Market Trend & Outlook - The primary market trend is bullish [1] - Earnings have generally exceeded expectations, with the S&P 493 up 7% and the Magnificent Seven up 28% in the first half [2] - The market anticipates the Federal Reserve will implement rate cuts amidst a cyclical acceleration [3] - The market's high PE ratio of 22x places it in the 96th percentile historically [7] Federal Reserve & Economic Factors - The Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates three times this year (September, October, December) and two more times next year, resulting in a funds rate of 3 and one-eighth by next June [4] - US GDP growth is projected at 13% this year (subtrend), 18% next year (trend), and 21% the year after [4][5] - The market benefits from monetary and fiscal tailwinds, along with reduced tariff uncertainty [5][6] - Historically, the stock market has risen one year forward in all 12 instances when the Fed cuts rates at or near market highs since 1990 [6] Technology Sector - Since 2009, NASDAQ has been up in 16 out of 17 years, with a cumulative return above 2200%, where 75% of it was earnings, 16% dividends, and 9% multiple [8][9] - Oracle's addition of $250 billion in market capitalization in a single day signals the strength of the AI infrastructure story [10] - Major companies are beginning to attach revenue to AI, which is expected to continue powering the market [11]

Market Outlook & Earnings - The market's current rally is partly fueled by expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut, potentially around 50 basis points [1][3][4] - Q1 and Q2 earnings have exceeded expectations, driving the market to new highs [2] - The market is counting on earnings continuing to make new highs [2] - Technology and communication services account for 40% of the S&P 500 market capitalization and 28% of earnings [7] - Analyst consensus expectations show small caps are showing signs of life [11] Valuation & Potential - The valuation multiple is around 22, which is considered acceptable [3] - A potential "melt-up" scenario could see the price-to-earnings ratio rise to 25, reminiscent of 1999 [5] - If the Fed surprises with a 50 basis point cut, the S&P target could be revised upwards to 7,000 [4][5] - The "impressive 493" (companies outside the Magnificent Seven) also had good earnings and are expected to contribute to market growth [8][9] Risks & Uncertainties - A debt crisis scare, potentially triggered by the government having to refund $500 billion to $1 trillion due to overturned tariffs, could derail a year-end rally [15]

For more on the inflation print, the market reaction, let's bring in Westwood Holdings Group CEO Brian Casey. Westwood has more than 18 billion dollars in assets under management. How how are you positioned right now given the backdrop.You know, we're we're always going to invest in highquality companies that are improving that are mispriced. So, that has been our mantra for 42 years and we can always find those kinds of companies. I was going to say, is that harder though with record highs as everything ha ...

[Music] Producer prices fell a tenth of a percent in August while expectations were that inflation would increase. We're still awaiting of course Thursday's CPI data to see how consumer prices fared in the month. But a positive signal to investors who are anticipating the Fed will cut rates next week. Ed Yardi, our Denny Research president, joining me now to talk more through all of this. Ed, it's great to see you. So, does this wholesale inflation number sort of confirm what we're going to get from the Fed ...

Core Insights - GameStop Corp. (GME) reported strong second-quarter fiscal 2025 results, with both revenue and earnings exceeding expectations and showing year-over-year growth [1][2][3] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share were 25 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 19 cents, compared to 1 cent per share in the same quarter last year [2] - Net sales reached $972.2 million, exceeding the consensus estimate of $900 million and increasing by 21.8% from $798.3 million in the prior-year quarter [3][10] - Hardware and accessories sales rose 31.2% to $592.1 million, while collectibles surged 63.3% to $227.6 million; however, software sales declined by 26.6% to $152.5 million [4][10] Regional Sales Performance - U.S. sales increased by 32.8% to $724.6 million, while Australia saw a 60.5% rise to $140.9 million; in contrast, Europe sales decreased by 16.1% to $106.7 million [5] Margins and Expenses - Gross profit increased by 13.8% to $283.1 million, with gross margin contracting by 210 basis points to 29.1% [6] - Adjusted SG&A expenses decreased by 22.1% to $218.4 million, representing 22.5% of net sales, down from 35.1% in the prior-year period [6] EBITDA and Operating Income - Adjusted EBITDA was $75.7 million, a significant improvement from an adjusted EBITDA loss of $18 million in the same quarter last year [7][10] - Adjusted operating income was $64.7 million, compared to an adjusted operating loss of $31.6 million in the prior-year period [7] Cash and Debt Overview - At the end of the fiscal second quarter, cash and cash equivalents totaled $8.69 billion, with net long-term debt at $4.16 billion and stockholders' equity at $5.18 billion [11] - Net merchandise inventory decreased to $484.9 million from $560 million in the same period last year [11] Bitcoin Holdings - GameStop's Bitcoin holdings were valued at $528.6 million at the end of the fiscal second quarter [12]

Chinese companies’ second-quarter performance renders a stark reality: earnings proof to justify a blistering stock rally is missing https://t.co/hF3TpteJGv ...

Core Viewpoint - Small-cap U.S. stocks may be experiencing a resurgence after a prolonged period of underperformance, with recent data indicating potential positive trends for small-cap investors [1] Performance Summary - The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) has increased by 6.3% over the past month, compared to a 2% gain in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) [2] - Year-to-date, SPY is up approximately 10%, while IWM has advanced about 5.7% [2] - Early-year weakness in small caps was largely attributed to President Trump's tariff announcements, which adversely affected smaller companies [2] Market Dynamics - Bank of America's client flow data indicates near-record demand for small-cap stocks, with clients purchasing $1.5 billion worth of small and micro-cap stocks and ETFs in the past week [3] - The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates in September, with a 97.6% probability of a 25-basis point cut, which could benefit small-cap stocks and ETFs [4] Earnings Analysis - For the small-cap S&P 600 index, Q2 earnings are up 8.6% year-over-year, with revenues increasing by 3.4% [5] - 61.1% of small-cap companies beat EPS estimates, and 72.4% exceeded revenue estimates [5] - In comparison, S&P 500 companies reported a 12.4% increase in earnings and 6.0% higher revenues, with 79.9% beating EPS estimates [6] Valuation Insights - The Russell 2000 is currently trading at a P/E ratio of 32.75, up from 27.79 a year ago, indicating that small caps are not cheap and may be overvalued [8][9] - The Nasdaq 100 Index has a P/E ratio of 32.97, while the S&P 500 Index is at 25.15, reflecting a relative valuation perspective [9] Economic Context - U.S. GDP grew by 3.3% in Q2 2025, rebounding from a 0.5% decline in Q1, driven by stronger consumer spending and private investment [10] - Job openings fell to 7.181 million in July, below expectations, which may signal potential weakness in the labor market [11] Investment Opportunities - Value and blend small-cap ETFs have outperformed growth ETFs over the past month, with notable performers including: - Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Pure Value ETF (RZV) – Up 11.0% - Invesco S&P SmallCap Value with Momentum ETF (XSVM) – Up 9.9% - iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL) – Up 9.1% [12]

Core Insights - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) reported revenue of $9.14 billion for the quarter ended July 2025, reflecting an 18.5% increase year-over-year [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) was $0.44, down from $0.50 in the same quarter last year, but exceeded the consensus estimate of $0.43 [1] - The reported revenue surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.78 billion, resulting in a revenue surprise of +4.07% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Revenue from Financial Services was $886 million, exceeding the average estimate of $870.59 million, with a year-over-year change of +0.8% [4] - Revenue from Corporate Investments and other was $194 million, slightly below the average estimate of $199.88 million, showing a significant year-over-year decline of -26% [4] - Revenue from Hybrid Cloud reached $1.48 billion, compared to the estimated $1.51 billion, marking a +14.2% increase year-over-year [4] - Server revenue was reported at $4.94 billion, surpassing the average estimate of $4.67 billion, with a year-over-year growth of +15.4% [4] - The elimination of intersegment net revenue and other was reported at -$98 million, slightly better than the estimated -$99.71 million, but showed a year-over-year decline of -25.8% [4] Earnings from Operations - Earnings from Operations in Financial Services were $88 million, exceeding the average estimate of $79.73 million [4] - Earnings from Operations in Hybrid Cloud were $87 million, below the average estimate of $90.8 million [4] - Earnings from Operations in Server were $317 million, slightly below the average estimate of $324.32 million [4] - Earnings from Operations in Corporate Investments and other were reported at -$14 million, in line with the average estimate of -$14.02 million [4] Stock Performance - HPE shares have returned +14.1% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating potential for outperformance in the near term [3]

Eagle uh here on results. Gabrielle Fon Rouge has the results. Gabby.>> Yeah, American Eagle reporting revenues of um hold on, we still have it coming in now. Uh 1.28% billion on estimates of 1.24% billion and that's a big EPS beat 45 cents on 21 cents. Um so, um this has been a interesting quarter for American Eagle.It had a huge uh marketing campaign with Sydney Sweeney. Obviously, that had some blowback, but what the company said is that it's been their best to date. Um, something else that we're looking ...

Market Outlook & Earnings - The market is primarily driven by earnings, with raised earnings expectations leading to increased S&P targets for the current and subsequent years [3] - Corporates are demonstrating the ability to generate earnings and margins despite concerns about macro data and the labor market [4] - Earnings momentum is a key factor, with strong earnings performance in previous quarters suggesting a bullish market even amidst policy concerns [7] - The market's focus remains on the fundamentals of the corporate sector, particularly earnings growth [5] Future Growth Projections - Earnings growth for 2025 is projected to be 115%, exceeding previous expectations [4] - Earnings growth for 2026 is projected to be 134% [5] - By the end of 2026, the earnings increase is expected to be significant, with a potential 10% gain next year [16] - S&P target by the end of the year is 6400, possibly 6700, and 7400 by the end of next year [16] Risk Factors & Considerations - A primary risk is the potential decline in margin growth and free cash flow due to tariffs, which could impact the market's higher multiple regime [15] - Tariffs could negatively impact retail sector earnings, although recent retail earnings have exceeded expectations [9] - Bond yields globally could potentially trigger a 5-10% sell-off, which is considered a normal market fluctuation [17]