Summary of Bank of Montreal Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) - **Date**: January 06, 2026 Key Points ROE Target and Performance - Bank of Montreal aims to achieve a **15% Return on Equity (ROE)** by the end of **2027**, with a commitment to sustainable performance beyond that [6][8][59] - The bank increased its ROE by **150 basis points** year-over-year, the fastest among peers, and achieved **26% EPS growth** in the previous year [4][5] - The bank's operating leverage was **4.3%** with an **18% growth** in Pre-Provision Profitability (PPPT) in 2025 [5] U.S. Banking Segment - The objective is to exit 2027 with a **12% ROE** in the U.S. banking segment, which has been restructured to optimize synergies between personal, commercial, and wealth management services [9][10] - The restructuring began in July 2025, and the bank expects to see full benefits from this optimization by the second quarter of 2026 [11] - Loan growth in the U.S. is anticipated to be in the **mid-single digits** starting in the second quarter of 2026, contingent on macroeconomic conditions [16] Credit and Impairments - The bank expects a **flattish** credit experience in 2026, with improvements anticipated in the U.S. but some deterioration in Canadian retail [13][14] - The bank aims to normalize impaired Provision for Credit Losses (PCL) to the mid-30s, but does not expect significant credit normalization to impact ROE significantly [14][34] Deposit Growth and Strategy - Deposit growth has been strong, particularly following the instability in early 2023, and is expected to align with loan growth moving forward [18] - The bank is focusing on improving the mix of deposits, targeting low-cost retail deposits and operational deposits in the commercial sector [19][21] Canadian Market Outlook - Loan growth in Canada is projected to be low single digits, influenced by economic uncertainty and client confidence [22][24] - The bank is optimistic about the Canadian economy's resilience and expects to see increased loan demand as clients regain confidence [24] Efficiency and Cost Control - The bank's efficiency ratio gap to peers has narrowed from **400 basis points** to **160 basis points** over the past five years [27] - A restructuring expense of approximately **CAD 200 million** is expected, with an annual run rate benefit of **CAD 250 million** [28] Capital Deployment and M&A Strategy - The bank generated **90 basis points** of capital last year and maintains a **13.3% Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)** ratio, indicating strong capital generation capacity [35] - While the bank is open to M&A opportunities, it prioritizes organic growth and optimizing existing operations over pursuing acquisitions [39][40] Capital Markets Outlook - The capital markets business is performing well, with expectations to exceed previous targets of **$625 million** in PPPT per quarter [48] - The U.S. capital markets are seen as a significant growth area, with high market shares in investment banking and a focus on integrating services across business lines [51][52] Macro Economic Outlook - The bank anticipates **2.3%-2.4% GDP growth** in the U.S. and **1.7%** in Canada, with a positive outlook for operational improvements continuing into 2026 [58] - The bank remains optimistic about its ability to achieve its ROE target and sustain it beyond 2027 [59] Additional Insights - The bank's strong position in the mining sector and its global reach in capital markets are expected to provide significant benefits as the market improves [55] - The bank is cautious about the timing of capital flows despite positive policy shifts, indicating a measured approach to growth [56]

Core Viewpoint - Home Depot's recent earnings report showed mixed results, with net sales exceeding expectations but earnings per share (EPS) falling short, reflecting ongoing challenges in the housing market and consumer spending [2][3]. Financial Performance - Home Depot reported adjusted earnings of $3.74 per share, a decrease of 1.1% from $3.78 in the same quarter last year, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.81 per share [4]. - Net sales increased by 2.8% to $41.4 billion from $40.2 billion year-over-year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $41 billion [5]. - Customer transactions decreased by 1.6% year-over-year, while the average ticket size improved by 1.8% [6]. Cost and Margin Analysis - Gross profit rose by 2.9% year-over-year to $13.8 billion, with a gross margin of approximately 33.4%, up 2 basis points year-over-year [7]. - Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses increased by 5.9% to $7.8 billion, representing about 18.5% of sales, which is an increase of roughly 60 basis points year-over-year [8]. Financial Position - Home Depot ended the third quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.7 billion, long-term debt of $46.3 billion, and stockholders' equity of $12.1 billion [9]. Future Expectations - Management anticipates continued pressure in the fourth quarter due to the absence of major storm activity and ongoing consumer uncertainty, leading to a revised sales growth expectation of 3% year-over-year [10][11]. - The company expects a decline in EPS of 6% year-over-year for fiscal 2025, with adjusted EPS estimated to fall by 5% [14]. Market Sentiment - Since the earnings release, there has been a downward trend in estimates, with the consensus estimate shifting down by 12.76% [15]. - Home Depot currently holds a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), indicating expectations of below-average returns in the coming months [17].

Core Insights - ABM Industries Incorporated reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.88, which was below the estimated $1.09, resulting in a negative surprise of 20% [2][6] - The company's revenue for the period was approximately $2.30 billion, exceeding the estimated $2.27 billion, and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 5.4% [3][6] Financial Performance - ABM's EPS decreased from $0.90 reported in the same quarter last year, indicating a trend of missing consensus EPS estimates, having exceeded them only once in the past four quarters [2] - The company has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 18.27, and a price-to-sales ratio of about 0.35, reflecting market valuation metrics [4] - ABM's enterprise value to sales ratio is around 0.35, and its enterprise value to operating cash flow ratio is approximately 13.06 [4] Financial Health - The company maintains a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.079, indicating conservative use of debt [5][6] - ABM's current ratio is approximately 1.48, suggesting a strong liquidity position to cover short-term liabilities [5][6] - The earnings yield is about 5.47%, making ABM an attractive option for investors seeking stable returns [5]

Core Insights - GitLab Inc. reported revenue of $244.35 million for the quarter ended October 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 24.6% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.41% [1] - The company's EPS for the same period was $0.25, compared to $0.23 a year ago, resulting in an EPS surprise of 25% over the consensus estimate of $0.20 [1] Revenue Breakdown - Revenue from License-self-managed and other was $21.09 million, below the average estimate of $23.78 million, with a year-over-year change of +1.5% [4] - Subscription revenue from self-managed and SaaS totaled $223.26 million, surpassing the estimated $214.84 million, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 27.4% [4] - Subscription-SaaS revenue was reported at $76.88 million, exceeding the estimate of $74.13 million [4] - License-self-managed revenue was $15.53 million, below the average estimate of $17.45 million [4] - Subscription-self-managed revenue reached $146.38 million, compared to the average estimate of $140.85 million [4] - Revenue from License-Professional services and other was $5.57 million, below the average estimate of $6.31 million [4] Stock Performance - GitLab's shares have returned -6.7% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.1% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating potential for outperformance in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Alphabet's stock has seen significant institutional interest, with various investors increasing their holdings in the second quarter of the year [1][7] - The company's recent earnings report showed strong performance, exceeding revenue expectations and reporting a higher EPS than analysts predicted [3] - Alphabet announced a quarterly dividend, reflecting its commitment to returning value to shareholders [4] Institutional Holdings - Gimbal Financial increased its holdings by 1.9%, now owning 2,776 shares valued at $489,000 after purchasing 53 additional shares [1] - Missouri Trust & Investment Co raised its position by 0.3%, owning 16,916 shares worth $2,981,000 after buying 55 shares [1] - Silver Coast Investments LLC lifted its stake by 1.3%, now holding 4,317 shares valued at $761,000 after an additional purchase of 55 shares [1] - AM Investment Strategies LLC increased its stake by 0.9%, owning 6,477 shares worth $1,141,000 after buying 57 shares [1] - Bfsg LLC boosted its holdings by 0.6%, now owning 10,428 shares valued at $1,838,000 after purchasing 59 shares [1] - Institutional investors currently own 40.03% of Alphabet's stock [1] Stock Performance - Alphabet's stock opened at $320.02, with a market cap of $3.86 trillion and a PE ratio of 31.56 [2] - The stock has a 1-year low of $140.53 and a high of $328.83, with a 50-day simple moving average of $269.25 and a 200-day average of $218.76 [2] Earnings Report - Alphabet reported an EPS of $2.87 for the quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.58 [3] - The company achieved a revenue of $102.35 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations of $99.90 billion [3] - The return on equity was reported at 36.08%, with a net margin of 32.23% [3] Dividend Announcement - Alphabet announced a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share, to be paid on December 15th [4] - The annualized dividend amounts to $0.84, resulting in a dividend yield of 0.3% [4] - The ex-dividend date is set for December 8th, with a payout ratio of 8.28% [4] Insider Transactions - Director John L. Hennessy sold 600 shares at an average price of $280.06, totaling $168,036, resulting in an 11.73% decrease in his position [5] - Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares at an average price of $291.80, totaling $32,681.60, leading to a 0.62% decrease in her ownership [5] - In the last three months, insiders sold 225,072 shares worth $58,074,027, with insiders owning 11.64% of the company's stock [5] Analyst Ratings - BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage with an "outperform" rating and a target price of $355.00 [8] - Deutsche Bank raised its price objective on Alphabet, reflecting positive sentiment among analysts [8] - The consensus rating for Alphabet is "Moderate Buy," with a target price of $307.84 [8]

Core Viewpoint - Universal Health Services (UHS) has shown strong performance in its recent earnings report, with significant growth in earnings and revenues, leading to an upward revision of its financial guidance for 2025 [3][11]. Financial Performance - UHS reported Q3 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $5.69, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 22.1% and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 53.4% [3]. - Net revenues reached $4.5 billion, marking a 13.4% year-over-year improvement and surpassing the consensus estimate by 4.2% [3]. - Adjusted EBITDA rose 27.4% year over year to $670.6 million, exceeding the estimate of $577.4 million [5]. Segment Performance - In Acute Care Hospital Services, adjusted admissions grew 2% on a same-facility basis, with net revenues improving 12.8% [6]. - Behavioral Health Care Services saw adjusted admissions increase by 0.5%, with net revenues rising 9.3% on a same-facility basis [7]. Operational Costs - Total operating costs for the quarter were $4 billion, an 11% increase year over year, driven by higher salaries, wages, and benefits [5]. Financial Position - As of September 30, 2025, UHS had cash and cash equivalents of $112.9 million, down 10.4% from the end of 2024 [8]. - Long-term debt decreased by 11.5% year over year to $4 billion, while total equity increased by 7.1% to $7.2 billion [9]. Share Repurchase Program - UHS repurchased shares worth approximately $234.3 million in Q3 and approved a $1.5 billion increase to its stock repurchase program, bringing the total remaining authorization to $1.8 billion [10]. Revised Guidance - The company revised its 2025 net revenue guidance to a range of $17.306-$17.445 billion, indicating a projected growth of 9.8% from 2024 [11]. - EPS is now expected to be between $21.50 and $22.10, reflecting a 31.2% growth from the previous year [12]. Market Outlook - Estimates for UHS have been trending upward, and the stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting an expectation of above-average returns in the coming months [15].

Core Insights - Burlington Stores reported revenue of $2.71 billion for the quarter ended October 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 7.1% and an EPS of $1.80 compared to $1.55 a year ago [1] - The reported revenue matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in a surprise of -0.02%, while the EPS exceeded expectations by 13.21% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - The company had 1,211 stores at the end of the period, surpassing the four-analyst average estimate of 1,199 [4] - Comparable store sales increased by 1%, which was below the average estimate of 2.4% from four analysts [4] - Net sales of $2.71 billion were above the four-analyst average estimate of $2.69 billion, reflecting a year-over-year change of +7.1% [4] - Other revenue was reported at $4.44 million, slightly below the three-analyst average estimate of $4.7 million, indicating a year-over-year decline of -1.9% [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Burlington Stores have returned +4.9% over the past month, contrasting with a -1.2% change in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Symbotic Inc. reported revenue of $618.46 million for the quarter ended September 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 7.2% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $600.16 million by 3.05% [1] - The company achieved an EPS of $0.53, a significant increase from $0.05 a year ago, resulting in an EPS surprise of 657.14% compared to the consensus estimate of $0.07 [1] Revenue Breakdown - Software maintenance and support revenue was reported at $9.27 million, below the estimated $10.22 million [4] - Systems revenue reached $582.33 million, surpassing the estimated $562.73 million [4] - Operation services revenue was $26.86 million, which fell short of the estimated $31.56 million [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of Symbotic Inc. have declined by 17.6%, contrasting with a 1.8% decrease in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Walmart Inc. reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results, leading to a more than 5% increase in its share price intra-day [1] - The company is experiencing less tariff-related pressure than initially anticipated earlier in the year [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share were $0.62, exceeding analyst expectations of $0.60 [2] - Revenue reached $179.5 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $177.45 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 5.8% or 6.0% in constant currency [2] - Global eCommerce sales increased by 27%, highlighting one of the company's fastest-growing segments [2] Sales and Revenue Growth - Comparable sales in Walmart U.S. rose by 4.5%, showing broad-based strength across various categories [3] - Global advertising revenues surged by 53%, with contributions from VIZIO, while Walmart Connect in the U.S. grew by 33% [3] - Membership income saw a significant increase of 16.7% [3] Future Outlook - Walmart raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, projecting net sales growth of 4.8% to 5.1% and adjusted operating income growth of 4.8% to 5.5%, both on a constant-currency basis [4] - Adjusted EPS is now expected to be between $2.58 and $2.63, compared to the previous guidance of $2.52 to $2.62 [4]

Core Insights - Garmin Ltd. is a leading global provider of navigation, communication, and wearable technology with a market cap of $36.5 billion [1] - The company has experienced stock underperformance, with a 9.8% decline over the past 52 weeks compared to a 12.4% increase in the S&P 500 Index [2] - Garmin reported better-than-expected Q3 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.99, but shares fell 11.5% due to missing revenue expectations of $1.77 billion [4] Financial Performance - For the fiscal year ending in December 2025, analysts expect Garmin's adjusted EPS to grow nearly 11% year-over-year to $8.20 [5] - The company has a mixed earnings surprise history, beating consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters [5] - Operating expenses increased by 15% to $590 million, influenced by higher personnel and R&D/SG&A costs [4] Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Barclays raised its price target on Garmin to $208 from $167 while maintaining an "Underweight" rating [6] - The mean price target of $228.60 indicates a 21.3% premium to Garmin's current price levels, with a Street-high price target of $305 suggesting a 61.8% potential upside [6]