Core Insights - The individual has a decade of experience in a Big 4 audit firm, focusing on banking, mining, and energy sectors, which provides a strong foundation in finance and strategy [1] - Currently serves as the Head of Finance for a leading retail real estate owner and operator, overseeing complex financial operations and strategy [1] - Active investor in the U.S. stock market for 13 years, with a portfolio that reflects a balanced approach, emphasizing value stocks while maintaining exposure to growth opportunities [1] - Investment philosophy is based on thorough research and a long-term perspective, aiding in navigating various market cycles successfully [1] - Aims to uncover promising under-the-radar stocks that may not be widely recognized in the market [1] - Background in auditing and finance, combined with hands-on investing experience, allows for unique insights and actionable ideas for investors [1]

Core Insights - The U.S. stock market's AI-driven bull run from 2023 to 2025 has continued into 2026, benefiting various sectors, particularly old-economy stocks in industrials, finance, auto, materials, and construction [1] Group 1: Investment Opportunities - Investing in old-economy stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank is expected to yield profits in 2026, providing opportunities for portfolio diversification [2] - Five old-economy stocks with strong earnings results and favorable Zacks Rank include Parker-Hannifin Corp. (PH), The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), GE Aerospace (GE), C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW), and Carpenter Technology Corp. (CRS) [3] Group 2: Parker-Hannifin Corp. (PH) - Parker-Hannifin reported adjusted earnings of $7.65 per share for Q2 fiscal 2026, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.15, with total sales of $5.17 billion surpassing the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion [6] - The company benefits from steady demand in commercial and military markets, with a Win strategy driving margins and shareholder value [7][8] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for PH are 6.8% and 12.9%, respectively, for the current year, with a current dividend yield of 0.74% [11] Group 3: The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) - Goldman Sachs reported Q4 2025 earnings per share of $14.01, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.77, while net revenues were $13.45 billion, slightly below the estimate of $13.61 billion [12] - The firm is focusing on its core strengths in investment banking and trading, with expansion in the private equity credit market expected to diversify revenue [14] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for GS are 8.6% and 10.3%, respectively, for the current year, with a current dividend yield of 1.70% [16] Group 4: GE Aerospace - GE Aerospace's Q4 adjusted earnings were $1.57 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.44, with adjusted revenues of $11.87 billion exceeding the estimate of $11.26 billion [17] - The company is experiencing strong demand for commercial engines and propulsion technologies, supported by rising defense budgets and robust air travel demand [18] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for GE are 13.8% and 17%, respectively, for the current year, with a current dividend yield of 0.45% [19] Group 5: C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW) - C.H. Robinson reported Q4 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.23 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12, while total revenues of $3.91 billion narrowly missed the estimate of $3.95 billion [20] - The company is focused on shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases, with AI integration enhancing operational efficiency [22] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for CHRW are 3.9% and 15.9%, respectively, for the current year, with a current dividend yield of 1.26% [23] Group 6: Carpenter Technology Corp. (CRS) - Carpenter Technology reported adjusted earnings of $2.33 per share for Q2 fiscal 2026, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.20, with net revenues of $728 million slightly below the estimate of $729 million [24] - The company is experiencing strong booking growth and robust demand in Aerospace and Defense, with a positive outlook supported by strategic acquisitions [26] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for CRS are 6.6% and 36.5%, respectively, for the current year, with a current dividend yield of 0.22% [27]

Economic Indicators - The U.S. non-farm payroll employment increased by 130,000 jobs in January, significantly higher than the expected increase of 70,000 jobs, following a downwardly revised increase of 48,000 jobs in December [2][23] - The unemployment rate decreased to 4.3 percent in January from 4.4 percent in December, contrary to expectations that it would remain unchanged [2][24] Market Reactions - Major U.S. index futures are indicating a higher open, driven by the positive employment report, which may lead to upward movement in stocks after a mixed performance in the previous session [1][3] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 52.27 points (0.1 percent) to 50,188.13, while the S&P 500 fell by 23.01 points (0.3 percent) to 6,941.81, and the Nasdaq dropped by 136.20 points (0.6 percent) to 23,102.47 [4] Retail Sales - U.S. retail sales were flat in December, unchanged from the previous month, despite expectations for a 0.4 percent increase, indicating a pause in consumer spending after strong sales in October and November [5][6] - Excluding motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales remained virtually unchanged in December, with a slight increase of 0.4 percent in November [6] Sector Performance - Housing stocks experienced a significant increase, with the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index rising by 3.4 percent, attributed to a decrease in treasury yields [8] - Utilities and commercial real estate stocks also performed well, with the Dow Jones Utility Average increasing by 1.9 percent and the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index climbing by 1.3 percent [8] - Conversely, brokerage stocks fell sharply, with the NYSE Arca Broker/Dealer Index declining by 2.5 percent [9] Commodity and Currency Markets - Crude oil futures rose by $1.52 to $65.48 per barrel, while gold prices increased by $42.60 to $5,073.60 per ounce [11] - The U.S. dollar traded at 153.59 yen, down from 154.38 yen, and at $1.1865 against the euro, compared to $1.1894 previously [11]

Core Viewpoint - Regions Financial Corporation is scheduled to participate in the RBC Capital Markets Global Financial Institutions Conference on March 11, 2026, with a live-streamed discussion available for investors [1]. Company Overview - Regions Financial Corporation has $160 billion in assets and is a member of the S&P 500 Index, providing a range of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services [1]. - The company operates approximately 1,250 banking offices and over 1,750 ATMs across the South, Midwest, and Texas [1]. Event Details - The discussion at the RBC Capital Markets Global Financial Institutions Conference will begin at approximately 1:20 p.m. ET and will be accessible via a live webcast on Regions' Investor Relations page [1]. - A replay of the discussion will be available on the Investor Relations page following the event [1].

Market Overview - US equity futures are flat, with S&P and Nasdaq 100 futures both up 0.1% as the market anticipates weaker payroll data following a Retail Sales miss and weaker high-frequency data [1] - International markets show mixed trends, with Japan closed, KOSPI up 1%, and HSI up 0.3%, while European markets are mostly flat to down [1] - Commodities are moving higher, led by silver, with crude oil prices quietly rising [1] Company Performance - In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks are mixed, with Nvidia up 0.6% and Tesla down 0.2% [3] - Astera Labs falls 11% after reporting disappointing fourth-quarter results and announcing the retirement of its CFO [3] - Beta Technologies climbs 18% after Amazon disclosed a stake in the electric aircraft manufacturer [3] - Centrus Energy falls 8% as its fourth-quarter earnings per share missed analyst estimates due to higher-than-expected capex spending [3] - Cloudflare gains 14% after beating fourth-quarter expectations and providing a bullish revenue forecast [3] - Humana falls 6% after forecasting full-year profit below Wall Street expectations, raising concerns about the US health-insurance industry [3] - Kraft Heinz drops 6% after pausing its planned separation as the new CEO seeks to improve results [3] - Lyft falls 17% after issuing a disappointing forecast that missed Wall Street expectations [3] - Mattel slumps 26% after its 2026 adjusted earnings-per-share forecast missed analyst estimates, leading to a downgrade at JPMorgan [3] - Moderna falls 10% after US regulators refused to review its novel mRNA flu vaccine [3] - Rapid7 declines 22% after a disappointing outlook, with analysts citing weakness in annual recurring revenue [3] Earnings Reports - Out of 326 S&P 500 companies that have reported, 78% have beaten analyst forecasts, while 17% have missed [11] - T-Mobile, Shopify, and Kraft Heinz are among companies expected to report before the market opens [11] Economic Indicators - Analysts expect January's payrolls report to show 65,000 job additions, with a whisper number of 35,000, amid expectations of a significant downward revision of 750,000 to 900,000 jobs through March 2025 [4][25] - The unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 4.4% [25] - The market is currently pricing in two or three Fed rate cuts this year, with a growing probability of a cut by April [5][38]

Group 1 - The recent government shutdown delayed the release of key jobs data, which was originally scheduled for last Friday [1] - The Bureau of Labor Statistics had just resumed its regular data release schedule after a 43-day shutdown, which previously halted all federal data collection [2] - The lack of government data has led to increased attention on third-party reports, such as Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which reported that companies cut 108,000 jobs in January, the highest for any January since 2009 [3] Group 2 - U.S. employers added 50,000 jobs in December, which was below the revised figure of 56,000 jobs added in November and below the expected 73,000 jobs [3][4] - The unemployment rate decreased to 4.4% in December from a revised 4.5% in November, marking the first decline since June [4] - Federal Reserve officials are concerned about a potential surge in unemployment, noting that job openings in December were at their lowest since 2020 [5][6] Group 3 - Economists view job openings as a leading indicator of future job growth, which is crucial for the Federal Reserve's mandate to maintain high employment and control inflation [6] - The Federal Reserve has been divided on whether to cut interest rates to support the job market or maintain higher rates to combat inflation, with rates held flat at the January meeting [7] - Analysts from Bank of America Global Research referred to the upcoming jobs report as the "Super Bowl of jobs reports" due to the significant attention it is receiving [8] Group 4 - Forecasters predict that U.S. employers likely added 55,000 jobs in the last month, with job gains expected to be concentrated in health care, while the unemployment rate is forecast to remain at 4.4% [9] - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the Employment Situation Summary monthly, estimating job additions, average hours worked, and average hourly earnings [11] - The government's jobs report is considered the gold standard for measuring labor market health and the broader U.S. economy [12]

Core Insights - The SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM) has achieved a 32% gain over the past year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 16% return, driven by growth in emerging market economies, particularly in Asia and Latin America [2][7] Performance Overview - SPEM provides diversified access to emerging markets with an expense ratio of just 0.07%, tracking over 800 holdings across countries like China, India, and Brazil [3] - Notable individual stock performances include Nu Holdings, which rose 28% with 41% earnings growth, while PDD Holdings fell 8% due to a focus on market share over profitability [7] Currency Impact - Currency movements, particularly the strength of the U.S. dollar, significantly influence emerging market returns; a weaker dollar enhances the value of local currency-denominated assets [4] - Monitoring the DXY Dollar Index is crucial, as a sustained move below 100 could support emerging market strength, while a rise above 108 may create challenges [5] Volatility Factors - Individual stock performance within SPEM can vary widely; for instance, PDD Holdings' decline illustrates the trade-offs between growth and profitability that many emerging market companies face [6]

Group 1: Heineken - Heineken announced it will cut between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs over the next two years due to "challenging market conditions" as part of a turnaround strategy aimed at accelerating growth by 2030 [3] - The company reported a 1.2% decline in total production volumes for 2025, while operating profit increased by 4.4% compared to the previous year [3] - Heineken expects operating profit growth in the range of 2% to 6% for the current year [3] Group 2: Siemens Energy - Siemens Energy reported a nearly tripled net profit of 746 million euros ($889 million) for its fiscal first quarter, driven by robust demand from data center expansion [4] - The company's stock rose by 5.3% following the earnings update [4] Group 3: Commerzbank - Commerzbank achieved a record operating profit of 4.5 billion euros, supported by net commission income and strong performance from its Polish subsidiary mBank [5] - The bank's net profit reached 2.6 billion euros, surpassing its target of 2.5 billion euros [5] - Commerzbank anticipates that net profit in 2026 will likely exceed its original target of 3.2 billion euros [5] Group 4: Lufthansa - Lufthansa's shares fell by 3.5% amid news of impending staff strikes, with pilots' union VC calling for a 24-hour strike over a pensions dispute [6] Group 5: Market Overview - European equities opened mixed as investors assessed a wave of corporate earnings, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 marginally lower [1] - Global investors are closely monitoring U.S. nonfarm payrolls data for January, scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. ET [6]

Market Overview - Markets traded in a narrow range with both benchmark indices showing marginal losses, as investors remained cautious ahead of the January CPI data release. The Sensex was down 156.23 points or 0.19% at 84,117.69, while the Nifty 50 slipped 26 points or 0.10% to 25,909.15 [1] Stock Performance - Eicher Motors led the gainers on the Nifty 50, rising 5.98% to ₹7,732.50, followed by Apollo Hospitals, which gained 4.55% to ₹7,547.50. Max Healthcare added 2.56% to ₹1,047.65, while State Bank of India climbed 2.36% to ₹1,171.10. Titan Manufacturing and Processing advanced 1.49% to ₹385 [2] - On the losing side, Coal India declined 2.38% to ₹420.70, making it the top loser on the index. Tata Consultancy Services dropped 1.90% to ₹2,928, while ONGC fell 1.45% to ₹268.20. ITC shed 1.37% to ₹317, and HCL Technologies declined 1.34% to ₹1,552 [3] Market Breadth - Market breadth remained negative, with 2,259 stocks declining against 1,701 advances on the BSE, while 200 stocks remained unchanged. A total of 95 stocks hit 52-week highs, while 54 touched 52-week lows. The session saw 159 stocks in the upper circuit and 116 in the lower circuit [4] Sector Performance - Sectoral indices showed mixed performance, with Nifty Next 50 up 0.07% at 69,894.10 and Nifty Financial Services gaining 0.07% to 28,206. Bank Nifty was marginally lower by 0.01% at 60,639.60. Broader markets underperformed, with Nifty Midcap 100 down 0.27% at 60,574.25 and Nifty Smallcap 100 declining 0.21% to 17,413.80 [5] Institutional Activity - Foreign institutional investors remained net buyers for the third consecutive session, purchasing ₹69 crore on Tuesday, while domestic institutional investors bought around ₹1,174 crore. Analysts noted the Nifty continues to hold above key moving averages with support near 25,800 and resistance around 26,000 [6]

Stock Market LIVE Updates, Wednesday, February 11, 2026: Indian equity benchmark indices, Indian equity benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty , are likely to witness a positive opening on Wednesday amid mixed global cues.    As a part of the MSCI's February 2026 index review, Aditya Birla Capital and L&T Finance have been added to the MSCI Global Standard Index. IRCTC is the only Indian stock that has been excluded from the index. AU Small Finance Bank will see a weight increase in the index due to a float ad ...