Riddy / iStock via Getty Images After a career spanning two decades at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley, I gained an institutional perspective on dividend stock investing. My tenure at these premier Wall Street firms exposed me to fundamental analysis, credit evaluation, and risk management practices, which directly translate into selecting quality dividend-paying companies. Having witnessed firsthand the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath—including the collapse of Bear Stearns and Le ...

分组1 - Nvidia is set to open with a $5 trillion market cap, marking the first company to reach this milestone, following a record high stock close after announcing new technologies and partnerships at its GTC event [1][6][36] - CEO Jensen Wang indicated that data center revenue for Nvidia could exceed Wall Street's expectations, with projections suggesting over $500 billion in revenue from new chips [2][8][9] - Nvidia has formed partnerships with companies like Uber and Lucid, and is exploring autonomous flight with Joby, contributing to positive market sentiment [10][11] 分组2 - The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point, with a focus on the implications of this decision during the press conference [3][25][30] - Boeing reported a revenue increase of 30% year-over-year but faced a core loss per share due to a $4.9 billion charge related to delays in the 737X jet certification [17][18] - Caterpillar exceeded earnings estimates driven by rising demand for energy equipment, particularly in AI data centers [34] 分组3 - Major tech companies including Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft are set to report earnings, with high expectations surrounding their performance [13][14] - Fiserv's shares dropped nearly 40% after cutting its full-year profit forecast, following a 3% revenue decline in its financial solutions segment [35]

Nvidia - Nvidia has reached a market cap of five trillion, driven by optimism from its developers conference [1] Boeing - Boeing's latest quarter showed a mixed performance, with a reported EPS loss of $747, missing expectations of a $2.38 loss [2][3] - Revenue increased by over 30% to $23.3 billion compared to $17.8 billion in the same quarter last year, with commercial aviation up 49% [3][4] - The backlog remains strong at $636 billion with over 5,900 units, despite a $4.9 billion pre-tax charge due to production delays [4][5] - Boeing shares are down about 2% following the earnings report, but the stock is up over 40% year-over-year [5] Caterpillar - Caterpillar reported an adjusted EPS of $4.95, down 4% year-over-year but beating estimates of $4.50 [6][7] - Sales increased by 10% to $17.6 billion compared to $16.77 billion, with construction and industrial segments up 7% and energy and transport up 17% [7][8] - The backlog increased by 11.2%, and the company announced an increase in dividends and share buybacks [8][9] Verizon - Verizon's EPS came in at $1.21, slightly beating estimates of $1.19, and significantly higher than $0.78 from the same quarter last year [11] - Total sales decreased by 33.82 billion, missing expectations by about $500 million, but were still up 1.5% year-over-year [11][12] - The consumer unit lost about 7,000 subscribers, while the broadband division gained over 36,000 new subscribers, and the business services division added 110,000 subscribers [12][13] - Verizon provided guidance for a recovery in the consumer wireless division, expecting growth of 2% to 2.5% for the remainder of the fiscal year [14]

Core Insights - Investors favor businesses with consistent profitability, measured effectively by net profit margin, which indicates a company's efficiency in converting sales into profits [1][2] - Companies like Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO), Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP), Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY), and Century Aluminum Company (CENX) demonstrate strong net profit margins, making them attractive to investors [1][8] Financial Metrics - Net profit margin is calculated as Net Profit/Sales * 100, representing the profit retained after all expenses [2] - A higher net profit margin not only attracts investors but also skilled employees, enhancing overall business value [3] Investment Considerations - A strong net profit margin provides clarity on a company's pricing policy, cost structure, and manufacturing efficiency, making it a preferred metric among investors [4] - However, net profit margin varies significantly across industries, and its relevance can diminish for technology companies [4][5] Screening Criteria - The screening parameters for selecting stocks include a net margin of at least 0%, positive percentage change in EPS, and a broker rating of 1, indicating strong bullishness [7] - Stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 are expected to outperform their peers in various market conditions [8] Company Profiles - **Mission Produce, Inc. (AVO)**: Engages in sourcing, producing, and marketing avocados, with a Zacks Rank of 1 and a VGM Score of A. The fiscal 2025 earnings estimate was revised upward by 13.6% to $0.67 per share [9][10] - **Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP)**: A leading manufacturer of automotive replacement parts, currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 with a VGM Score of A. The earnings estimate for 2025 remains at $3.76 per share [11][12] - **Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY)**: Operates in the telecom industry, providing various services. It has a Zacks Rank of 2 and a VGM Score of A, with a revised earnings estimate of $10.01 per share for fiscal 2026 [13][14] - **Century Aluminum Company (CENX)**: Engaged in aluminum production, currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 and a VGM Score of A. The earnings estimate for 2025 increased by 11.7% to $2.30 per share [14][15]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The third quarter consolidated revenue was $33.8 billion, up 1.5% from the prior year period [10] - Adjusted EBITDA was $12.8 billion, up 2.3% year over year, with year-to-date adjusted EBITDA growth of 3.5% at the top end of the guided range [12][13] - Adjusted EPS was $1.21 in the quarter, up 1.7% year over year [13] - Free cash flow for the third quarter was $7 billion, representing a nearly 17% improvement year over year [14] - Net unsecured debt at the end of the quarter was $112 billion, a $9.4 billion improvement year over year [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Postpaid phone gross adds were up 8.4% from the prior year, but net losses were 7,000 due to a churn rate of 0.91% [7][8] - Consumer upgrades increased by 16% year over year, driven by the best value guarantee [8] - Core prepaid delivered 47,000 net adds, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of positive subscriber growth [8] - Verizon Business added 51,000 phone net adds, offsetting disconnect pressure in the public sector [9] - Broadband net adds were 306,000, with a total of over 13.2 million subscribers, and FiOS Internet delivered 61,000 net adds, the best quarterly result in two years [9][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Converged customers on fiber have a mobility churn rate nearly 40% lower than the overall mobility base [8] - The company is focused on expanding its fiber footprint and enhancing its broadband offerings through partnerships [10][92] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to shift from a technology-centric to a customer-centric approach, focusing on delighting customers and improving retention [19][32] - A fundamental change in strategic approach is planned, emphasizing financial discipline and sustainable growth [6][26] - The acquisition of Frontier is expected to create significant cross-sell opportunities and enhance the company's fiber capabilities [23][24] - The company plans to leverage AI to improve customer experience and operational efficiency [22][86] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The management acknowledges that Verizon has not captured customer growth opportunities despite its strong network foundation [5][17] - There is a commitment to transforming the culture and financial profile of the company, focusing on customer satisfaction and shareholder returns [19][26] - The company expects to close the Frontier deal in the first quarter of 2026 and is making progress with regulatory approvals [15][16] Other Important Information - The company raised its dividend for the 19th consecutive year, reflecting its commitment to shareholder returns [14] - The management is focused on reducing costs and improving operational efficiency across all business aspects [12][22] Q&A Session Questions and Answers Question: Can you expand on your vision for the company and how you expect to turn consumer volumes? - The vision includes shifting to a customer-centric approach, focusing on retention and creating the best value proposition [30][32] Question: How do you drive share for Verizon higher without going through a painful back book repricing exercise? - The strategy involves addressing customer pain points and creating targeted value propositions without relying solely on price increases [40][42] Question: Are there any parallels between Verizon and PayPal that inform your view of the opportunity for improvement? - Similarities exist in the need to focus on customer satisfaction and addressing pain points to drive growth [53][55] Question: What is the company's perspective on convergence and its fiber footprint? - Convergence is seen as a powerful opportunity for revenue synergies, and the company plans to invest in both fiber and fixed wireless [65][66] Question: How does the company plan to address cost opportunities? - The focus will be on identifying areas for cost reductions and reallocating those savings to enhance the value proposition [90][94]

Verizon share are higher pre-market after beating EPS but missing revenue estimates. ...

Financial Performance - Total revenue reached $33.8 billion, showing a 1.5% year-over-year increase[18] - Adjusted EBITDA was $12.8 billion, up 2.3% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 37.8%[18] - Adjusted EPS increased by 1.7% year-over-year to $1.21[18] - Free cash flow increased from $14.5 billion to $15.8 billion year-over-year[22] Subscriber Growth - Wireless retail postpaid phone gross adds totaled 2.8 million, a 5.4% year-over-year increase[8] - Consumer wireless retail postpaid phone gross adds were 2.0 million, up 8.4% year-over-year[8] - Wireless postpaid upgrades increased by 12.1% year-over-year to 4.2 million[8] - Fios internet net adds reached 61,000[8] Debt and Cash Flow - Total debt decreased from $150.6 billion to $146.8 billion[22] - Unsecured debt decreased from $126.4 billion to $119.7 billion[22] - Cash and cash equivalents increased from $5.0 billion to $7.7 billion[22] - Net unsecured debt to adjusted EBITDA improved from 2.5x to 2.2x[22]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon faces significant challenges with a loss of wireless phone users in Q3, marking the first major test for new CEO Dan Schulman [1][2] Group 1: User Metrics and Competition - Verizon lost 7,000 consumer mobile users in Q3, a stark contrast to a gain of 18,000 users in the same period last year [1] - Competitors AT&T and T-Mobile reported strong user growth, with AT&T adding 405,000 users and T-Mobile adding 1 million users in Q3 [1] - The intense competition among the three major U.S. telecom operators has led to high-cost promotional activities to attract new users [1] Group 2: Strategic Changes and Leadership - Dan Schulman, previously CEO of PayPal, has taken over leadership amid declining user numbers and stock performance [1][2] - Schulman plans to implement bold and financially sound actions to redefine Verizon's growth trajectory, focusing on transforming corporate culture, cost structure, and financial health [2] - Verizon announced a partnership with Eaton Fiber LLC to expand broadband services beyond its Fios network and is pursuing the acquisition of Frontier Communications' fiber network [2] Group 3: Financial Performance - Verizon reported Q3 revenue of $33.8 billion, a 1.5% year-over-year increase, with wireless service revenue of $21 billion meeting analyst expectations [4] - The company added 44,000 postpaid wireless users in Q3, exceeding market expectations of 19,000 users, aided by promotional activities linked to the new iPhone series [4] - Verizon reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting adjusted EBITDA growth of 2.5% to 3.5% and free cash flow between $19.5 billion and $20.5 billion [4]

Financial Performance - Verizon Communications reported a profit of $5.06 billion, or $1.17 per share, for the third quarter, compared to $3.41 billion, or 78 cents per share, a year earlier [3] - Revenue increased by 1.5% to $33.82 billion, although it fell short of Wall Street's expectation of $34.26 billion [5] - Adjusted per-share earnings were $1.21, slightly above the analysts' forecast of $1.19 [4] Customer Metrics - The consumer segment saw a revenue increase of 2.9%, but the company experienced a loss of 7,000 wireless retail postpaid phone customers [1] - Business revenue declined by 2.8%, despite gaining 51,000 postpaid phone net additions [2] - Wireless service revenue, the largest business segment, rose 2.1% year-over-year to $21 billion [2] Broadband and Fixed-Wireless Access - Verizon added 306,000 broadband connections, bringing the total to over 13.2 million connections [2] - The company also added 261,000 new fixed-wireless access connections [2] Future Outlook - Verizon remains confident in its full-year guidance, expecting total wireless-service revenue growth of 2% to 2.8% and adjusted per-share earnings to rise by 1% to 3% [5] - The company appointed Daniel Schulman as the new CEO earlier this month, as it faces intense competition in the telecommunications industry [6]

Group 1 - Visa shares experienced modest gains following fourth quarter results that exceeded expectations on both revenue and earnings [2] - The company reported strong consumer spending across both luxury and necessity items, indicating resilience in the market [2] - Upcoming earnings reports from Boeing and Verizon are anticipated, alongside major tech companies [2] Group 2 - Investors are particularly focused on Boeing for updates regarding jet deliveries and potential reductions in cash flow burn [3] - Boeing CEO Kelly Orper is scheduled for an exclusive interview on Squawk on the Street, which may provide further insights into the company's performance [3]