Aristotle Funds, an investment advisor, released its “Growth Equity Fund” fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. U.S. equity markets reached new all-time highs in Q4 2025, with the S&P 500 Index rising 2.66% and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index increasing by 1.10%. Within the Russell 1000 Growth Index, healthcare, communication services, and financials were the top-performing sectors, while utilities, real estate, and materials lagged. The U.S. economy show ...

Core Insights - Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) is recognized as one of the best aerospace and defense stocks to invest in currently, with a strong performance in fiscal Q4 2025 [1] - The company reported a quarterly revenue increase of 14.65% year-over-year, reaching $2.17 billion, exceeding expectations by $42.67 million, and an EPS of $1.05, surpassing consensus by $0.08 [1][2] Financial Performance - In Q4 2025, Howmet Aerospace experienced robust growth, driven by a 13% year-over-year increase in Commercial aerospace revenue and a 20% year-over-year increase in Defense aerospace revenue [2] - For the full year, Howmet Aerospace achieved an 11% year-over-year revenue growth, totaling $8.3 billion, with a 12% increase in the Commercial aerospace segment [4] - Management anticipates FQ1 2026 revenue to be between $2.22 billion and $2.24 billion, with adjusted EBITDA expected in the range of $680 million to $690 million [4] Company Overview - Howmet Aerospace Inc. specializes in manufacturing advanced engineered components for the aerospace, defense, and commercial transportation industries, focusing on jet-engine parts, aerospace fasteners, titanium structures, and forged aluminum wheels for heavy trucks [5]

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street began 2026 positively after a significant bull run over the past three years, with optimism that the upward trend in U.S. stock markets will persist this year despite fluctuations in February due to concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) trade [1] Group 1: Investment Opportunities - It is advisable to invest in U.S. giants with a market capitalization over $30 billion and a favorable Zacks Rank, with five highlighted stocks: The Hershey Co. (HSY), Tapestry Inc. (TPR), FedEx Corp. (FDX), Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM), and Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) [2] - Each of the selected stocks carries either a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) [2] Group 2: The Hershey Co. (HSY) - Hershey is focused on innovation, supply-chain agility, and commercial execution, expanding its presence in the snacking category [5] - The company is undergoing a multi-year transformation to modernize its supply chain and enhance demand forecasting, supported by investments in data and digital tools [6] - HSY's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 4.4% and 27.1%, respectively, with a current dividend yield of 2.62% [7] Group 3: Tapestry Inc. (TPR) - Tapestry is strengthening its position as a global house of brands, driven by strong performance from Coach, particularly among Gen Z consumers [9] - TPR's adjusted gross margin increased by 110 basis points in Q2 of fiscal 2026, with projected revenues above $7.75 billion and EPS between $6.40 and $6.45 [10] - The expected revenue and earnings growth rates for TPR are 9.6% and 23.7%, respectively, with a current dividend yield of 1.02% [11] Group 4: FedEx Corp. (FDX) - FedEx is implementing cost realignment initiatives under the DRIVE program, achieving annual cost savings of $2.2 billion in fiscal 2025 [12] - The company returned $4.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in fiscal 2025, exceeding its target [13] - FDX's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 5.6% and 1.5%, respectively, with a current dividend yield of 1.49% [14] Group 5: Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) - Howmet Aerospace is benefiting from strong momentum in the commercial aerospace market and rising defense budgets [15] - The company has a solid liquidity position supporting shareholder-friendly policies, with robust orders for defense aerospace units [16] - HWM's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 11% and 20.7%, respectively, with a current dividend yield of 0.19% [17] Group 6: Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) - Southwest Airlines is experiencing improved air travel demand, with expectations for solid revenue trends continuing into 2026 [18] - The company is focused on cost-cutting initiatives and fleet modernization, supported by a strong balance sheet [19] - LUV's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 12.8% and over 100%, respectively, with a current dividend yield of 1.38% [21]

[music] Stocks, bonds, ETFs, straight out of downtown Chicago. This is [music] Zach's Market Edge. Welcome to Zach's Market Edge, the [music] podcast about investing in your life. I'm your host, Tracy Brinick, and this week I'm going solo again to talk about the new Magnificent Stocks. I've kind of hinted at this on prior podcasts earlier this year when we were talking about just the hot breakout stocks and a lot of people have basically thrown in the towel on the MAG 7. I think 2025 was its final year so i ...

Core Insights - GE Aerospace is experiencing strong growth in its Defense & Propulsion Technologies segment, driven by increased demand for propulsion and additive technologies, critical aircraft systems, and aftermarket services in the defense sector [1] Group 1: Company Performance - In 2025, GE Aerospace secured a $5 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force for F110 engines, parts, and support services as part of a Foreign Military Sales program [2] - The Defense & Propulsion Technologies business saw revenues increase by 11% year over year, with orders growing by 19% [3][7] - For 2026, GE expects adjusted revenues from the defense and propulsion technologies unit to grow in the mid-to-high single-digit range [3][7] Group 2: Market Dynamics - Rising U.S. and international defense budgets, along with heightened geopolitical tensions, are expected to positively impact GE Aerospace's performance in the coming quarters [3] - The company has successfully tested the T901 engine on a Black Hawk helicopter and completed the design review for the new XA102 engine [2] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Howmet Aerospace Inc. reported a 20% year-over-year revenue increase in its defense aerospace market, which accounted for 17% of its total sales [4] - RTX Corporation is experiencing solid bookings and backlog levels, with expectations for robust growth in its defense business [5] Group 4: Valuation and Estimates - GE Aerospace shares have increased by 17.5% over the past six months, outperforming the industry growth of 11.2% [6] - The company is currently trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 41.57X, above the industry average of 32.67X [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE's earnings for 2026 and 2027 has been rising over the past 60 days [9]

Howmet Stock Jumps. Earnings Show Strength For This Sector. - Barron'sSkip to Main ContentThis copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.# Howmet Stock Jumps. Earnings Show Strength For This Sector.By [Al Root]ShareResize---ReprintsIn this article[HWM][SPX][DJIA][BA][AIR ...

Market Overview - Overseas stock markets showed mixed results, with the Euro Stoxx 50 down by -0.40%, China's Shanghai Composite up by +0.05%, and Japan's Nikkei Stock 225 down by -0.02% [1] - The S&P 500 Index closed down -1.57%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down -1.34%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index down -2.04% [6] Earnings Reports - Over two-thirds of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 76% beating expectations. S&P earnings growth is projected to increase by +8.4% in Q4, marking the tenth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth [2] - Excluding the Magnificent Seven technology stocks, Q4 earnings are expected to rise by +4.6% [2] - Cisco Systems fell more than -12% after indicating that higher memory-chip prices would impact profitability [5][14] - ICON Plc closed down more than -39% due to an internal investigation into accounting practices, suggesting revenue may have been overstated by less than 2% [13] - Tyler Technologies reported Q4 total revenue of $575.2 million, below the consensus of $590.8 million, leading to a decline of more than -15% [14] Sector Performance - The Magnificent Seven technology stocks experienced a sell-off, with Apple down more than -5% and Amazon, Meta, and Tesla down more than -2% [10] - Trucking and logistics companies faced significant declines amid concerns over AI disruption, with Landstar Systems down more than -15% and CH Robinson down more than -14% [11] - Cryptocurrency-exposed stocks fell after Bitcoin declined by more than -3%, with Coinbase down more than -7% [12] Economic Indicators - US January existing home sales fell -8.4% month-over-month to a 16-month low of 3.91 million, below expectations of 4.5 million [3] - Lower bond yields supported stocks, with the 10-year T-note yield falling to a 2.25-month low of 4.10% [4][7] - UK Q4 GDP rose by +0.1% quarter-over-quarter and +1.0% year-over-year, which was weaker than expected [8]

Market Overview - Pre-market futures are showing positive movement with the Dow up 143 points, S&P 500 up 21 points, Nasdaq up 77 points, and Russell 2000 up 19 points [1] - The past five days of trading have been healthy, with the Dow up 4% and Russell 2000 up 7.9% since the start of 2026, although the tech-heavy Nasdaq remains slightly negative year to date [2] Jobless Claims - Initial Jobless Claims increased slightly to 227K last week, which is below the revised figure of 232K from the previous week, indicating a return to early December levels and a reasonably healthy labor market [3] - Continuing Claims rose for the second consecutive week to 1.862 million from 1.844 million, showing a reversion to normal levels after previously being above 1.9 million [4] Earnings Reports - Crocs (CROX) reported a strong Q4, beating earnings estimates by 19.3% with earnings of $2.29 per share on revenues of $957.64 million, leading to a 14.8% increase in shares [4] - TripAdvisor (TRIP) missed both earnings and revenue expectations, reporting earnings of $0.04 per share, which is 73% below the expected $0.15, and revenues of $411 million, which were 0.56% below projections, resulting in a further decline of 5% in shares [5] - Howmet (HWM) outperformed expectations in its Q4 report with earnings of $1.05 per share, exceeding the expected $0.97, and revenues of $2.16 billion, which surpassed expectations by 1.26% [6]

Key Takeaways Initial and Continuing Jobless Claims Were Up Slightly Last WeekClaims Have Reverted Back to Pre-Holiday Season LevelsCROX Beats, TRIP Misses, HWM Gains on Strong Q4 ResultsThursday, February 12th, 2026Pre-market futures are up respectably at this hour, unbothered by the slight uptick to Weekly Jobless Claims out this Thursday morning. The Dow is currently +143 points, the S&P 500 is +21, the Nasdaq +77 and the small-cap Russell 2000 +19. It’s been a healthy past five days of trading, with yes ...

Core Insights - Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) shares increased by 8.96 percent, reaching $251.54 after reporting higher fourth-quarter earnings and revenue compared to the previous year [1] Financial Performance - Net income for the fourth quarter was $372 million, or $0.92 per share, an increase from $314 million, or $0.77 per share, year-over-year [1] - On an adjusted basis, earnings rose to $426 million, or $1.05 per share [1] - Revenue for the quarter increased by 14.6 percent to $2.168 billion, up from $1.891 billion in the same quarter last year [1] Stock Performance - The stock opened at $235.81, up from a previous close of $230.85, and reached a new 52-week high of $256.70 [2] - Trading volume was reported at 1,497,921 shares, which is below the average volume of 2,446,824 shares [2] - Howmet shares have traded within a 52-week range of $105.04 to $256.70 [3]