Key Takeaways Low-beta stocks ETR, FTS, NWN and INGR are appealing amid inflation and rate-cut delays.ETR, FTS, NWN and INGR show positive earnings growth and recent estimate upgrades.Dividend yields for these stocks range from 2.4% to 4.8%, offering income with reduced volatility.Wall Street has been on a rally over the past month, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hitting multiple new record highs over the past two weeks. Investor confidence has been lifted by positive developments in trade negotiations and ...

Textron is important because there's 180 million shares. Scott Donley, who runs it, has done a terrific job. And basically, they're going to earn a little over $6 uh this year on a non-GAAP basis, a little less than that on a GAP basis.And the stock has Bell Helicopter. They got replacements for the Blackhawk, but they also have CESA. And there's a backlog for the longitude and the latitude.And uh both of those will give them a tailwind, so to speak. And at $85 with that kind of earnings, that is an extraor ...

In terms of the content deals and the and the sports deals, what what do you like about the the what you called so-called financial engineering of the spin-offs. You know, we were talking earlier about how Netflix is what more than half, right. Half a trillion dollar stock.You look at that and all these media companies are trying to catch up. Company A spins off a division. The ETFs that own company A don't can't own company B.So if you focus on it and you figure out what the intrinsic value is, what is it ...

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve is maintaining a cautious stance regarding interest rate cuts due to concerns over inflationary pressures from tariffs imposed by President Trump, leading to uncertainty in the market [1][5][6]. Federal Reserve Meeting Insights - The minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting indicate that most officials are not in a hurry to implement an immediate rate cut, suggesting a wait-and-see approach [2][5]. - A delay in rate cuts could lead to increased volatility in the stock market [2][7]. - Most participants believe that any inflationary impact from tariffs will be temporary or modest, and there is no urgency for rate cuts in the near term [6]. Investment Recommendations - Given the current uncertainty, it is advisable to invest in defensive stocks from the utility and consumer staples sectors, which are considered safe havens [3][11]. - Recommended stocks include: - **Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 6%, Zacks Rank 2, beta of 0.70, and a dividend yield of 2.27% [9]. - **Fortis, Inc. (FTS)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 3.8%, Zacks Rank 2, beta of 0.48, and a dividend yield of 3.81% [13]. - **Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 1.7%, Zacks Rank 2, beta of 0.37, and a dividend yield of 2.27% [15]. - **The Coca-Cola Company (KO)**: Expected earnings growth rate of 3.1%, Zacks Rank 2, beta of 0.45, and a dividend yield of 2.94% [17]. Stock Characteristics - The recommended stocks are characterized by low beta (greater than 0 but less than 1), high dividend yields, and favorable Zacks Ranks, making them attractive in the current market environment [4][11].

Core Insights - The second-quarter 2025 earnings season is expected to show resilience and an improving outlook for the banking sector and overall market [1] - Total S&P 500 earnings are projected to increase by 4.9% year-over-year, driven by a 3.9% rise in revenues [2] - Nine out of sixteen Zacks sectors are anticipated to report earnings growth, with Consumer Discretionary leading at 105.6% [3] Sector Performance - Consumer Discretionary sector is expected to see the highest earnings growth at 105.6%, followed by Aerospace at 15.1%, Technology at 11.8%, Finance at 7.8%, and Utilities at 7.7% [3] - The "Magnificent 7" companies are projected to have an 11.3% increase in earnings with an 11.2% rise in revenues compared to the same period last year [3] ETF Highlights - Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) has an AUM of $22.5 billion and an expense ratio of 0.08% [5] - iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) holds $8.4 billion in AUM with an expense ratio of 0.40% [6] - Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) manages $95 billion in assets and has an expense ratio of 0.09% [7] - Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) has an AUM of $51.3 billion and charges 0.08% in annual fees [8] - Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) has an AUM of $19.1 billion and an expense ratio of 0.08% [9]

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and Labrador, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX/NYSE: FTS) will release its second quarter 2025 financial results on Friday, August 1, 2025. A teleconference and webcast will be held the same day at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern). David Hutchens, President and Chief Executive Officer and Jocelyn Perry, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will discuss the Corporation's second quarter financial results. Shareholders, analysts, mem ...

Financial Performance - 2018 - Earnings from continuing operations reached $284.2 million, with EPS at $1.45, including a $39.5 million or $0.20 per share benefit from tax reform[16] - Consolidated operations earnings were $280.4 million, with EPS at $1.43, including a $39.5 million benefit from tax reform[19] - The Electric & Natural Gas Utility reported earnings of $84.7 million, which includes a $6.4 million decrease resulting from tax reform[22, 23] - Pipeline & Midstream reported earnings of $28.5 million, including a $4.2 million tax benefit[25, 26] - Construction Services reported record earnings of $64.3 million and record revenues of $1.37 billion[28, 29] - Construction Materials reported earnings of $92.6 million and record revenues of $1.93 billion[31, 33] Outlook and Guidance - 2019 - The company anticipates EPS in the range of $1.35 to $1.55 for the consolidated business[51] - Construction Services expects revenue between $1.35 billion and $1.50 billion in 2019[47] - Construction Materials projects revenue between $2.0 billion and $2.15 billion in 2019[50] Capital Program and Dividends - The company has a total capital forecast of $2.642 billion for 2019-2023[53] - The 2018 annualized dividend was $0.81 per share[57]

2019 Earnings Overview - The company reported 2019 earnings of $272.3 million, compared to $335.5 million in 2018[17] - 2019 EPS was $1.39, compared to $1.69 in 2018[17] - The Electric & Natural Gas Utility reported record earnings of $94.3 million in 2019, a 11.3% increase from $84.7 million in 2018[20, 21] - The Construction Services group reported record earnings of $93.0 million in 2019, a 44.6% increase from $64.3 million in 2018, with record revenue of $1.85 billion compared to $1.37 billion in 2018[27, 28] - The Construction Materials group reported earnings of $120.4 million in 2019, a 29.9% increase from $92.6 million in 2018, with record revenue of $2.19 billion compared to $1.93 billion in 2018[30, 31] - The Pipeline & Midstream group reported earnings of $29.6 million in 2019, a 3.9% increase from $28.5 million in 2018[23, 25] 2020 Guidance and Outlook - The company initiated 2020 EPS guidance of $1.65 - $1.85[48] - The Construction Services group expects 2020 revenue in the range of $1.85 billion to $2.05 billion[44] - The Construction Materials group expects 2020 revenue in the range of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion[47] - The Electric & Natural Gas Utility expects to grow rate base by 5% compounded annually over the next five years and customer base to continue growing by 1-2% annually[37]

Economic Overview - Consumer confidence index declined to 93 in June, a 5.4-point drop from May's 98.4, and significantly lower than the expected rise to 100 [4][10] - Concerns over job availability and uncertainty regarding President Trump's tariffs contributed to the decline in consumer confidence [5][10] - The labor market differential fell to 11.1 in June from 12.7 in May, marking its lowest point in four years [5] Investment Recommendations - It is advisable to invest in safe-haven defensive stocks from the utility and consumer staples sectors, including Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO), NiSource Inc. (NI), Fortis, Inc. (FTS), Ingredion Incorporated (INGR), and Altria Group, Inc. (MO) [2][10] - These stocks are categorized as low-beta (beta greater than 0 but less than 1) and are expected to provide high dividend yields along with favorable Zacks Ranks [3][10] Company Profiles Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) - Engaged in regulated natural gas distribution and storage, serving approximately 3.3 million customers across eight states [9] - Expected earnings growth rate of 6% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 and a current dividend yield of 2.22% [11] NiSource Inc. (NI) - Provides natural gas and electricity to around 3.7 million customers in six states, with one of the largest natural gas distribution networks in the U.S. [12] - Expected earnings growth rate of 7.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 and a current dividend yield of 2.76% [13] Fortis, Inc. (FTS) - Operates in the electric and gas utility business, primarily in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean [14] - Expected earnings growth rate of 3.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 and a current dividend yield of 3.76% [15] Ingredion Incorporated (INGR) - Specializes in nature-based sweeteners, starches, and nutrition ingredients, serving various sectors [16] - Expected earnings growth rate of 6.1% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 and a current dividend yield of 2.33% [17] Altria Group, Inc. (MO) - Evolving beyond traditional cigarettes into the smokeless category due to rising health consciousness and regulatory pressures [18] - Expected earnings growth rate of 4.9% for the current year, with a Zacks Rank 2 and a current dividend yield of 6.81% [19]

Market Overview - Volatility has returned to Wall Street due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, with the U.S. gradually getting involved [2][5] - The Dow declined by 0.7%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell by 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively [5] - Recent geopolitical tensions have unsettled markets, which could remain volatile for an extended period [9] Investment Recommendations - It is advisable to invest in safe-haven defensive stocks from the utility sector, including Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO), Fortis, Inc. (FTS), MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU), and NiSource Inc. (NI) [3][11] - These stocks are characterized by low beta (greater than 0 but less than 1), high dividend yields, and favorable Zacks Ranks [4][11] Company Profiles Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) - Engaged in regulated natural gas distribution and storage, serving approximately 3.3 million customers across eight states [10] - Expected earnings growth rate of 6% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 0.6% over the last 60 days [12] - Current dividend yield is 2.27% and beta is 0.71 [12] Fortis, Inc. (FTS) - Operates in the electric and gas utility business, primarily in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean [13] - Expected earnings growth rate of 3.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 3.3% over the last 60 days [14] - Current dividend yield is 3.70% and beta is 0.49 [14] MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU) - Provides value-added natural resource products and regulated energy delivery services [15] - Expected earnings growth rate of 5.6% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 1.1% over the last 60 days [15] - Current dividend yield is 3.18% and beta is 0.72 [15] NiSource Inc. (NI) - Delivers natural gas and electricity to approximately 3.7 million customers across six states [16] - Expected earnings growth rate of 7.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 0.5% over the last 60 days [17] - Current dividend yield is 2.83% and beta is 0.54 [17]