ERNIE 4.5 Turbo delivers faster responses while priced at 20% of ERNIE 4.5; ERNIE X1 Turbo, featuring enhanced capabilities, is half the price of ERNIE X1. In addition to the models, Baidu also unveiled an array of AI applications, including Xinxiang, a multi-agent collaboration app, enabling full task delivery from a ...

Core Insights - Netflix has achieved a historic milestone with its stock price reaching nearly $1,101, reflecting strong performance and investor confidence in its growth trajectory [1][9] - The company aims for a market capitalization of $1 trillion by the end of the decade, planning to double its annual revenues from $39 billion to $80 billion [6] Financial Performance - In Q1, Netflix reported earnings per share of $6.61, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.69, while revenues rose 13% year over year to $10.54 billion, slightly below the consensus estimate of $10.55 billion [3] - For the ongoing quarter, Netflix expects revenues to grow 15% year over year to $11.04 billion and earnings per share to rise 44% to $7.03, both above previous consensus estimates [4] Growth Strategy - Netflix's growth strategy includes expanding its content library, developing live programming, enhancing its gaming division, and building its advertising business [7] - The company plans to increase its subscriber base from over 300 million to approximately 410 million by 2030, focusing on international markets like India and Brazil [7] Advertising Revenue - Netflix launched its in-house ad tech platform on April 1, with expectations for advertising revenue growth to double by 2025 [5] - The company forecasts global advertising revenues to reach $9 billion by 2030 [6] Analyst Sentiment - Analysts have raised their target prices for Netflix, with Morgan Stanley and Wedbush increasing theirs to $1,200, while other firms like Piper Sandler and Goldman Sachs also lifted their targets [10][11] - Even cautious analysts like Barclays have raised their target price to $1,000, indicating Netflix's status as a "defensive long" investment in the current economic climate [12] Investment Opportunities - Investors are encouraged to consider ETFs with significant allocations to Netflix, such as First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (FDN), FT Vest Dow Jones Internet & Target Income ETF (FDND), and others [2][13]

Moderna (MRNA) is expected to report first-quarter 2025 earnings on May 1, before the opening bell. The company’s earnings beat estimates by 7.06% in the last reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales and earnings is pegged at $127 million and a loss of $2.91 per share, respectively. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)Factors Shaping MRNA’s Upcoming ResultsThe company is likely to have generated a major portion of its revenues from selling its COVID-19 va ...

PPL Corporation (PPL) is expected to report an improvement in its top line and a decline in its bottom line when it reports first-quarter 2025 results on April 30, before market open. (See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news)The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PPL’s first-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.38 billion, indicating growth of 3.4% from the year-ago reported figure.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 55 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for P ...

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI) reported first-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 86 cents, up 14.7% from the year-ago quarter. The bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 14.7%. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)GAAP EPS for the quarter was 49 cents, down by a penny year over year.MMSI’s Revenue DetailsRevenues grossed $355.4 million in the reported quarter, up 9.8% year over year on a reported basis. The metric topped the Zacks Consens ...