Key Takeaways Powell's Jackson Hole speech lifted markets with rate cut hopes.Investors see tariff-driven inflation as temporary, fueling optimism in equities.MD, ENVA, PRIM, SKYW, and AEM meet screens for price strength and estimate revisions.The market recently got the boost it was waiting for. Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech hinted that rate cuts could come as soon as September, sparking a 1.5% rally in the S&P 500. While Powell acknowledged that inflation remains sticky, his shift toward p ...

Key Takeaways WAB's Q2 EPS estimate of $2.18 is up 0.46% in 60 days and 11.22% above last year's actual. Supply chain issues, economic and political uncertainty and high costs may pressure Q2 margins and revenues. Segmental strength aids top-line growth; WAB's 0.50% ESP and Zacks Rank #2 hint at a possible beat.Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) ), operating as Wabtec Corporation, is scheduled to report second-quarter 2025 results on July 24, before market open.Wabtec has an encouraging earnings su ...

Core Viewpoint - Kirby Corporation (KEX) is positioned as an impressive investment option due to multiple favorable factors impacting its performance [1]. Performance Overview - KEX has shown a strong price trend, gaining 32% over the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Transportation - Shipping industry's growth of 19.8% [2][7]. Investment Ratings - Kirby holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of B, indicating strong investment potential [4]. Earnings Performance - KEX has a positive earnings surprise history, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters with an average beat of 5.02% [5]. - Earnings for Q2 2025 are projected to grow by 11.19% year over year, while the overall earnings for 2025 are expected to increase by 18.38% year over year [5][7]. Industry Context - The industry rank for Kirby is 29 out of 245, placing it in the top 12% of Zacks Industries, which is crucial for stock performance [8]. Growth Drivers - Kirby is experiencing favorable market conditions, including higher pricing, increased barge utilization, and improved pricing in both inland and coastal markets [9]. Financial Health - As of Q1 2025, Kirby reported cash and cash equivalents of $51 million against a current debt level of $7 million, indicating strong liquidity [10]. - The current ratio stands at 1.58, higher than the previous quarter's 1.45 and the industry average of 1.31, suggesting a lower risk of default [10]. Shareholder Returns - Kirby has been actively repurchasing shares, having bought back 1.6 million shares for $174.6 million in 2024 and 1.25 million shares for $124.7 million as of April 30, 2025 [11].

Core Insights - Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) is investing $110 million in Wisconsin as part of its 2025 capital investment program, indicating strong confidence in the region's economic potential and the future of freight rail [1] - The investment focuses on track maintenance and strategic infrastructure initiatives to enhance rail operations, including improvements in infrastructure, technology, capacity, and network performance [2][9] - CNI's president, Tracy Robinson, emphasized that investing in the network is about building for the future and aims to strengthen the resiliency and efficiency of the network across Wisconsin [3] Investment Details - The $110 million investment in Wisconsin follows a similar expenditure in the previous year, which also amounted to $110 million, primarily for track maintenance and infrastructure improvements [3][9] - CNI has made several other significant investments across various states, including $50 million in Louisiana, $85 million in Michigan, and $600 million CAD in Ontario, among others, demonstrating a commitment to expanding rail operations [5] Strategic Focus - CNI is doubling down on its core strengths of efficiency, innovation, and infrastructure, which are expected to pave the way for long-term returns [4] - The company's robust investment initiatives are believed to enhance investor confidence and support long-term performance [6]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - First quarter revenue was $23,500,000, at the high end of the expected range of $21,000,000 to $24,000,000, keeping the company on track to meet the full year expectation of over $100,000,000 in revenue [8][26] - Adjusted EBITDA loss in Q1 was $14,400,000, within the expected range provided in the last earnings release [8][27] - Scheduled service revenue decreased by 23% year over year, primarily due to the elimination of unprofitable routes and a brief interruption of service in January [27] - On-demand service revenue decreased by 25% year over year, driven by lower sales and flight completions [27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Essential Air Service (EAS) Program represents approximately 40% of revenue, with long-term subsidized contracts providing connectivity to underserved domestic markets [21] - The company is focusing on profitability in the on-demand business and has exited several unprofitable charter products [13][27] - The company returned five older aircraft to lessors during Q1, simplifying the fleet to focus on the operationally efficient Cessna Grand Caravan [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company operates almost exclusively in the U.S., primarily flying aircraft manufactured domestically, which mitigates the impact of tariffs [4][20] - The current economic environment has benefited the company, particularly with lower fuel costs [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to become a premier regional air mobility platform, focusing on three growth vectors: expansion of air mobility operations, commercial rollout of the regional air mobility software platform, and sale of electrified powertrains for the Cessna Caravan [29] - The company is in late-stage discussions with key partners to advance its electrification initiative [18][29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges a challenging economic, regulatory, and funding environment but emphasizes proactive management of operations and cost structure [29] - The company expects to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA in airline operations by 2025 [19][28] Other Important Information - The company raised an incremental $5,000,000 in funding subsequent to the end of Q1 [9] - The interline agreement with Japan Airlines allows for expanded access to over 435 million customers [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of changes to the essential air service budget - Management believes that being a low-cost operator provides a competitive advantage, especially if higher-cost operators face subsidy reductions [33][36] Question: Core versus non-core scheduled and charter flights - Hawaii is identified as a core area, with a focus on profitability and operational efficiency in route selection [37][38] Question: Adding new profitable routes - The company is currently focused on exiting unprofitable routes and plans to enter new tier one routes next year [41] Question: Progress on Surf OS product - The company is integrating feedback from beta users and plans a full commercial rollout of Surf OS in 2026 [44][46] Question: Service interruption details - The service interruption in January was unplanned and related to maintenance issues, which have since been resolved [48] Question: Future partnerships and geographic targets - The company is open to expanding partnerships beyond the U.S., following the successful agreement with Japan Airlines [50]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - First quarter revenue was $23,500,000, at the high end of the expected range of $21,000,000 to $24,000,000, keeping the company on track to meet the full year expectation of over $100,000,000 in revenue [7][25] - Adjusted EBITDA loss in Q1 was $14,400,000, within the expected range provided in the last earnings release [7][26] - Scheduled service revenue decreased by 23% year over year, primarily due to the elimination of unprofitable routes and a brief interruption of service in January [26] - On-demand service revenue decreased by 25% year over year, driven by lower sales and flight completions [26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Essential Air Service (EAS) Program represents approximately 40% of revenue, with the company being the lowest cost provider on routes below 500 miles [5][21] - The company returned five older aircraft to lessors during Q1, focusing on operationally efficient Cessna Grand Caravan [10] - Flight completion factors improved to above 92% in the first six weeks of Q2, with a goal to return to 96% prior to route expansion [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company operates almost exclusively in the US, with minimal impact from tariffs due to domestic operations and aircraft manufacturing [4][20] - The current economic environment has benefited the company, particularly with lower fuel costs [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three growth vectors: expanding air mobility operations, commercial rollout of the regional air mobility software platform, and marketing electrified powertrains for the Cessna Caravan [28] - The transformation plan includes an optimization phase, with a goal to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA in airline operations in 2025 [19][24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted substantial changes in the economic, regulatory, and political environment, but expressed confidence in the company's competitive advantage as a low-cost provider [4][5] - The company anticipates minimal impacts from potential tariffs and is actively managing operations to improve cost structure and efficiencies [20][28] Other Important Information - The company raised an incremental $5,000,000 in funding after the end of Q1 [8] - An interline agreement with Japan Airlines was announced, expanding access to over 435 million customers [12][48] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on changes to the essential air service budget - Management acknowledged the potential budget cuts but emphasized their competitive advantage as a low-cost operator [31][34] Question: Discussion on core versus non-core scheduled and charter flights - Management identified Hawaii as a core area and discussed the importance of profitability in route selection [35][36] Question: Plans for adding new profitable routes - Management indicated that while they have targeted drafts to exit, some routes are being held longer than planned due to additional subsidies [38] Question: Service interruption details - Management clarified that the service interruption in January was unplanned and related to maintenance issues [47] Question: Potential for more interline agreements - Management expressed excitement about the Japan Airlines partnership and indicated interest in expanding to other carriers globally [48]