We continue to take a look at names that are on the move on earnings and I'm joined now by Diane King Hall and we want to look first at Capital One and acquisition news. Good morning. >> Yeah, it's got a lot swirling around this uh one because the reported earnings, but baked into the earnings was this acquisition.So the shares are actually under pressure right now off the back of its quarterly report card and news of this acquisition because investors are trying to digest this make heads or tails of what t ...

Core Insights - Financial giants are showing a bullish sentiment towards Broadcom, with 52% of traders being bullish and 33% bearish in recent options trading [1] - Significant investors are targeting a price range for Broadcom between $100.0 and $600.0 over the past three months [2] Options Trading Activity - A total of 128 unusual trades were identified, with 57 puts valued at $5,916,084 and 71 calls valued at $5,243,546 [1] - The volume and open interest trends for Broadcom's options indicate strong liquidity and interest within the strike price range of $100.0 to $600.0 over the last 30 days [3][4] Noteworthy Options Activity - Various trades have been recorded, including bearish and bullish sentiments, with significant trades such as a bearish put trade at a strike price of $350.00 valued at $597.6K [7] - Other notable trades include bullish sweeps at lower strike prices, indicating mixed sentiment among traders [7] Company Overview - Broadcom is a leading semiconductor company that has expanded into infrastructure software, serving sectors like computing and wireless connectivity [8] - The company is recognized for its custom AI chips and has a diverse portfolio resulting from the consolidation of several former companies [8] Market Position and Analyst Insights - The average target price for Broadcom set by four industry analysts is $447.5, with individual targets ranging from $370 to $510 [9][12] - The current stock price of AVGO is $345.1, reflecting a 0.61% increase, with upcoming earnings expected in 48 days [10]

January 15, 2026 05:01 AM GMT Cybersecurity | North America 4Q25 CIO Survey Takeaways - Cyber Budgets Remain Resilient, Some Movement in Priorities M Our CIO Survey, while cautious amongst general IT budgets, pointed to resilient cybersecurity budgets, something our subsequent CIO call echoed. CRWD, PANW, MSFT, S screened best; OKTA / SAIL more muted. Key Takeaways We published our Q4'25 CIO Survey and hosted a CIO Call Wednesday, January 14th. Cybersecurity spend remains resilient, widening gap on defensib ...

Summary of 4Q25 CIO Survey – Key Points Industry Overview - The survey focuses on the **US Tech** industry, particularly the **IT budget outlook** for 2026, highlighting trends in **Software**, **Communications**, **Hardware**, and **IT Services** sectors [2][40]. Core Insights 1. **IT Budget Growth Expectations**: - IT budget growth is expected to moderate from **+3.5% in 2025 to +3.4% in 2026**, a decline of **8 basis points** [2][40]. - Sequentially, the growth expectation for 2026 deteriorated from **+3.8% YoY** in the previous quarter [2][40]. 2. **Sector-Specific Trends**: - **Software**: Expected to see a modest acceleration in growth to **+3.8%** in 2026, up **9 basis points YoY** [2][40]. - **Communications**: Growth is expected to decelerate to **+2.2%**, down **27 basis points YoY** [2][40]. - **Hardware**: Anticipated growth is only **+1.0%**, a significant drop of **58 basis points YoY** [2][40]. - **IT Services**: Expected to grow by **+2.0%**, a slight decrease of **3 basis points YoY** [2][40]. 3. **Regional Insights**: - US CIOs expect budget growth of **+3.5%**, while EU counterparts anticipate **+3.1%**, indicating a narrowing gap between the two regions [2][40]. 4. **CIO Sentiment**: - The **1-year up-to-down ratio** for budget revisions fell to **0.5x**, indicating a more cautious outlook among CIOs [2][40]. - The percentage of CIOs expecting budget increases dropped to **17%**, while those expecting decreases rose to **36%** [2][40]. 5. **AI and IT Spending**: - **Artificial Intelligence** remains the top priority for CIOs, with **68%** planning to engage service providers for AI projects [40]. - **81%** of CIOs expect to have GenAI-based workloads in production by the end of 2026, up from **79%** in the previous quarter [40][37]. Additional Insights 1. **Hiring Expectations**: - **33%** of CIOs expect overall hiring to decrease in 2026, while **18%** expect an increase, reflecting a cautious hiring outlook [6][40]. - **63%** of CIOs believe AI-related IT spending will impact hiring plans, with a significant portion expecting hiring to decrease [6][40]. 2. **K-Shaped IT Budget**: - CIOs may be reallocating budgets from less strategic areas to prioritize AI-related investments, indicating a shift in spending dynamics [6][40]. 3. **Vendor Insights**: - Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are expected to gain the largest incremental share of GenAI spend in 2026, with Microsoft leading at **35%** [8][11][40]. - The survey indicates a trend towards consolidating IT spending with fewer vendors, particularly in software [6][40]. 4. **Concerns Over Hardware Spending**: - Hardware budgets are projected to grow at the slowest rate since 2009, raising concerns about potential demand destruction in the sector [18][40]. 5. **Long-Term Outlook**: - CIOs' confidence in the long-term spending environment has moderated, with only **38%** expecting IT spending as a percentage of revenue to increase over the next three years [40]. Conclusion The 4Q25 CIO Survey indicates a cautious outlook for IT budgets in 2026, with sector-specific deceleration, particularly in Hardware and Communications. Despite the excitement surrounding AI, the anticipated growth in IT budgets does not fully align with expectations, suggesting a need for strategic reallocations and a focus on consolidating vendor relationships.

Core Insights - Conestoga Capital Advisors reported strong equity market performance in Q3 2025, with their Micro-Cap Composite returning 11.7% net-of-fees, while the Russell Microcap Growth Index returned 19.9% [1] Company Overview - Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLMB) is a value-added IT distribution and solutions company, focusing on emerging and cloud-based technologies [2][3] - The company operates with a focused lineup of under 100 brands, serving approximately 7,000 customers across North America and Western Europe [3] Financial Performance - Climb Global Solutions, Inc. reported a one-month return of -6.59% and a 52-week gain of 24.54%, with shares closing at $129.96 and a market capitalization of $600.052 million as of October 21, 2025 [2] - In Q2 2025, the company achieved net sales of $159.3 million, a significant increase from $92.1 million in Q2 2024 [4] Growth Potential - The company is experiencing organic revenue growth of 13-15%, with 80% of its revenue being recurring [3] - More than half of Climb Global Solutions' revenue comes from security software, an area expected to see continued growth due to increasing threats from artificial intelligence [3] Hedge Fund Interest - Climb Global Solutions, Inc. was held by 13 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q2 2025, an increase from 9 in the previous quarter [4]

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) due to an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is a significant factor influencing stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate, which reflects EPS estimates from sell-side analysts for the current and following years, indicating a changing earnings picture [1][2]. - Changes in a company's future earnings potential, as shown by earnings estimate revisions, are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - Rising earnings estimates for Palo Alto suggest an improvement in the company's underlying business, which is expected to positively influence its stock price [5][10]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank stock-rating system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a strong historical performance, particularly Zacks Rank 1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [7][9]. - The upgrade of Palo Alto to a Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating superior earnings estimate revisions and potential for market-beating returns [10]. Earnings Estimate Revisions for Palo Alto - For the fiscal year ending July 2026, Palo Alto is expected to earn $3.79 per share, with no year-over-year change, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased by 3.8% over the past three months [8].

Core Viewpoint - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is anticipated to report a year-over-year increase in earnings and revenues for the quarter ended July 2025, with the actual results being a significant factor influencing its near-term stock price [1][2]. Earnings Expectations - The upcoming earnings report is expected to be released on August 18, with a consensus estimate of $0.88 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 17.3%. Revenues are projected to be $2.5 billion, up 14.2% from the previous year [3][2]. - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 1.21% higher in the last 30 days, indicating a collective reassessment by analysts [4]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP model indicates that the Most Accurate Estimate for Palo Alto is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in an Earnings ESP of -0.53%, suggesting a bearish outlook from analysts [11]. - A positive Earnings ESP is generally a strong predictor of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1, 2, or 3, which increases the likelihood of a positive surprise [9][10]. Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Palo Alto exceeded the expected earnings of $0.77 per share by delivering $0.80, resulting in a surprise of +3.90%. The company has beaten consensus EPS estimates in the last four quarters [12][13]. Conclusion - Despite the historical performance of beating estimates, Palo Alto does not currently appear to be a compelling candidate for an earnings beat, and investors should consider other factors before making investment decisions [16].

Core Insights - Check Point Software (CHKP) reported revenue of $665.2 million for the quarter ended June 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 6% and an EPS of $2.37 compared to $2.17 a year ago [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $660.83 million, resulting in a surprise of +0.66%, while the EPS also surpassed the consensus estimate of $2.36 with a surprise of +0.42% [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Calculated Billings were $642 million, slightly below the estimated $648.39 million [4] - Total revenues from products and security subscriptions reached $429.8 million, exceeding the average estimate of $423.58 million, representing a year-over-year change of +10.3% [4] - Revenues from software updates and maintenance were $235.4 million, slightly below the average estimate of $237.06 million, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of -0.9% [4] - Revenues from products and licenses amounted to $131.9 million, surpassing the average estimate of $123.35 million, indicating a year-over-year increase of +11.7% [4] - Revenues from security subscriptions totaled $297.9 million, close to the average estimate of $300.62 million, with a year-over-year change of +9.6% [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Check Point have returned -1.2% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.4% 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]

Core Insights - Gen Digital's international operations are crucial for understanding its financial strength and growth potential [1][2] - The company's total revenue for the quarter was $1.01 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 4.5% [4] International Revenue Breakdown - APJ contributed $100 million, accounting for 9.90% of total revenue, which was a slight miss compared to analyst expectations of $100.9 million [5] - EMEA accounted for 24.46% of total revenue, translating to $247 million, exceeding expectations of $241.08 million [6] Future Revenue Predictions - Analysts project Gen Digital will report revenues of $1.18 billion for the ongoing fiscal quarter, a 22.3% increase from the previous year, with expected contributions from APJ and EMEA at $101.6 million and $242.18 million, respectively [7] - For the full year, total annual revenue is expected to reach $4.03 billion, marking a 2.3% increase, with APJ and EMEA projected to contribute $419.01 million and $1 billion, respectively [8] Conclusion on International Operations - The reliance on foreign markets presents both opportunities and challenges for Gen Digital, making it essential to monitor international revenue trends for future projections [9][10]

Core Viewpoint - The market anticipates Palo Alto Networks (PANW) will report a year-over-year increase in earnings and revenues for the quarter ended April 2025, with actual results being crucial for stock price movement [1][2]. Earnings Expectations - The upcoming earnings report is expected on May 20, 2025, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.77, reflecting a +16.7% year-over-year change, and revenues projected at $2.27 billion, up 14.6% from the previous year [3][2]. Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised down by 0.05% over the last 30 days, indicating a slight reassessment by analysts [4]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP model indicates that the Most Accurate Estimate matches the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in an Earnings ESP of 0%, which complicates predictions of an earnings beat [10][11]. Historical Performance - Palo Alto has consistently beaten consensus EPS estimates in the past four quarters, with a +3.85% surprise in the last reported quarter [12][13]. Investment Considerations - Despite the historical performance, the current combination of a 0% Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of 3 suggests that Palo Alto may not be a strong candidate for an earnings beat [11][16].