Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on Costco (COST), and suggests that while the average brokerage recommendation (ABR) indicates a favorable outlook, investors should exercise caution and consider additional analysis tools like the Zacks Rank for better investment decisions [1][5][10]. Brokerage Recommendations - Costco has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.95, which is between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 33 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 33 recommendations, 15 are Strong Buy (45.5%) and 4 are Buy (12.1%) [2]. Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Studies indicate that brokerage recommendations have limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the best price increase potential [5]. - Brokerage firms often exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, leading to a disproportionate number of Strong Buy recommendations compared to Strong Sell [6][10]. Zacks Rank as an Alternative - The Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, which have shown a strong correlation with near-term stock price movements [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is distinct from the ABR, as it is a quantitative model based on earnings estimates rather than solely on brokerage recommendations [9]. Current Earnings Estimates for Costco - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Costco's earnings for the current year remains unchanged at $17.97, indicating steady analyst views on the company's earnings prospects [13]. - The recent consensus estimate change, along with other factors, has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) for Costco, suggesting a cautious approach despite the favorable ABR [14].

Core Insights - Sutro Biopharma, Inc. reported a quarterly loss of $0.14 per share, significantly better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.39, and an improvement from a loss of $0.59 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +64.10% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $63.75 million for the quarter ended June 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 293.54%, compared to $25.71 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Sutro Biopharma's stock has declined approximately 55.6% year-to-date, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 7.9% [3] Earnings Outlook - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for investors, as it includes current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters and any recent changes to these expectations [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the next quarter is -$0.24 on revenues of $14.66 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is -$1.79 on revenues of $62.76 million [7] Industry Context - Sutro Biopharma operates within the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, which is currently ranked in the top 41% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable industry outlook [8] - The performance of Sutro Biopharma's stock may be influenced by the overall industry trends, as historically, the top 50% of Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by more than 2 to 1 [8] Estimate Revisions - The trend of estimate revisions for Sutro Biopharma was mixed prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for the stock, suggesting it is expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] - 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 Viewpoint - VAREX IMAGING reported quarterly earnings of $0.18 per share, significantly exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.04 per share, marking an earnings surprise of +350.00% [1][2] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $203 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.73%, although this represents a decline from year-ago revenues of $209.1 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, VAREX IMAGING has consistently surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times and topped consensus revenue estimates three times [2] Stock Performance - VAREX IMAGING shares have declined approximately 51.8% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 7.9% [3] - The current Zacks Rank for VAREX IMAGING is 3 (Hold), indicating that the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] Earnings Outlook - The consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.08 on revenues of $199.03 million, while the estimate for the current fiscal year is $0.42 on revenues of $801.93 million [7] - The trend of estimate revisions for VAREX IMAGING was mixed prior to the earnings release, which may change following the recent results [6] Industry Context - The Medical - Products industry, to which VAREX IMAGING belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 37% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges ahead [8]

Core Insights - Shift4 Payments reported quarterly earnings of $1.1 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.2 per share, but showing an increase from $0.96 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of -8.33% [1] - The company posted revenues of $413.4 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.40% and increasing from $320.6 million year-over-year [2] - Shift4 Payments shares have underperformed the market, losing about 1.5% since the beginning of the year compared to the S&P 500's gain of 7.6% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.43 on revenues of $440.66 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $5.52 on revenues of $1.76 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Shift4 Payments was unfavorable prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) for the stock, indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Financial Transaction Services industry, to which Shift4 Payments belongs, is currently in the bottom 40% of the Zacks Industry Rank, suggesting potential challenges for stock performance [8] - Another company in the same industry, PAR Technology, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.04 per share, reflecting a year-over-year change of +117.4%, with revenues projected to be $107.94 million, up 38.1% from the previous year [9][10]

Company Overview - Sempra (SRE) is anticipated to report a year-over-year decline in earnings, with expected earnings of $0.83 per share, reflecting a decrease of 6.7% compared to the previous year [3][12] - The company's revenues are projected to be $3.15 billion, which represents an increase of 4.7% from the same quarter last year [3] Earnings Expectations - The earnings report is scheduled for release on August 7, and the actual results will significantly influence the stock price, depending on whether they meet or exceed expectations [2][12] - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 8.84% higher in the last 30 days, indicating a more optimistic outlook from analysts [4] Earnings Surprise Prediction - Sempra has an Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) of +0.60%, suggesting a likelihood of beating the consensus EPS estimate [12] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), which, when combined with a positive Earnings ESP, indicates a strong potential for an earnings beat [10][12] Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Sempra exceeded the expected earnings of $1.21 per share by delivering $1.44, resulting in a surprise of +19.01% [13] - Over the past four quarters, Sempra has only beaten consensus EPS estimates once [14] Industry Context - In the Zacks Utility - Gas Distribution industry, Atmos Energy (ATO) is expected to report earnings of $1.17 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 8.3% [18] - Atmos Energy's revenue is projected to be $940.91 million, up 34.1% from the previous year [18] - Despite a recent downward revision of 3.4% in the consensus EPS estimate for Atmos, it has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and an Earnings ESP of 0%, making predictions about its performance less conclusive [19]

Core Viewpoint - Comstock Resources reported quarterly earnings of $0.13 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.09 per share, and showing a significant improvement from a loss of $0.20 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of +44.44% [1] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $470.26 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.23%, and showing a substantial increase from $246.83 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Comstock has exceeded consensus EPS estimates three times and topped consensus revenue estimates two times [2] Stock Performance - Comstock shares have increased approximately 15.4% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 8.3% [3] Future Outlook - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for assessing future stock performance, with current consensus EPS estimates at $0.16 for the coming quarter and $0.56 for the current fiscal year, alongside revenues of $449.36 million and $1.81 billion respectively [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Comstock was mixed ahead of 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 Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry is currently ranked in the bottom 31% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting that the overall industry outlook may impact Comstock's stock performance [8]

Core Viewpoint - Nabors Industries reported a quarterly loss of $2.71 per share, which was worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $2.05, but an improvement from a loss of $4.29 per share a year ago [1] Financial Performance - The company posted revenues of $832.79 million for the quarter ended June 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.18% and showing an increase from $734.8 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Nabors has not surpassed consensus EPS estimates, indicating ongoing challenges in meeting market expectations [2] Stock Performance - Nabors shares have declined approximately 38.3% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 8.6% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell), suggesting it is expected to underperform the market in the near future [6] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is -$2.00 on revenues of $845.35 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is -$3.53 on revenues of $3.27 billion [7] - The trend of estimate revisions for Nabors has been unfavorable leading up to the earnings release, which may impact future stock performance [6] Industry Context - The Oil and Gas - Drilling industry, to which Nabors belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 5% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a challenging environment for companies in this sector [8]

Company Performance - TriMas reported quarterly earnings of $0.61 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.50 per share, and up from $0.43 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of +22.00% [1][2] - The company achieved revenues of $274.76 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.93%, compared to $240.5 million in the same quarter last year [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.52 on revenues of $257.51 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.81 on revenues of $980.07 million [8] - The estimate revisions trend for TriMas was unfavorable prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) for the stock, indicating expected underperformance in the near future [7] Industry Context - TriMas operates within the Zacks Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication industry, which is currently ranked in the bottom 30% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges ahead [9] - The performance of TriMas may be influenced by the overall outlook for the industry, as research indicates that the top 50% of Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by more than 2 to 1 [9]

Core Insights - Commvault Systems (CVLT) reported quarterly earnings of $1.01 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.97 per share, and up from $0.85 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of +4.12% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $281.98 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.96%, compared to $224.67 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Commvault has consistently surpassed consensus EPS estimates over the last four quarters, indicating strong performance [2] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.96 on revenues of $272.17 million, while for the current fiscal year, the estimate is $4.14 on revenues of $1.14 billion [7] - The favorable trend in estimate revisions prior to the earnings release has resulted in a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) for Commvault, suggesting expected outperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Computer - Software industry, to which Commvault belongs, is currently ranked in the top 19% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a positive outlook for stocks within this sector [8] - Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]

Core Insights - Sierra Bancorp reported quarterly earnings of $0.78 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.74 per share, and showing an increase from $0.71 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +5.41% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $39.21 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.23% and up from $37.8 million year-over-year [2] - The stock has gained approximately 5.5% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has increased by 8.6% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.75 on revenues of $39.1 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $2.95 on revenues of $153.7 million [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Sierra Bancorp was favorable prior to the earnings release, leading to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) for the stock, indicating expected outperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Banks - West industry, to which Sierra Bancorp belongs, is currently ranked in the top 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8]