Core Viewpoint - The current earnings season has been positive, but there are concerns about potential weaknesses in the economy, particularly in the labor market, which may not be as strong as anticipated [2][4]. Earnings and Market Performance - Earnings reports have generally met expectations, but guidance for the upcoming quarter and full year has been slightly disappointing, leading to a cautious outlook [4][10]. - Companies that do not significantly exceed earnings expectations or provide strong guidance may see their stock prices decline, reflecting market optimism rather than negative earnings performance [4]. Economic Outlook - The company forecasts a GDP growth of about 1% for 2026, indicating a more pessimistic view compared to market consensus, primarily due to negative private job growth outside of healthcare [4][5]. - There are signs of cracks in the labor market, with reduced immigration and the impact of AI contributing to a slowdown in job growth [5][6]. Labor Market Dynamics - The labor market is experiencing a reluctance to hire, influenced by tariffs, geopolitical risks, and uncertainty, which affects CEO and consumer confidence [7][8]. - The current job growth dynamics are unusual for a non-recession period, raising concerns about the underlying causes [5]. Federal Reserve and Interest Rates - The expectation is that the Federal Reserve will implement more rate cuts than the market currently anticipates, with a base case of three cuts this year [9][10]. - Inflation is not seen as a primary concern; however, there are worries that consumer spending may not be sustainable as it is outpacing income growth [11]. Investment Strategy - Despite economic caution, the company advocates for being fully invested in the equity market, anticipating solid earnings growth of about 15% this year and around 10% the following year [12][13]. - The potential for high single-digit returns in the equity market is expected, driven by continued momentum and the costs associated with being overly bearish [14].

Nvidia's stock needs a spark. Here's how it can get one. - MarketWatch## Tech Stocks# Nvidia's stock needs a spark. Here's how it can get one.## After a stretch of underperformance, Nvidia's stock could come alive after earnings, upcoming industry events and the expected launch of new AI models by companies using its Blackwell chipsPublished: Feb. 3, 2026 at 10:19 a.m. ETShareResize---Listen(4 min)Nvidia's stock has underperformed so far this year. Photo: MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphotoThe bigges ...

Julia Borston joins us right now with some breaking news. Julia, good morning. >> Breaking news from Disney.Josh Dearo, who had been head of the parks division, is being named the next CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Dana Walden, who is co-chair of the entertainment group, is becoming president and chief creative officer. This was announced today um as of a unanimous vote held on Monday.Um and uh Disney Experiences chairman Josh becoming chief executive officer. Um this will this is effective as of the annu ...

Core Viewpoint - Amazon is gaining renewed interest from Wall Street as it enters 2026, with shares up over 6.7% in early trading, outperforming its entire gain from 2025, which was only 5% compared to the S&P 500's 16% advance [1][2] Financial Performance - In the most recent quarter, Amazon reported earnings per share (EPS) of 1.95, exceeding estimates of 1.57, marking a year-over-year increase of over 36% [3] - Earlier in the year, EPS rose more than 60% year-over-year in Q1 and over 33% in Q2, indicating strong earnings momentum [3] - Q4 estimates are conservative, suggesting potential for an upside surprise in the next earnings release [4] Business Segments - Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a core long-term growth driver, with sales growth increasing from 17% in the first half of 2025 to approximately 20% in Q3, with expectations for continued improvement in 2026 [5] - AWS's recent customer wins, including a partnership with Aumovio for autonomous driving, highlight its role in corporate technology spending, particularly for AI workloads [6] - The advertising segment is also growing, with Q3 advertising revenue rising 24% year-over-year to $17.7 billion, benefiting from improved personalization and user engagement [8] Investor Sentiment - Wall Street sentiment towards Amazon remains positive, with 36 out of 37 analysts rating it a Buy, and an average 12-month price target of $297.29, implying a 23.43% upside from the recent share price of $240.85 [12][13] - Recent analyst updates have reiterated Buy ratings, with some adjustments in price targets reflecting valuation discipline rather than changes in fundamentals [14] Future Outlook - Analysts expect AWS growth to reach the mid-twenties in 2026, with operating margins remaining in the mid-thirties, making Amazon's current valuation attractive at roughly 12 times 2026 enterprise value to EBITDA [16] - Despite concerns about trailing peers in AI development, AWS's leadership in cloud infrastructure positions Amazon as a key player in enterprise AI [17] - Overall, Amazon's recent earnings execution, improving cloud trends, and growing advertising business support a constructive outlook heading into 2026 [18]

After a sluggish 2025, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) enters 2026 with renewed interest from Wall Street. Shares gained roughly 5% last year, significantly trailing the S&P 500’s 16% advance. That underperformance is precisely why I believe Amazon deserves a closer look this year.Early trading in 2026 has already turned constructive, with Amazon up more than 6.7%, effectively outperforming the stock’s entire gain from 2025.That contrast between share price performance and underlying fundamentals is what makes Amazon ...

fuboTV Inc. (FUBO) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.05 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.03. This compares to a loss of $0.02 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -300.00%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.04 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.02, delivering a surprise of +150%.Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consens ...

Key Takeaways GOOGL's Search momentum is supported by AI Mode traction, expanding commercial queries and ad revenues.Alphabet's Cloud is gaining from AI infrastructure demand, NVIDIA partnerships and a growing enterprise base.The Zacks Consensus Estimate pegs Alphabet's Q4 revenues at $94.7B, implying 16.02% year-over-year growth.Alphabet’s (GOOGL) fourth-quarter 2025 results, scheduled to be released on Feb. 4, are expected to have benefited from solid momentum in Search and Cloud businesses. The momentum ...

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.72 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.69 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.54 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +1.32%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this equipment manufacturer for the transportation, power, food and construction industries would post earnings of $2.69 per share when it actually produced earnings o ...

A strong stock as of late has been Deluxe (DLX) . Shares have been marching higher, with the stock up 28% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $28.24 in the previous session. Deluxe has gained 24.7% since the start of the year compared to the -3.3% gain for the Zacks Business Services sector and the 18.8% return for the Zacks Business - Office Products industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, having beaten the Zacks Consensus ...

Analysts on Wall Street project that Atlassian (TEAM) will announce quarterly earnings of $1.12 per share in its forthcoming report, representing an increase of 16.7% year over year. Revenues are projected to reach $1.54 billion, increasing 19.7% from the same quarter last year.The current level reflects no revision in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter over the past 30 days. This demonstrates how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reappraised their initial projections over this perio ...