Core Insights - Skillsoft Corp. (SKIL) shares have decreased by 69.2% year-to-date, significantly underperforming its industry, which has grown by 22.4%, and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite, which has risen by 20.7% [1] - The company has also lagged behind peers such as JBT Marel Corporation and MediaAlpha, which have seen increases of 9.9% and 17.8%, respectively [1] Year-to-Date Share Price Performance - Year-to-date, Skillsoft has declined by 69.2%, while JBT Marel and MediaAlpha have shown growth of 9.9% and 17.8% [1] - Over the past six months, Skillsoft's performance has been a decline of 58.2%, contrasting with JBT Marel's 12.9% growth and MediaAlpha's 20% growth [4] AI-Focused Innovations - Skillsoft's strategy includes AI-driven innovations aimed at enhancing learning design and skills intelligence, with over 20,000 certificates earned in areas like cloud, data, AI, and cybersecurity [5] - The company has improved a global semiconductor manufacturer's learning ecosystem for 43,000 employees, showcasing its commitment to AI-led innovation [6] - The Percipio platform has seen a 74% year-over-year increase in AI learners and a 158% increase in AI learning hours, indicating strong market demand for AI upskilling solutions [8] Financial Performance and Guidance - Skillsoft has lowered its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance from an initial expectation of $530-$545 million to a new range of $510-$530 million due to weak federal and discretionary spending [14] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 revenues is $515.9 million, reflecting a 2.8% year-over-year decline, while the earnings per share estimate is $3.48, indicating a 19.6% year-over-year dip [18] Valuation and Capital Return - Skillsoft's return on equity (ROE) stands at 16.03%, surpassing the industry average of 15.29%, suggesting effective utilization of shareholders' equity [9] - The company is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 1.48, significantly below the industry average of 26.64, indicating potential undervaluation [11] Liquidity Position - As of the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Skillsoft's current ratio is 0.85, down from 0.88 in the previous year, which is below the industry average of 1.58, indicating challenges in meeting short-term obligations [16]

Core Insights - Five stocks have been added to the Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) List, indicating strong potential for investment Group 1: Company Earnings Estimates - Kennametal Inc. (KMT) has seen a 25% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) has experienced a 6.7% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) has reported a 6.8% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - Oceaneering International, Inc. (OII) has seen an 11.7% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - MediaAlpha, Inc. (MAX) has experienced a significant 700% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [3]

Key Takeaways Symbotic is set to report Q4 results with consensus calling for modest revenue and earnings growth.SYM's sizable backlog and planned conversion are expected to support its fiscal Q4 revenue range.Symbotic's shares have surged, but its high forward price-to-sales ratio underscores valuation pressure.Symbotic Inc. (SYM) will report fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 (ended Sept. 30, 2025) results on Nov. 24, after market close.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues in the to-be-reported quarter is pe ...

Core Insights - Coursera reported quarterly earnings of $0.1 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.09 per share, with an earnings surprise of +11.11% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $194.2 million for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.00% and showing a year-over-year increase from $176.09 million [2] - Coursera's stock has increased by approximately 22.9% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 13.9% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.07 on revenues of $186.95 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.39 on revenues of $743.75 million [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Coursera was mixed prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for the stock, indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Technology Services industry, to which Coursera belongs, is currently ranked in the top 24% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]

Core Insights - Symbotic's shares have experienced a significant increase of 204.5% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Technology Services industry and peers like Coherent Corp. and MediaAlpha [1][4][7] Group 1: Performance and Financials - Symbotic's shares closed at $72.19, nearing its 52-week high of $79.58 reached on October 15, 2025 [1] - The company reported a backlog of $22.4 billion, with expectations to recognize nearly 11% of remaining performance obligations as revenues in the next 12 months [9] - Revenues increased by 26% year over year, with strong guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 projecting revenues between $590 million and $610 million [10][9] Group 2: Strategic Developments - A new partnership with Nyobolt enhances the energy capacity and reliability of Symbot's autonomous mobile robots, delivering six times more energy capacity while being 40% lighter [11][12] - The acquisition of Walmart's advanced systems and robotics business has been profitable, with Walmart being a significant customer [13] Group 3: Market Position and Valuation - Symbotic is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 15.76, which is higher than the industry average and its peers [16] - Despite being considered relatively overvalued, the strong outlook and positive developments may justify the premium valuation [14][19]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call focuses on the digital advertising sub-sector in the Americas, specifically analyzing the Q3 2025 earnings season and making stock recommendations for companies within this industry [1][2]. Company Ratings and Price Targets - **MAX**: Downgraded from Buy to Neutral with a 12-month price target of $12.00 (previously $14.50) [1] - **IBTA**: Downgraded from Neutral to Sell with a 12-month price target of $26 (previously $30) [1] - **Unity (U)**: Initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and a 12-month price target of $38 (previously $32.50) [1][2]. - **Alphabet (GOOGL)**: Maintained Buy rating, raised price target to $288 from $234 [50]. - **Meta Platforms (META)**: Maintained Buy rating, raised price target to $870 from $830 [50]. - **Pinterest (PINS)**: Maintained Buy rating with a price target of $43 [50]. - **Opera (OPRA)**: Maintained Buy rating with a price target of $24.50 [50]. - **AppLovin (APP)**: Neutral rating with a price target of $630 [50]. - **Ibotta (IBTA)**: Downgraded to Sell with a price target of $26 [50]. Core Industry Insights - **Performance Trends**: Sustained momentum in performance-oriented budgets, particularly in direct response channels, was noted throughout Q3, with strong performance in July and August [2]. - **Brand Advertising**: Continued headwinds from a weaker brand advertising environment, especially from large advertisers, but easing revenue headwinds were observed in September, potentially improving Q4 [2]. - **Experimental Budgets**: Volatility in experimental budgets remains, with smaller platforms experiencing stalled or downside volatility [2]. - **Programmatic Platforms**: The value of programmatic platforms like Meta's Advantage+ and Alphabet's Performance Max continues to grow, attracting more industry budgets [2]. Industry Vertical Performance - **Retail & eCommerce**: Advertisers are deploying marketing dollars against stable end demand trends, particularly in less discretionary verticals [3]. - **Online Travel**: Normalizing around mid to high single-digit growth in 2H 2025, with marketing budgets adjusting accordingly [5]. - **Automotive**: Stable spending aligned with usual seasonality in Q3 [5]. - **Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)**: Mixed trends with stable marketing and the rise of emerging brands [5]. Key Themes and Risks - **AI and Automation**: Increasing adoption of AI-driven programmatic systems is a significant theme, with potential impacts on advertising budget trends [5][6]. - **Direct Response vs. Brand Advertising**: Direct response spending remains resilient, while brand advertising is more volatile and subject to cuts during economic downturns [16]. - **User Engagement**: User growth and engagement trends are stable to rising, particularly in international markets, with short-form video driving engagement [16][30]. Pricing Trends - Q3 pricing trends across the digital advertising landscape showed slight growth year-over-year, with average CPMs for Meta's platforms experiencing a decrease of approximately 4% quarter-over-quarter but an increase of 3% year-over-year [20][25]. Conclusion - The digital advertising sector is experiencing a mix of challenges and opportunities, with a focus on performance-oriented budgets and the impact of AI on advertising strategies. Companies like GOOGL and META are positioned positively, while others face varying degrees of risk and opportunity based on their exposure to different advertising verticals and market dynamics [7][50].

Industry Overview - The Technology Services industry ranks within the top 24% of Zacks Ranked Industries and is expected to outperform the market over the next three to six months, having rallied 32.9% year to date [1] - The industry is mature with strong demand for services, and this momentum is likely to continue into the fourth quarter of 2025 [1][3] Market Trends - The global shift toward digitization is creating opportunities in markets such as 5G, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) [3] - Companies are rapidly adopting generative AI, machine learning (ML), blockchain, and data science to gain competitive advantages [3] - There is robust demand for multi-cloud-enabled software solutions as businesses transition from legacy platforms to modern cloud-based infrastructure [3] Company Highlights AppLovin Corp. (APP) - AppLovin is a leading technology platform for mobile app developers, enhancing marketing and monetization efforts [7][8] - The Axon 2.0 AI engine has significantly boosted ad performance, leading to a $10 billion annual run rate in ad spend [9] - AppLovin targets a 20-30% year-over-year growth rate, primarily driven by its gaming segment and AI-driven ad monetization [11] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current quarter are 15.2% and 63.6%, respectively [12] Skillsoft Corp. (SKIL) - Skillsoft provides digital learning and talent solutions, focusing on a learner-centric approach [13] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the next quarter are -2% and -53.1%, respectively, but earnings estimates have improved over 100% in the last 30 days [14] Acuity Inc. (AYI) - Acuity manufactures lighting fixtures and related components, with a focus on energy efficiency and smart building solutions [15][17] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current quarter are 19.5% and 12.3%, respectively [17] Byrna Technologies Inc. (BYRN) - Byrna develops non-lethal technology products for personal and professional security [18] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current quarter are 21.3% and -23.5%, respectively [19] MediaAlpha Inc. (MAX) - MediaAlpha specializes in programmatic technology platforms for vertical search and metasearch [20] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current quarter are -8.1% and over 100%, respectively [20]

Accessibility StatementSkip Navigation NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Stride, Inc. ("Stride" or the "Company") (NYSE: LRN). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Stride and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the cl ...

Core Insights - Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Amer Sports, Inc. regarding potential securities fraud or unlawful business practices by the company and its officers [1][2]. Group 1: Company Actions and Reactions - On September 19, 2025, Amer's brand Arc'teryx held a promotional fireworks display in Tibet, which led to backlash from environmentalists and initiated an investigation by Chinese authorities [2]. - Following the incident, Amer's stock price dropped by $2.18 per share, representing a decline of 5.82%, closing at $35.27 per share on September 22, 2025 [2]. Group 2: Legal Context - Pomerantz LLP is recognized for its expertise in corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation, having a history of recovering multimillion-dollar damages for victims of securities fraud and corporate misconduct [3].

Group 1 - Symbotic (SYM) is currently considered overvalued, trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 10.62, significantly higher than the Zacks Technology Services industry average of 3.27 [1][8] - The company has a substantial backlog of $22.4 billion, contributing to a 26% year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 [4][8] - For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Symbotic expects revenues in the range of $590-$610 million and adjusted EBITDA between $45-$49 million [4] Group 2 - Symbotic's stock has gained in triple-digits over the past six months, outperforming its industry peers Coherent Corp. and MediaAlpha [5] - The company has a Momentum Score of F, indicating weak momentum indicators and trading below its 14-day moving average [10] - Symbotic's earnings surprise history shows it surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the last four quarters, with an average negative surprise of 78.3% [13] Group 3 - The company's reliance on Walmart, its largest customer, raises concerns, as this partnership accounts for a significant portion of its revenues [13] - Symbotic does not currently distribute dividends and has no plans to initiate them, making it less attractive to income-oriented investors [14] - The company faces risks related to international expansion and adapting technology to diverse environments, as well as potential tariff-related economic uncertainties [15]