With the Pittsburgh Steelers reporting to the Saint Vincent College in Latrobe on Tuesday for the start of their 2026 training camp, it’s time to finally throw out my initial 53-man roster prediction for the team. As usual, I have included some analysis underneath each position group. I invite you to post your own differences […]

If you’ve ever driven through Waterbury on I-84, you’ve probably seen a giant cross overlooking the city at Holy Land. Holy Land used to be a Bible theme park. It’s been mostly unattended since it closed in the 80s. Holy Land opened in the 1950s. It closed in the 80s and has been left mostly unattended, except for Easter Mass...

Rigetti Computing’s RGTI second-quarter 2026 results, scheduled to report on Aug. 6, after market close, are likely to underscore continued commercial traction rather than a dramatic financial inflection. Investors are likely to primarily focus on whether the company recognized the remaining revenues from previously announced Novera quantum processing unit orders. Management had guided that the amount would largely be booked in the second quarter after partial recognition in the first quarter.Another key area of interest is likely to be the customer adoption of the newly launched 108-qubit Cepheus-1 system across Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services, Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure Quantum and qBraid. On its first-quarter earnings call, management commented that early customer interest and system usage had been encouraging. Investors will also watch for updates on cloud utilization trends, additional government or research contracts and the pace of commercial engagement as enterprises continue evaluating hybrid quantum-classical computing applications.Beyond quarterly numbers, investors will be looking for progress on Rigetti's technology roadmap. The focus will particularly be on efforts to improve Cepheus-1's two-qubit gate fidelity toward the company's 99.5% target later this year. Investors will also monitor progress on Rigetti's roadmap to launch a 150-qubit system and ultimately achieve a 1,000-qubit quantum advantage platform within roughly three years. Since the first-quarter report, Rigetti has further strengthened its commercial positioning through continued momentum in government-backed quantum initiatives, including execution of its C-DAC program in India and expansion of its global footprint.Investors will also watch for additional Novera system wins, progress on the company's planned U.K. investment and advances in error mitigation through partnerships such as Riverlane and NVIDIA. Updates on the timing of the higher-fidelity 108-qubit system and the next-generation 150-qubit platform could also serve as key drivers of investor sentiment.While operating losses are expected to remain elevated as Rigetti continues to prioritize R&D investments, investors will closely monitor the company's progress toward key technology milestones and customer adoption. The company's strong cash position and debt-free balance sheet should provide the financial flexibility needed to execute its long-term quantum computing roadmap.Peers UpdatesIonQ's IONQ second-quarter 2026 results, scheduled for Aug. 5, are expected to highlight continued commercial execution as the company expands its quantum networking and computing footprint. Investors are likely to focus on bookings growth, customer additions and progress integrating recent acquisitions, alongside updates on government and enterprise contracts. Commentary around the company's roadmap toward fault-tolerant quantum systems and the pace of quantum networking deployments could also be key catalysts.D-Wave Quantum QBTS second-quarter 2026 earnings, scheduled to be reported on Aug. 6, are expected to reflect continued demand for its annealing quantum computing platform and expanding commercial adoption. Investors will watch for growth in quantum optimization revenues, customer wins and increased usage of its Leap quantum cloud service. Updates on the commercialization of its next-generation Advantage2 system, along with customer traction across logistics, manufacturing and government markets, will likely be closely monitored.Rigetti’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of RGTI have lost 36.2% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s decline of 11.9%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchFrom a valuation standpoint, Rigetti trades at a price-to-book ratio of 8.06, above the industry average. RGTI carries a Value Score of F.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rigetti’s 2026 earnings implies a significant 71.9% improvement from the year-ago period.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchThe company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment Research

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a growth stock that can live up to its true potential can be a tough task.In addition to volatility, these stocks carry above-average risk by their very nature. Also, one could end up losing from a stock whose growth story is actually over or nearing its end.However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.Our proprietary system currently recommends Mercury General (MCY) as one such stock. This company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And returns are even better for stocks that possess the combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this auto insurance company a great growth pick right now.Earnings GrowthEarnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.While the historical EPS growth rate for Mercury General is 29.7%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 45.6% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 3.1%.Impressive Asset Utilization RatioGrowth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric exhibits how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.Right now, Mercury General has an S/TA ratio of 0.65, which means that the company gets $0.65 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.34, it can be said that the company is more efficient.While the level of efficiency in generating sales matters a lot, so does the sales growth of a company. And Mercury General is well positioned from a sales growth perspective too. The company's sales are expected to grow 8.5% this year versus the industry average of 2.6%.Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsSuperiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.The current-year earnings estimates for Mercury General have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 1.1% over the past month.Bottom LineMercury General has not only earned a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #2 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions.You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.This combination indicates that Mercury General is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors. Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double" From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment Research

Tether holds 97,141 bitcoin, enough to rank second among corporate holders if it were listed anywhere. It is not. There is no share, so there is no multiple, no premium, no discount, and no market referee on the largest private…

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How do you automate testing for your ServiceNow apps? What does using AI to generate and run tests look like? Ravi Mantrala, PM for ATF Test Agents at ServiceNow, is building with us live. Unscripted. Real time. Real development. We're working through using ATF Test Agents to build automated tests for apps—letting AI generate test cases, running them, handling edge cases. You see what happens when two people use AI to speed up test coverage and reduce manual testing work. If you're wondering how to automate your testing, or how ATF Test Agents can handle test generation and execution, this is it. For ServiceNow developers building apps, QA engineers looking to automate testing, and architects designing test strategies. Anyone who wants to reduce manual testing. Questions in the chat—Ravi answers as we work.

Pitney Bowes PBI is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 29.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at a loss of 34 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days. The projection indicates a 25.93% increase from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark for second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $436.80 million, indicating a 5.44% year-over-year decline.PBI’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in one of the trailing four quarters, while being in line on two occasions and missing one, delivering an average surprise of 3.83%. Pitney Bowes Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Pitney Bowes Inc. price-eps-surprise | Pitney Bowes Inc. QuoteLet us see how things have shaped up prior to the announcement.Factors Likely to Have Benefited PBI's Q2 2026 ResultsPitney Bowes' second-quarter performance is expected to have benefited from improving momentum in its SendTech business. Bookings increased year over year for the first time in several years in the first quarter of 2026, supported by a stronger sales pipeline, higher enterprise software subscriptions and better execution by the sales organization. As SendTech generates recurring stream revenues from new customer wins, the strong bookings are likely to have supported revenues and profitability in the to-be-reported quarter.The to-be-reported quarter is expected to have benefited from continued operational improvements in SendTech's meter and shipping software businesses. Ongoing initiatives to improve customer retention through proactive outreach, predictive analytics to reduce cancellations, and a renewed focus on customer acquisition are likely to have supported performance. Pitney Bowes is also simplifying its shipping software portfolio, aligning product development more closely with customer needs and leveraging its banking capabilities to differentiate its shipping solutions.PBI's Presort business is expected to have remained another key growth driver in the to-be-reported quarter. Customer losses had largely been stemmed; new business wins were increasing, and the sales pipeline continued to strengthen. Investments in pricing, sales resources and operational efficiency, coupled with the company's cost advantage in Presort, are likely to have driven additional customer additions and improved revenue trends, while positioning the segment for a return to growth in the second half of 2026.Strong free cash flow generation, disciplined cost management and improved forecasting capabilities are expected to have supported results in the to-be-reported quarter. The stronger cash generation reported in late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 reflected sustainable operational improvements rather than temporary working-capital benefits. Targeted cost-reduction initiatives have also helped improve efficiency while allowing continued investments in growth initiatives across the SendTech and Presort businesses.However, PBI is expected to face headwinds in the to-be-reported quarter from ongoing declines in noncore businesses, particularly from one customer whose volumes have been decreasing almost quarterly, which could accelerate in the second half of the year and the risk of further volume decreases from certain customers.What Our Model SaysPer the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is exactly the case here.PBI has an Earnings ESP of +4.48% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Other Stocks to ConsiderHere are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat earnings in their upcoming releases.Amphenol APH has an Earnings ESP of +1.12% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Amphenol shares have gained 13% year to date. Amphenol is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 29.ASE Technology ASX currently has an Earnings ESP of +21.21% and a Zacks Rank #2.ASE Technology shares have surged 128.8% year to date. ASE Technology is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.Fortive FTV has an Earnings ESP of +2.82% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. Fortive shares have gained 12.8% in the year-to-date period. Fortive is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 29. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment Research

The railroads say the answers they were required to file to questions posed by the Surface Transportation Board include customer protections that go beyond those contained in the original merger application.

Tesla has secured a UK Supreme Court victory that revives its legal challenge over the licensing terms for patents needed to launch 5G-enabled vehicles in Britain. Tesla revives UK lawsuit over 5G patents Britain’s Supreme Court ruled in Tesla’s favor…

Entering his 16th year, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward continues to play at a remarkably high level. He’s 37 years old and plays a position that is physically demanding each and every snap, yet he continues to dominate as one of the best defensive linemen in football, all while racking up individual accolades. Last […]

Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot in Virginia on Sunday night

The trade deadline often provides the best look at what a front office really thinks about its roster. This week will be telling.

BitMine Immersion Technologies expanded its Ethereum treasury and accelerated its share buybacks last week, while BMNR stock jumped nearly 11% on Monday as ETH reclaimed $1,900. BitMine adds 9,946 ETH to its treasury BitMine disclosed Monday that it purchased 9,946…

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Meta Platforms META is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 29.META expects total revenues between $58 billion and $61 billion, including a 2% tailwind from favorable forex. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $60.17 billion, indicating an increase of 26.63% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings stands at $7.13 per share, up 0.4% over the past 30 days, suggesting a decline of 0.14% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.Consensus Estimate Trend Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Meta’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 12.31%. Meta Platforms, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Meta Platforms, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Meta Platforms, Inc. QuoteLet’s see how things have shaped up for the upcoming announcement.Strong Advertising Growth to Aid META’s Q2 ResultsMeta’s second-quarter 2026 performance is likely to have benefited from continued growth in advertising impressions and pricing, supported by healthy user engagement across Facebook and Instagram. In the first quarter of 2026, ad impressions increased 19% year over year, while the average price per ad rose 12%. Video remained a major engagement driver, with ranking improvements lifting Instagram Reels time spent by 10% and Facebook video time by more than 8% globally. These trends have likely supported greater ad inventory and advertiser demand in the to-be-reported quarter.META’s focus on integrating AI into its platforms — Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Threads — is driving user as well as advertising engagements. AI is heavily dependent on data, of which META has a trove, driven by its more than 3.56 billion daily users. This staggering reach makes Meta one of the most important players in the digital ad sales market, apart from Alphabet GOOGL and Amazon AMZN. META’s second-quarter results are expected to have benefited from AI-driven improvements in advertising performance. Enhancements to its Lattice and GEM models increased conversion rates for landing-page-view ads by more than 6%, while the expansion of the Adaptive Ranking Model drove a 1.6% conversion-rate increase across major Facebook and Instagram surfaces. Growing adoption of generative AI creative tools, which were used by more than 8 million advertisers, likely improved campaign performance and supported higher advertiser spending.The company’s performance is likely to have gained from improving monetization across newer products and messaging services. Meta expanded Threads advertising into more than 200 countries and continued rolling out WhatsApp Status ads, which were already being viewed by hundreds of millions of people daily. WhatsApp paid messaging and subscription revenues increased 74% year over year in the first quarter, while weekly conversations facilitated through Business AIs grew to more than 10 million from 1 million at the beginning of the year.However, Meta’s profitability is likely to have been constrained by elevated infrastructure and employee-related expenses. In the first quarter of 2026, costs and expenses increased 35% year over year, reflecting higher depreciation, data-center operating costs, third-party cloud spending and compensation for AI talent. The company maintained its 2026 expense outlook of $162-$169 billion, suggesting that these cost pressures likely persisted through the second quarter.META Shares Underperform Sector; Valuation StretchedMETA shares have dropped 9.9% year to date (YTD), underperforming the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s appreciation of 9.6%. Shares have underperformed Alphabet and Amazon but outperformed Snap SNAP. YTD, Alphabet and Amazon shares have appreciated 2.2% and 0.6%, respectively, while Snap shares have declined 46.1%.META Stock Underperforms Sector Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Meta Platforms’ current valuation is stretched, as suggested by the Value Score of C.In terms of the forward 12-month price/sales, META is trading at 5.33X, higher than the Zacks Internet Software industry’s 3.76X, Snap’s 1.04X and Amazon’s 2.82X but lower than GOOGL’s 7.9X.META Shares are Overvalued Image Source: Zacks Investment Research META Leverages AI to Boost Growth, Higher Capex HurtsMETA’s long-term growth prospects are supported by deeper integration of AI across content recommendations and advertising. The company is developing foundation models and LLM-based recommendation systems capable of understanding content and user interests more deeply. Better recommendations can increase time spent, expand advertising inventory and improve conversion rates, strengthening both engagement and monetization across Facebook, Instagram and Threads.Meta AI and the Muse family of models offer another substantial growth avenue. Muse Spark has already driven double-digit increases in Meta AI sessions per user, while Meta plans to build personal and business agents capable of supporting shopping, customer service, content creation and other tasks. WhatsApp and Threads provide significant untapped monetization potential. Threads has more than 150 million daily active users, while WhatsApp Status has a large engagement base across Latin America, Asia and Africa. Ads, paid business messaging, subscriptions and Business AIs could gradually diversify revenues beyond Meta’s mature Facebook and Instagram advertising businesses.However, META’s aggressive AI strategy requires exceptionally high capital spending with uncertain returns. The company has committed substantial resources to data centers, cloud capacity, chips and technical talent before its newer AI products have reached meaningful monetization. META raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $125-$145 billion from $115-$135 billion, citing component inflation and additional data-center investments. High depreciation, cloud expenses and infrastructure operating costs are likely to weigh on margins and free cash flow over time.ConclusionMeta appears well positioned heading into its second-quarter 2026 earnings release, supported by resilient advertising demand, AI-driven improvements in engagement and monetization, and expanding opportunities across Threads and WhatsApp. However, elevated infrastructure investments, rising operating expenses and an outstretched valuation could temper investor sentiment despite solid revenue growth. Investor expectations are already high. Hence, the upcoming results and Meta management’s commentary on AI spending, capital allocation and monetization progress will likely play a key role in determining the stock’s near-term direction.Meta Platforms currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which implies that investors should wait for a more favorable point to accumulate the stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment Research

As economic pressures rise, XRPPower is drawing attention with AI-powered digital asset services and questions about its platform model. The ever-changing global situation and economic and financial market uncertainties are impacting the lives of more and more ordinary people. Rising…

Strategy raises its USD reserve to $3.75B for 2.1 years of dividend coverage while its Bitcoin holdings remain at 843,775 BTC as of July 26.

FormFactor FORM is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 29.The company expects second-quarter 2026 earnings to be 61 cents (+/- 4 cents) per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings has been steady at 61 cents per share over the past 30 days, suggesting 125.93% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.FormFactor expects second-quarter 2026 revenues to be $240 million (+/- $5 million). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $240.11 million, indicating an increase of 22.63% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.Consensus Estimate Trend Image Source: Zacks Investment Research FormFactor’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, missing once, the average surprise being 19.47%. FormFactor, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise FormFactor, Inc. price-eps-surprise | FormFactor, Inc. QuoteLet’s see how things have shaped up for the upcoming announcement.Factors to Drive FORM’s Q2 ResultsFormFactor’s second-quarter 2026 performance is likely to have been driven by another quarter of record DRAM probe card revenues, supported by accelerating high-bandwidth memory (HBM) demand. FORM guided for another step-up in HBM revenues, primarily due to broader adoption of the company’s differentiated SmartMatrix full-wafer contactor technology by a second customer. The transition from HBM3E to HBM4, with higher stack counts, faster I/O speeds and greater test intensity, is expected to have increased demand for FormFactor’s advanced probe cards while supporting favorable product mix.The Foundry & Logic business is expected to have benefited from sustained demand for networking applications and incremental strength in data center CPU probe cards. AI infrastructure investments continue to increase test complexity and probe-card content, while FormFactor has been expanding relationships with leading hyperscale and AI customers. Continued demand from networking, together with stable PC and mobile activity, is likely to have supported another sequential increase in Foundry & Logic revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.Growing adoption of advanced packaging technologies such as CoWoS and increasing use of chiplet architectures are expected to have benefited FormFactor. As advanced AI processors require more known-good-die testing before packaging, both test intensity and test complexity continue to rise, increasing demand for the company’s high-performance probe cards. These secular trends are likely to have remained an important contributor to second-quarter performance.Meanwhile, margins in the to-be-reported quarter were likely to have been aided by continued manufacturing efficiency initiatives, including better workforce deployment, higher production yields, shorter cycle times and lower manufacturing costs. FormFactor also guided for another sequential improvement in gross margin and earnings per share, reflecting durable operational improvements rather than solely favorable product mix.However, FormFactor continues to face risks from tariffs, export controls, geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruptions. The Systems business remains project-driven and carries greater revenue variability than the recurring probe-card business, which has been a headwind. These factors are expected to have negatively impacted second-quarter 2026 results.FORM Shares Beat Sector, Valuation StretchedFormFactor shares have appreciated 86.5% year to date (YTD), outperforming the Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 9.6%. FORM has underperformed Cohu COHU but outperformed Teradyne TER and KLA KLAC, YTD. While Cohu shares have jumped 117.9%, Teradyne and KLA shares have appreciated 80.8% and 73.2%, respectively, over the same time frame.FORM Stock’s Price Performance Image Source: Zacks Investment Research FORM stock is overvalued, as suggested by the Value Score of F. In terms of the forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S), the company is trading at 8.15X compared with the broader sector’s 6.18X. Shares of Cohu, Teradyne and KLA trade at 3.84X, 10.86X and 15.71X, respectively.FORM Stock’s Valuation Image Source: Zacks Investment Research FORM’s Prospects to Ride on AI, HBM and Advanced PackagingThe rapid adoption of AI accelerators, HBM memory, GPUs, custom ASICs and advanced packaging is expected to remain FormFactor’s largest long-term growth driver. Increasing chip complexity requires significantly higher testing intensity, while larger HBM stacks and more sophisticated chiplet architectures increase probe-card content per device. The company expects these industry trends to support sustained market expansion through the remainder of the decade.FormFactor continues to leverage its proprietary MEMS probe technology, SmartMatrix architecture and Lab-to-Fab strategy to deepen engagements with leading semiconductor manufacturers. The company is expanding opportunities in GPUs, networking, custom ASICs, HBM and co-packaged optics (CPO) while also benefiting from long-term collaborations with industry leaders. It targets doubling revenue by 2030 through these secular growth markets and operational leverage.FormFactor’s decade-long investment in silicon photonics, the Triton production platform and the Keystone Photonics acquisition positions the company to benefit from increasing deployment of CPOs in AI data centers. Electro-optical probe cards and optical testing solutions represent an additional long-term growth avenue beyond traditional electrical probe cards.Nevertheless, FormFactor remains exposed to cyclical semiconductor spending and customer-specific investment patterns. Large customers account for a meaningful portion of revenue, making quarterly performance sensitive to shifts in production schedules and technology transitions. Continued innovation is required as customers migrate to HBM5, more advanced chiplet architectures, higher-speed networking and increasingly complex packaging technologies. Export restrictions, tariffs, changing trade policies and geopolitical tensions remain ongoing risks for FormFactor because of its global manufacturing footprint and customer base.ConclusionFormFactor appears well positioned heading into its second-quarter 2026 earnings report, supported by strong demand for AI-driven semiconductor testing, HBM probe cards and advanced packaging solutions, along with continued operational improvements. However, investors should also remain mindful of risks stemming from trade restrictions, geopolitical uncertainty, supply-chain disruptions and the cyclical nature of semiconductor spending. While the company's long-term growth prospects remain encouraging, its premium valuation suggests that sustained execution and continued AI-related demand will be important for supporting future upside.FORM currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which implies that investors should wait for a more favorable point to start accumulating the stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment Research

AstraZeneca AZN reported second-quarter 2026 core earnings of $2.63 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.50. Earnings rose 21% year over year on a reported basis and 18% at constant exchange rate (CER).Total revenues of $15.38 billion rose 6% on a reported basis and 5% at CER, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.31 billion.All growth rates mentioned below are on a year-over-year basis and at CER.AZN shares began trading on the NYSE on Feb. 2. Earlier, in the United States, investors traded AstraZeneca through a different structure called American Depositary Shares on Nasdaq.AZN’s Product Sales & Alliance RevenuesProduct sales increased 4% to $14.51 billion.Alliance revenues rose 33% to $874 million, driven by continued revenue growth from partnered medicines. Alliance revenues include royalties and profit share from partnered medicines, such as Enhertu and Tezspire, in geographies where its partner books product sales.AZN’s Key Oncology Drugs Drive Growth but Miss EstimatesHere, we have discussed AstraZeneca’s total drug revenues by including Alliance and Collaboration revenues in each revenue figure.In Oncology, Tagrisso recorded revenues of $1.94 billion, up 6% year over year, driven by strong demand across all indications and key regions, partly offset by a more competitive environment in China in a slowing EGFRm TKI market. Tagrisso sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.01 billion.Lynparza's total revenues declined 3% to $829 million due to unfavorable channel mix and inventory destocking as well as the impact of generic launches in China and volume-based procurement (VBP) implementation. The drug’s sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $832 million.AstraZeneca markets Lynparza in partnership with Merck MRK. During the quarter, the company did not record any milestone payment from partner Merck related to the drug.Imfinzi generated sales of $1.85 billion in the quarter, up 27%, driven by strong demand growth across all regions from existing indications and new launches. Imfinzi sales, however, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.91 billion. Sales of Calquence rose 16% to $1.02 billion in the quarter. Breast cancer drug Truqap generated $233 million in second-quarter 2026 revenues, up 37% year over year, driven by strong demand in second-line biomarker-altered metastatic breast cancer.Newly approved drug Datroway, for which it has a partnership with Daiichi Sankyo, recorded revenues of $55 million in the second quarter compared with $43 million in the previous quarter.Year to date, AstraZeneca stock has lost 7.9% against the industry’s 1.8% growth.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchAZN’s CVRM Segment PerformanceIn CVRM, Farxiga recorded product sales of $1.80 billion, down 19%, due to loss of exclusivity in the United States, generic competition in multiple international markets, including China, the United Kingdom and Japan, and the impact of China's VBP program, partly offset by underlying demand growth in Europe. Farxiga sales, however, marginally beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.803 billion.Brilinta/Brilique sales totaled $80 million in the reported quarter, down 63%, due to the generic launch in Europe and the United States.Wainua recorded $70 million in product sales during the quarter, up 58% year over year, driven by strong demand growth in transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy and geographic expansion.AZN’s R&I Segment PerformanceIn R&I, Symbicort sales declined 8% to $671 million due to increasing generic competition. The drug’s sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $707 million.Fasenra recorded sales of $570 million in the quarter, up 13% year over year, driven by strong demand growth and market share gains. The recent launch for the EGPA indication also benefited sales in some countries. The drug’s sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $563 million.Breztri recorded sales of $346 million, up 20% year over year, driven by a consistent share increase in a growing market, partially offset by unfavorable gross-to-net adjustments.Pulmicort sales grew 9% to $120 million in the reported quarter.New product Airsupra generated $50 million in product sales in the quarter, up 18% year over year. The product’s U.S. launch momentum remains strong.New lupus drug Saphnelo recorded sales of $209 million, up 24% year over year, driven by demand growth in the U.S. market and ongoing launches in Europe and the Established RoW.Tezspire recorded total revenues of $390 million, up 45% year over year, driven by demand growth and launch uptake in multiple markets. AstraZeneca has a partnership with Amgen AMGN for Tezspire. Amgen records product sales in the United States, and AstraZeneca records its share of U.S. gross profits as Alliance revenues. AstraZeneca books product sales in markets outside the United States.AZN’s Rare Disease, V&I and Other SegmentIn the Rare Disease portfolio, Soliris sales fell 28% to $389 million due to conversion to Ultomiris and biosimilar erosion in Europe and the United States.Ultomiris revenues amounted to $1.31 billion, up 12%, driven by demand growth across indications, geographic expansions in new markets and continued conversion from Soliris.In Other Medicines, sales of Nexium declined 6% to $234 million.In V&I Therapies, AstraZeneca recorded $79 million in revenues from Beyfortus, including alliance revenues received from partner Sanofi SNY and sales of the manufactured Beyfortus product to Sanofi. Revenues declined 37% year over year due to the partner’s adjustments of inventory levels.AstraZeneca PLC Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise AstraZeneca PLC price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | AstraZeneca PLC QuoteAZN Reiterates 2026 GuidanceAstraZeneca reconfirmed its financial guidance for 2026.It continues to expect total revenues to grow by a mid-to-high single-digit percentage at CER.Core EPS is expected to increase by a low double-digit percentage at CER.Our Take on AZN’s ResultsAstraZeneca delivered a solid quarter, with earnings and revenues exceeding expectations despite mounting generic pressure across several mature brands. However, sales of key oncology medicines — Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza — all fell short of consensus estimates. At the same time, continued declines in Farxiga, Brilinta, Symbicort and Soliris highlight the growing impact of patent expiries and biosimilar competition.That said, strong demand for newer growth drivers such as Truqap, Ultomiris, Tezspire and Wainua, along with continued label expansions, helped offset weakness in older products. While AstraZeneca’s diversified portfolio provides stability, future growth will depend on whether its newer medicines can offset the continued decline in older products facing generic competition.AZN’s Zacks RankCurrently, AstraZeneca has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. 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