Core Insights - The U.S. holiday season is expected to see robust consumer spending, particularly from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, despite ongoing inflationary pressures [1][7] Retail Industry Overview - U.S. holiday season sales are projected to reach $253.4 billion, reflecting a 5.3% year-over-year increase [4] - The Cyber week, which includes Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, is anticipated to generate $43.7 billion, accounting for 17.2% of total holiday sales, marking a 6.3% increase from the previous year [5] - Thanksgiving Day sales are expected to hit $6.4 billion, while Cyber Monday is projected to generate $14.2 billion, up 6.3% year-over-year [6] Online Sales Growth - Online sales are expected to grow significantly, with mobile and online platforms projected to account for 56.1% of overall holiday season sales [6] Selected Retail Stocks - **Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 29.7% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 [9] - **Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 24.6% for next year, currently holding a Zacks Rank 1 [11] - **Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (BOOT)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 20.5% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 [12] - **Tapestry (TPR)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 10.4% for the current year, currently holding a Zacks Rank 2 [14] Earnings Estimate Revisions - All selected stocks have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the past 60 days, indicating strong potential for solid returns [3][10]

The team at Morgan Stanley releasing their outlook for 2026, writing We raise our S&P 500 price target to 7800, driven by strong earnings growth. We believe that we're in the midst of a new bull market and earnings cycle, especially for many of the lagging areas. Michael Asset of Morgan Stanley joins me now.Wonderful to see you, Mike. Thanks, Alison. So let's start on the optimism you have and optimistic for quite a while talking about the rotation into the adopters, not just the tech behemoths.Why are you ...

Core Insights - The third quarter earnings season is showing positive results, with 92% of S&P 500 companies reporting, and an expected 13.1% increase in earnings per share [2][3] Group 1: Earnings Performance - The earnings growth for Q3 is projected to be 13.1%, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, which is an acceleration from the 12% growth rate in Q2 [2] - Initial expectations for Q3 earnings were lower, with analysts predicting only a 7.9% increase in earnings per share as of September 30 [3] Group 2: Key Companies to Watch - Major companies reporting this week include Nvidia and Walmart, alongside others like Palo Alto Networks, Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, TJX, and XPeng [4]

Core Viewpoint - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is considered a cheap stock with potential for sustained double-digit earnings growth, as indicated by Wells Fargo's Overweight rating and a price target of $30 [1][3]. Financial Performance - The company reported a record quarterly revenue of $2.94 billion in Q3 2025, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 4.69% [3]. - Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $1.20, exceeding guidance by $0.06 [3]. - Full-year adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $2.10, representing a 19% year-over-year increase [4]. Market Positioning - Norwegian Cruise Line is focusing on attracting more families, which has led to higher load factors but some dilution in blended pricing due to increased children in cabins [4]. - The company operates multiple brands, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, across various regions including North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific [5]. Analyst Sentiment - Following the Q3 earnings report, the company's share price declined, which Wells Fargo views as a favorable buying opportunity for investors [2].

Core Insights - Walmart Inc. raised its fiscal 2026 guidance after reporting strong third-quarter results, with both revenue and earnings exceeding expectations [1][10] - E-commerce continued to be a significant growth driver, contributing to market share gains and improved operational efficiencies [1][3] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) increased by 6.9% year over year to 62 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by one cent [2] - Total revenues rose by 5.8% year over year to $179.5 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $177.14 billion; on a constant-currency basis, revenues grew by 6% [2] - Global e-commerce sales surged by 27%, with all segments experiencing over 20% growth [3] Segment Analysis - **Walmart U.S.**: Net sales grew by 5.1% year over year to $120.7 billion, driven by e-commerce strength and market share growth; U.S. comp sales, excluding fuel, increased by 4.5% [5] - **Walmart International**: Net sales increased by 10.8% to $33.5 billion, with a constant-currency growth of 11.4%, supported by strong performances in China and Flipkart [6] - **Sam's Club U.S.**: Net sales rose by 4.4% to $21.1 billion, with comp sales excluding fuel growing by 3.8%; e-commerce sales increased by 22% [8][9] Operational Efficiency - Consolidated gross profit margin expanded by two basis points to 24.2%, primarily driven by Walmart U.S. [3] - Adjusted operating income reached $7.2 billion, reflecting an 8% increase on a constant-currency basis [4] Future Guidance - For fiscal 2026, Walmart expects consolidated net sales growth of 4.8-5.1% (at constant currency), up from previous guidance of 3.75-4.75% [13] - Adjusted EPS for fiscal 2026 is projected to be in the range of $2.58-$2.63, compared to prior guidance of $2.52-$2.62 [13] Shareholder Returns - Year to date, Walmart repurchased 75.3 million shares for $7 billion, with $5.1 billion remaining under its $20 billion authorization [12]

Core Insights - Companies with low payout ratios and the ability to increase dividends through earnings growth are identified as having sufficient net income to distribute more to shareholders [1] Group 1 - Companies should focus on maintaining low payout ratios to ensure financial flexibility [1] - The ability to raise dividends is a positive indicator of a company's financial health and growth potential [1] - Ample net income is crucial for companies aiming to enhance shareholder returns through increased dividends [1]

Core Insights - BrightView Holdings, Inc. reported a year-over-year increase in fourth quarter net income by 8.2% to $27.7 million, with a net income margin expansion of 40 basis points [1] - The company achieved a record fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $113.5 million, reflecting a 7.9% year-over-year increase [1]

Core Viewpoint - J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) has shown significant volatility in its stock performance, with recent strong earnings results leading to a notable surge in share price, despite a year-long underperformance compared to broader market indices [2][4]. Financial Performance - JBHT's market capitalization stands at $15.4 billion, and the company is recognized for its intermodal and logistics services [1]. - In the past 52 weeks, JBHT's shares have declined by 11.9%, while the S&P 500 Index has increased by 12.3% [2]. - Year-to-date, JBHT's stock is down 5.1%, contrasting with the S&P 500's 12.5% gain [2]. - The company reported Q3 earnings with an EPS of $1.76, an 18.1% year-over-year increase, surpassing consensus estimates of $1.47 [4]. - Revenue for Q3 was $3.1 billion, slightly down from the previous year but exceeding analyst expectations by nearly 1% [4]. Analyst Ratings and Expectations - For the current fiscal year, analysts project JBHT's EPS to grow by 7.9% year-over-year to $6 [5]. - The consensus rating among 25 analysts is a "Moderate Buy," with ratings including 11 "Strong Buy," 1 "Moderate Buy," 12 "Hold," and 1 "Moderate Sell" [5]. - The mean price target for JBHT is $162.96, with a Street-high target of $186, indicating potential upsides of 8% and 14.8% respectively from current levels [6].

Core Insights - Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) is a leading producer of construction aggregates, with a market capitalization of $37 billion, focusing on aggregates, asphalt mix, concrete, and cement [1] Performance Overview - VMC shares have underperformed the broader market, gaining only 1.1% over the past year compared to a 12.3% increase in the S&P 500 Index [2] - Year-to-date, VMC stock is up 9.6%, lagging behind the S&P 500's 12.5% rise [2] - Compared to the Invesco Building & Construction ETF, which gained 9.1% over the past year and 20% year-to-date, VMC's performance is notably weaker [3] Financial Results - In Q3, VMC reported revenues of $2.29 billion, a 14.4% increase year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA rising 26.5% to approximately $735 million [4] - Aggregates shipments increased by around 12% to 64.7 million tons, driven by strong demand from public infrastructure projects, alongside improved pricing and reduced unit cash costs [4] - The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, projecting adjusted EBITDA between $2.35 billion and $2.45 billion [4] Earnings Expectations - Analysts forecast VMC's EPS to grow by 11.8% to $8.42 on a diluted basis for the current fiscal year ending in December [5] - VMC has a mixed earnings surprise history, beating consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters [5] - Among 22 analysts covering VMC, the consensus rating is a "Strong Buy," with 15 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and six "Holds" [5] Analyst Insights - DA Davidson analyst Brent Thielman raised the price target for VMC to $330 from $315, maintaining a "Buy" rating after the Q3 earnings beat [7] - Thielman noted that while the surge in Q3 volumes may not be sustainable due to current market conditions, earnings growth into FY26 is still seen as achievable, supported by disciplined cost management and incremental pricing for aggregates [7]

Core Insights - Expand Energy (EXE), formed by the merger of Chesapeake Energy and Southwestern Energy in 2024, has demonstrated significant growth with triple-digit earnings and sales increases over three consecutive quarters [1] - The company has been recognized on the Investor's Business Daily Breakout Stocks Index, indicating its shares are nearing a buy range [1] Group 1 - Expand Energy has shown a rising Relative Strength Rating, reflecting improved technical performance, although it remains below a key threshold [1][3] - The stock market has experienced volatility, impacting overall market sentiment, particularly affecting major players like Nvidia and Tesla [3] Group 2 - Analysts have identified that there are eight stocks currently growing faster than Nvidia and Palantir, suggesting a competitive landscape for growth opportunities [3] - Expand Energy is approaching a key technical measure, which could signal further investment potential [3]