Core Insights - First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) reported revenue of $227.58 million for the quarter ended June 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 5.3% [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $0.74, up from $0.65 in the same quarter last year, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.69 by 7.25% [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $219.8 million, resulting in a revenue surprise of 3.54% [1] Financial Metrics - Net Interest Margin was reported at 4%, matching the average estimate from two analysts [4] - Efficiency Ratio stood at 56.9%, better than the average estimate of 57.6% from two analysts [4] - Total Noninterest Income reached $68.06 million, exceeding the average estimate of $64.6 million from two analysts [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of First Financial have returned +1%, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has increased by +5.7% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating potential for outperformance against the broader market in the near term [3]

Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Sterling Infrastructure (STRL) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Sterling Infrastructure cur ...

In its upcoming report, Norfolk Southern (NSC) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $3.26 per share, reflecting an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $3.13 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 2.9%.Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been adjusted downward by 2.2% to its current level. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial projections du ...

Group 1: Earnings and Revenue Forecasts - Booking Holdings (BKNG) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $50.46 per share, reflecting a 20.4% increase year over year [1] - Analysts forecast revenues of $6.56 billion, indicating an 11.9% year-over-year growth [1] - The consensus EPS estimate has been adjusted upward by 0.4% over the past 30 days, showing analysts' reassessment of projections [1] Group 2: Key Revenue Metrics - 'Revenues- Agency' is expected to be $2.03 billion, a decrease of 5.4% from the prior-year quarter [3] - 'Revenues- Advertising and Other Revenues' is projected to reach $282.45 million, an increase of 5% year over year [4] - 'Revenues- Merchant' is anticipated to be $4.25 billion, reflecting a 23.3% increase compared to the previous year [4] Group 3: Gross Bookings and Units Sold - Total 'Gross Bookings' is projected at $46.23 billion, up from $41.40 billion year over year [4] - 'Gross Bookings - Agency' is expected to be $14.62 billion, down from $15.60 billion in the prior year [5] - 'Units Sold - Room Nights' is forecasted to reach 300.87 million, compared to 287.00 million in the same quarter last year [6] Group 4: Market Performance - Over the past month, shares of Booking Holdings have returned +4.6%, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has changed +5.7% [7] - BKNG currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), suggesting potential outperformance in the near future [7]

RenaissanceRe (RNR) came out with quarterly earnings of $12.29 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.28 per share. This compares to earnings of $12.41 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +19.55%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this insurance company would post a loss of $0.32 per share when it actually produced a loss of $1.49, delivering a surprise of -365.63%.Over the last four quarters, the ...

Core Insights - Rogers Communication reported revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter ended June 2025, reflecting a 1.3% increase year-over-year, but slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.78 billion, resulting in a surprise of -0.39% [1] - The company's EPS was $0.82, down from $0.85 in the same quarter last year, but exceeded the consensus estimate of $0.80, leading to an EPS surprise of +2.5% [1] Financial Performance - The stock of Rogers Communication has returned +17.2% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.9% change, and currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [3] Key Metrics - Wireless Subscriber - Postpaid mobile phone gross additions were 362 thousand, below the average estimate of 387.2 thousand [4] - Total Home Phone Subscribers stood at 1.45 million, slightly below the average estimate of 1.46 million [4] - Total Postpaid mobile phone subscribers reached 10.91 million, exceeding the average estimate of 10.82 million [4] - Postpaid churn was reported at 1%, better than the average estimate of 1.1% [4] - Prepaid mobile phone gross additions were 135 thousand, below the average estimate of 142.57 thousand [4] - Total prepaid mobile phone subscribers remained at 1.16 million, matching the average estimate [4] - Cable Subscriber net additions were 16 thousand, surpassing the average estimate of 9.61 thousand [4] - Total Customer Relationships in cable reached 4.83 million, exceeding the average estimate of 4.7 million [4] - Retail Internet net additions were 26 thousand, slightly above the average estimate of 24.32 thousand [4]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for ARKO Corp. and highlights the potential limitations of relying solely on brokerage recommendations for investment decisions [1][5]. Brokerage Recommendation Summary - ARKO currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 2.00, indicating a Buy, based on recommendations from four brokerage firms, with two of those being Strong Buy, representing 50% of all recommendations [2]. - Despite the positive ABR, studies suggest that brokerage recommendations have limited success in guiding investors towards stocks with the best price increase potential [5][10]. Analyst Bias and Recommendations - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, with five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, indicating a misalignment of interests between these firms and retail investors [6][7]. - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock rating tool, is presented as a more reliable indicator of stock price performance, categorizing stocks from Strong Buy to Strong Sell based on earnings estimate revisions [8][11]. Zacks Rank vs. ABR - The Zacks Rank is distinct from the ABR, as it is based on earnings estimate revisions and is displayed in whole numbers, while the ABR is calculated from brokerage recommendations and typically shown in decimals [9]. - The Zacks Rank is updated more frequently, reflecting timely changes in earnings estimates, which correlates strongly with near-term stock price movements [12]. Current Earnings Estimates for ARKO - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARKO's current year earnings remains unchanged at $0.08, suggesting that analysts have steady views on the company's earnings prospects [13]. - The unchanged consensus estimate has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) for ARKO, indicating a cautious approach despite the Buy-equivalent ABR [14].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on GE Aerospace (GE), and emphasizes the importance of using these recommendations in conjunction with other analytical tools like the Zacks Rank for making informed investment decisions [1][5]. Brokerage Recommendations for GE - GE has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.38, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 21 brokerage firms [2][14]. - Out of the 21 recommendations, 16 are Strong Buy and 2 are Buy, which account for 76.2% and 9.5% of all recommendations respectively [2]. Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Solely relying on brokerage recommendations may not be advisable, as studies indicate they often fail to guide investors effectively towards stocks with high price appreciation potential [5][10]. - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, issuing five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][10]. Zacks Rank as an Alternative - The Zacks Rank, which classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, is presented as a more reliable indicator of near-term price performance compared to ABR [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is updated more frequently and reflects the latest earnings estimate revisions, making it a timely tool for predicting future price movements [12]. Current Earnings Estimates for GE - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE's earnings has increased by 0.8% over the past month to $5.55, indicating growing optimism among analysts regarding the company's earnings prospects [13]. - This increase in consensus estimates, along with other factors, has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) for GE, suggesting a positive outlook for the stock [14].

The upcoming report from Tenet Healthcare (THC) is expected to reveal quarterly earnings of $2.82 per share, indicating an increase of 22.1% compared to the year-ago period. Analysts forecast revenues of $5.15 billion, representing an increase of 0.8% year over year.Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been adjusted downward by 0.1% to its current level. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial projections during this period.Prior to ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on Caterpillar (CAT), and emphasizes the importance of using these recommendations in conjunction with other analytical tools like the Zacks Rank for making informed investment decisions [1][5][10]. Brokerage Recommendations - Caterpillar has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 2.00, indicating a "Buy" based on the recommendations from 23 brokerage firms [2]. - Among the 23 recommendations, 11 are classified as "Strong Buy" and 1 as "Buy," accounting for 47.8% and 4.4% of all recommendations, respectively [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]. - Analysts from brokerage firms tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, with five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][10]. - The interests of brokerage firms may not align with those of retail investors, leading to potential misguidance [7][10]. Zacks Rank as an Alternative - The Zacks Rank is presented as a more reliable indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, based on earnings estimate revisions [8][11]. - The Zacks Rank is distinct from ABR, as it is a quantitative model that reflects earnings estimate revisions and is updated more frequently [9][12]. Caterpillar's Earnings Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Caterpillar's earnings has increased by 0.6% over the past month to $18.8, indicating growing optimism among analysts [13]. - The recent change in the consensus estimate, along with other factors, has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) for Caterpillar, suggesting a positive outlook for the stock [14].