Core Viewpoint - News Corporation (NWS) is set to announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2026, with analysts projecting a decline in profit per share compared to the previous year [1][2]. Financial Performance - Analysts expect NWS to report a profit of $0.16 per share on a diluted basis, which represents a 23.8% decrease from $0.21 per share in the same quarter last year [2]. - For the full fiscal year, the expected EPS is $0.79, down 11.2% from $0.89 in fiscal 2025, but is projected to rise to $0.95 in fiscal 2027, reflecting a 20.3% increase from the year-ago quarter [3]. Stock Performance - NWS stock has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, which gained 16.2% over the past 52 weeks, with NWS shares only increasing by 9% during the same period [4]. - The stock also lagged behind the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF, which saw a 27.6% increase [4]. Analyst Ratings - The consensus opinion on NWS stock is bullish, with a "Strong Buy" rating from three out of four analysts, while one analyst recommends a "Hold" [6]. - The average analyst price target for NWS is $39.33, indicating a potential upside of 30.5% from current levels [6].

Core Insights - Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) reported solid operational and financial performance for Q3 2025, with an EPS of $2.81, a 6% year-over-year increase excluding divestiture gains, and a record operating margin of 27.4% [2][4][8] - The company achieved a revenue of $4.1 billion, reflecting a 2% increase, driven by a 1% organic revenue growth and a 2% positive impact from foreign currency translation [3][8] - ITW is narrowing its full-year 2025 GAAP EPS guidance to a range of $10.40 to $10.50, projecting overall revenue growth of 1% to 3% [5][8] Financial Performance - Q3 2025 revenue reached $4.1 billion, up 2% from the previous year, with organic growth contributing 1% [3][8] - Operating income increased to $1.1 billion, a 6% rise, with an operating margin improvement of 90 basis points to 27.4% [4][8] - Free cash flow rose by 15% to $904 million, with a conversion rate of 110% to net income [4][8] Strategic Initiatives - The company emphasized its focus on Customer-Back Innovation, which is driving consistent above-market organic growth [3][5] - ITW plans to repurchase approximately $1.5 billion of its own shares and has raised its dividend by 7%, marking the 62nd consecutive year of dividend increases [4][5] Segment Performance - The Automotive OEM segment generated $830 million in revenue with an operating margin of 21.8% [17] - The Food Equipment segment reported $694 million in revenue and a 29.2% operating margin [17] - The Welding segment achieved a revenue of $477 million with a robust operating margin of 32.6% [17] Guidance and Outlook - The company anticipates overall revenue growth of 1% to 3% for 2025, with organic growth expected to be flat to 2% [5][8] - Operating margin is projected to be between 26% and 27%, with a contribution of 125 basis points or more from enterprise initiatives [5][8]

Core Insights - Alaska Air Group (ALK) reported a revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter ended September 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 22.6% [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $1.05, down from $2.25 in the same quarter last year, indicating a decline [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.32%, while the EPS fell short by 5.41% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Passenger Load Factor was 84.8%, slightly below the average estimate of 85% [4] - Economic fuel cost per gallon was $2.51, slightly better than the average estimate of $2.53 [4] - Available seat miles (ASM) totaled 24.45 billion, compared to the average estimate of 24.7 billion [4] - Total revenue per ASM (RASM) was 15.41 cents, below the average estimate of 15.85 cents [4] - Revenue passenger miles (RPM) reached 20.74 billion, lower than the average estimate of 21.04 billion [4] - Passenger Yield was 16.51 cents, compared to the estimated 17.04 cents [4] - Operating expenses per ASM, excluding fuel and special items, were 11.23 cents, better than the average estimate of 11.51 cents [4] - Total Passenger Revenue was $3.42 billion, below the average estimate of $3.53 billion [4] - Revenue from the loyalty program was $200 million, compared to the estimated $213 million, representing a 17% increase year-over-year [4] - Revenue from cargo and other sources was $142 million, slightly below the average estimate of $145.61 million, but showing a significant year-over-year increase of 77.5% [4] - Operating Revenues from Passenger - Hawaiian were $768 million, exceeding the average estimate of $699.93 million [4] Stock Performance - Alaska Air's shares have returned -9.9% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.2% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell), indicating potential underperformance in the near term [3]

Core Insights - First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) reported a revenue of $235.26 million for the quarter ended September 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 16.1% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $229.75 million by 2.4% [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) for the same period was $0.76, compared to $0.67 a year ago, resulting in an EPS surprise of 1.33% against the consensus estimate of $0.75 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Net Interest Margin was reported at 4%, aligning with the average estimate of three analysts [4] - Efficiency Ratio stood at 57.4%, slightly better than the estimated 58.1% by three analysts [4] - Total Noninterest Income reached $73.53 million, surpassing the average estimate of $67.9 million from three analysts [4] - Net interest income (tax equivalent) was $161.73 million, close to the estimated $162 million by two analysts [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of First Financial have returned -6.2%, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.2% change [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]

The troubled chipmaker posted third-quarter profit of $4.1 billion on improved sales. ...

Core Viewpoint - IBM reported better-than-expected earnings for the September quarter, but its stock price fell due to high market expectations and concerns over decelerating growth in its software segment [2][3][4]. Financial Performance - Earnings per share for the September quarter were $2.65, exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.45 [3]. - Revenue for the quarter was $16.3 billion, surpassing analysts' expectations of $16.1 billion [3]. - IBM forecasts more than 5% revenue growth in constant currency for the full year and anticipates generating about $14 billion in free cash flow [4]. Segment Performance - Software revenue grew by 10% to $7.2 billion, while consulting revenue increased by 3% to $5.3 billion [4]. - Growth at Red Hat was reported at 12%, which was below expectations for mid-teens growth, indicating a potential slowdown in consumption [4]. Stock Market Reaction - IBM's stock fell 7.8% in premarket trading and decreased by 1.2% to $284.19 during regular trading [4]. - The stock has rallied 31% year-to-date, outperforming the Nasdaq Composite index, which rose by 18% [5].

Core Insights - SouthState Corporation (SSB) reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $2.58, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.20, and reflecting a 35.8% increase year-over-year [1][8] - The results were driven by a rise in net interest income (NII) and non-interest income, along with the successful integration of Independent Bank, acquired in January 2025 [1][10] - However, higher expenses and provisions posed challenges to overall performance [1][10] Revenues & Expenses - Total revenues for the quarter reached $698.8 million, marking a 63.9% year-over-year increase and surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.7% [3][8] - NII was reported at $599.7 million, up 70.6% from the previous year, with the net interest margin increasing to 4.06% from 3.40% [3][4] - Non-interest income amounted to $99.1 million, reflecting a 32.2% increase year-over-year [3] - Non-interest expenses rose significantly by 50.8% to $372.3 million, primarily due to merger and restructuring costs related to the Independent Bank acquisition [4][8] - The efficiency ratio improved to 49.88% from 56.58% in the prior-year quarter, indicating enhanced profitability [4] Loans & Deposits - As of September 30, 2025, net loans stood at $47.1 billion, showing a nearly 1% increase from the prior quarter [5] - Total deposits were $54.1 billion, with a slight sequential rise [5] Asset Quality - Provision for credit losses was $5.1 million, compared to provision benefits of $6.9 million in the prior-year quarter [6] - The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of loans decreased to 1.24%, down 15 basis points year-over-year [6] - The ratio of annualized net charge-offs to total average loans increased to 0.27%, up from 0.07% in the prior-year quarter [6] - Non-performing loans to total loans rose to 0.63%, an increase of seven basis points from the prior-year quarter [6] Capital Ratios & Profitability Ratios - As of September 30, 2025, the Tier I leverage ratio was 9.4%, down from 10% in the prior-year quarter [9] - The Tier 1 common equity ratio decreased to 11.5% from 12.4% in the prior-year quarter [9] - The annualized return on average assets was 1.49%, up from 1.25% in the year-ago period [9] - Return on average common equity improved to 11.04% compared to 9.91% in the prior-year quarter [9] Overall Assessment - SSB concluded the third quarter positively, with both top and bottom lines showing year-over-year growth [10] - The increase in NII and non-interest income is expected to support future financial performance [10] - The growth in loan and deposit balances is viewed as encouraging [10] - The acquisition of Independent Bank enhances SSB's presence in rapidly growing U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas [10] - However, elevated expenses from expansion efforts may impact profitability in the near term [10]

Core Insights - SEI Investments Co. reported third-quarter 2025 earnings per share (EPS) of $1.30, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.25, and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 9.2% [1][9] - The company's net income attributable to SEI Investments was $164.2 million, a 6% increase from the previous year, surpassing the estimate of $148.2 million [2] - Total revenues reached $578.5 million, up 7.7% year over year, driven by higher asset management and administration fees, although it fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $579.5 million [3][9] - Total expenses increased to $418.6 million, a rise of 6.3% year over year, influenced by nearly all cost components except for facilities and depreciation [4] - As of September 30, 2025, assets under management (AUM) were $541.5 billion, reflecting a 9.8% increase from the prior year, while client assets under administration (AUA) reached $1.21 trillion, up 16% year over year [5] - SEI Investments repurchased 1.6 million shares for $141.6 million at an average price of $90.02 per share during the reported quarter [6] - The company's global presence, diverse product offerings, and strong AUM are expected to support revenue growth, despite concerns over elevated operating expenses [7] Comparative Performance - BlackRock reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $11.55 per share, surpassing estimates and reflecting a slight year-over-year increase, with AUM reaching a record high of $13.46 trillion [8]

Core Insights - Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) reported third-quarter 2025 earnings of $3.08 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.99, marking a 12% year-over-year improvement due to strong operational efficiency [1][9] - Operating revenues reached $6.2 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.2% and reflecting a 2.5% year-over-year increase driven by solid core pricing gains [1][9] Financial Performance - Freight revenues, which constitute 95% of total revenues, increased by 3% to $5.93 billion, exceeding the estimate of $5.87 billion [2] - Total operating expenses rose by 1% year over year to $3.7 billion, with fuel expenses up by 1% and purchased services and materials expenses increasing by 6% [3] - Operating income improved by 6% year over year to $2.55 billion, while the operating ratio improved by 180 basis points to 58.5% [3][9] Segment Performance - Bulk freight revenues increased by 7% year over year to $1.93 billion, outperforming the projected increase of 3.8% [4] - Industrial freight revenues rose by 3% to $2.19 billion, slightly below the expected increase of 4.1% [5] - Premium freight revenues decreased by 2% to $1.8 billion, aligning with the anticipated decline of 3% [5] Liquidity and Debt - Union Pacific ended the third quarter of 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $808 million, down from $1 billion at the end of 2024 [6] - Debt increased to $30.29 billion from $29.77 billion at the end of 2024 [6]

Core Insights - FirstEnergy Corp. reported third-quarter 2025 operating earnings of 83 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 76 cents by 9.2% [1] - The year-over-year increase in core earnings was attributed to new base rates in Pennsylvania and growth in transmission rate base, partially offset by higher planned operating expenses [2] Financial Performance - Total operating revenues reached $4.14 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.91 billion by 5.8%, and increased 11.2% from $3.72 billion in the previous year [3] - Operating expenses totaled $3.3 billion, up 10.5% from $3 billion in the prior year, while operating income rose to $830 million, a 14.2% increase from $727 million [5] - Interest expense was reported at $312 million, reflecting a 13% increase from $276 million in the previous year [5] Segment Performance - Distribution segment revenues totaled $2.02 billion, up 11.2% year-over-year [4] - Integrated segment revenues amounted to $1.65 billion, a 13.8% increase from $1.45 billion in the prior year [4] - Stand-Alone Transmission segment revenues reached $488 million, up 2.7% from the previous year [4] Future Guidance - FirstEnergy narrowed its 2025 core earnings per share guidance to a range of $2.50-$2.56, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate at $2.53, aligning with the midpoint of the guidance [6] - The company anticipates a long-term EPS growth rate of 6-8% and has a capital investment plan of $28 billion for the 2025-2029 period [6] - Capital investment for 2025 was increased to $5.5 billion from $5 billion, with over half allocated to strengthening Transmission operations [7][9]