Core Thesis - The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is positioned to benefit from a normalization in cash balances, which will allow the company to pay down higher-cost debt and improve net interest margins (NIMs) to around 3% [2] - The integration of TD Ameritrade has been largely absorbed, with key indicators such as new accounts and net new assets returning to near-target levels, signaling a recovery in market share [2] - Strong equity markets have boosted trading activity and supported the balance sheet, improving capital ratios and liquidity [3] Financial Performance - SCHW's trailing and forward P/E ratios are 24.92 and 17.27 respectively, with a forward P/E of 18x reflecting solid earnings growth and operational momentum [1][3] - EPS growth is expected to exceed 20% in FY25, driven by improved net interest income and operational recovery [2] Investment Outlook - The company presents a stable investment opportunity with ongoing EPS growth and a strengthened balance sheet, although current valuation may be weighed against alternative opportunities [4] - The combination of recovering market share, improving NIMs, and strong capital positioning supports a constructive medium-term outlook, making the stock a Hold/Buy in the context of broader market conditions [4]

chief equity strategist at Deutsche Bank. Binky, it's great to speak with you. Uh, and let's start right there because so far and maybe Netflix and Texas instruments notwithstanding, it does seem like it's been a a pretty strong earning season.>> Uh, yeah, I think you know, bigger picture, one wants to keep in mind that basically over the last two years, uh, S&P 500 earnings have basically bobbed up and down around 11% earnings growth. 11% earnings growth happens to be uh the historical average outside of r ...

SMITHFIELD, NC / ACCESS Newswire / October 22, 2025 / KS Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (OTCID:KSBI), parent company of KS Bank, Inc. (the "Bank"), today reported another quarter of solid financial performance, highlighted by strong earnings growth and continued balance sheet expansion. For the three months ended September 30, 2025, the Company reported net income of $2.5 million, or $2.24 per diluted share, compared to $1.5 million, or $1.32 per diluted share, for the same period in 2024. ...

Company Overview - TowneBank (TOWN) is a community bank headquartered in Portsmouth, experiencing a price change of -1.5% this year [3] - The bank currently pays a dividend of $0.27 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.22%, which is higher than the Banks - Southeast industry's yield of 2.36% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] Dividend Performance - TowneBank's annualized dividend is $1.08, reflecting an 8% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the last five years, the bank has increased its dividend four times, achieving an average annual increase of 8.72% [4] - The current payout ratio is 41%, indicating that the bank pays out 41% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TowneBank's earnings in 2025 is $2.93 per share, with an expected increase of 34.40% from the previous year [5] - Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth and the payout ratio [4] Investment Considerations - TowneBank is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend performance and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6] - Income investors should note that high-yielding stocks may face challenges during periods of rising interest rates [6]

Core Insights - Philip Morris International Inc. reported strong third-quarter 2025 results, with both revenue and earnings exceeding expectations and showing year-over-year growth [1][2][9] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings for the quarter were $2.24, reflecting a 17.3% increase year over year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.10 [2][9] - Net revenues reached $10,845 million, a 9.4% increase on a reported basis and 5.9% on an organic basis, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10,704 million [3][9] - The smoke-free business contributed significantly, with revenues increasing 17.7% and accounting for 41% of total revenues [4][9] Segment Performance - Revenues from combustible products grew 4.3% year over year, driven by high single-digit pricing, despite expected volume declines [4] - Total shipment volumes increased by 0.7% to 204.9 billion units [5] Regional Performance - In Europe, net revenues grew 12.4% to $4,719 million, supported by positive pricing and volume/mix, despite lower cigarette volumes [6] - The SSEA, CIS & MEA regions saw a 10.4% increase in net revenues to $3,273 million, primarily due to favorable pricing [7] - The EA, AU & PMI GTR regions also experienced a 10.4% revenue growth to $1,768 million, driven by favorable volume/mix [8] - Revenues in the Americas declined by 5.5% to $1,085 million, mainly due to unfavorable price variance [8] Future Outlook - For 2025, adjusted EPS is projected in the range of $7.46-$7.56, indicating a growth of 13.5-15.1% [11] - The company expects net revenues to increase by 6-8% on an organic basis and operating income to rise by 10-11.5% [13] - Capital expenditures are anticipated to be nearly $1.6 billion, primarily for smoke-free business investments [13] Other Updates - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $4,037 million and announced an 8.9% increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share [10]

The Magnificent Seven have been the stars of the S&P 500 for the past several years, but the group’s period of exceptional earnings growth may be nearing an end. https://t.co/vQVDdTVv5U ...

It's a very bad bet to bet against US companies ability to grow earnings. I think that earnings so far, and it's still early in the season, are coming in better than scheduled. Now, we're seeing strength across the economic complex, right.We're seeing it from a beverage maker, Coke. We're seeing it from an auto GM. And what we're seeing is that tariffs are not derailing the economy yet.That just adds to the already bullish mix in this market. This is the second time in about 5 years we've seen that US compa ...

Core Insights - Community Bancorp. reported a significant increase in earnings for the third quarter of 2025, with net income reaching $4.7 million or $0.84 per share, marking a 52.42% increase compared to the same period in 2024 [1] Financial Performance - The earnings for the third quarter of 2025 were $4.7 million, up from $3.1 million in the third quarter of 2024 [1] - Earnings per share increased from $0.55 in Q3 2024 to $0.84 in Q3 2025 [1]

Core Insights - Procter & Gamble (PG) is expected to report first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on October 24, with anticipated year-over-year sales growth [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PG's fiscal first-quarter revenues is $22.15 billion, reflecting a 1.9% increase from the prior-year quarter, while earnings per share are estimated at $1.90, indicating a 1.6% decline [2] - PG has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise average of 1.5%, with a notable 3.5% surprise in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 [3] Earnings Predictions - The current model indicates a negative Earnings ESP of -0.30% for PG, with a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), suggesting lower odds for an earnings beat this quarter [4] - The model predicts a year-over-year organic sales growth of 3.2% for PG, with specific segment growth estimates of 3% for Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, and Fabric & Home Care, and 4% for Baby, Feminine & Family Care [6] Market Challenges - PG faces challenges including market pressures in Greater China, geopolitical tensions, and currency volatility, alongside elevated commodity costs impacting gross margins [7] - The company is expected to experience a core gross margin decline of 50 basis points and an 80 basis points drop in core operating margin for the fiscal first quarter due to these pressures [8] Stock Performance & Valuation - PG shares have decreased by 9.4% over the past six months, underperforming the industry decline of 11.6% and the S&P 500's growth of 28% [9] - The company is trading at a forward 12-month P/E multiple of 22.37X, which is above the industry average of 18.09X but below the S&P 500's average of 23.31X, indicating a relatively pricey valuation [11]

Core Insights - ONEOK, Inc. is a midstream energy company with a market cap of approximately $42.9 billion, involved in various operations including gathering, processing, and transportation of natural gas and crude oil [1] Earnings Expectations - Analysts anticipate ONEOK to report an EPS of $1.48 for the upcoming third quarter, reflecting a 25.4% increase from $1.18 in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full fiscal year 2025, the expected EPS is $5.44, which is a 5.2% increase from $5.17 in fiscal 2024, and a further increase to $6.19 per share is projected for fiscal 2026, representing a 13.8% year-over-year growth [3] Stock Performance - ONEOK's stock has declined by 29.5% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which gained 14.8%, and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund, which saw a 3.8% dip [4] Factors Influencing Stock Price - The recent weakness in ONEOK's share price is attributed to modest earnings growth, increased interest expenses, and a valuation reset following acquisitions, compounded by broader macroeconomic pressures [5] - The company's cash flows, while stable, are sensitive to changes in interest rates and energy prices, and its recovery may hinge on the successful integration of recent acquisitions and improved market sentiment [5] Analyst Ratings - The stock holds a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating, with 11 out of 19 analysts recommending a "Strong Buy," one a "Moderate Buy," and seven advising a "Hold." The mean price target is $93.44, indicating a 36.3% upside potential from current levels [6]