Birkenstock Holding plc BIRK is facing stiff challenges, including tariffs, inflation and impacts from the Middle East War. This Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) has recently hit all-time lows. BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which is committed to a clear purpose of encouraging proper foot health. Backed by a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK products range from ...
Birkenstock Holding plc BIRK is facing stiff challenges, including tariffs, inflation and impacts from the Middle East War. This Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) has recently hit all-time lows. BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which is committed to a clear purpose of encouraging proper foot health. Backed by a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK products range from entry-level to luxury price points. It is the investor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature. BIRKENSTOCK assembles over 95% of all products in Germany and producing the remainder elsewhere in the EU. The company prioritizes the European origin of its raw materials. BIRKENSTOCK Missed on the Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Earnings On May 13, 2026, BIRKENSTOCK reported fiscal second quarter 2026 earnings and missed on the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.11. Earnings were $0.59 versus the consensus of $0.70. Revenue was up 14% in constant currency to EUR 618 million. It saw double-digit revenue growth in constant currency across all segments with the Americas up 14%, EMEA up 11% and APAC up 30%. B2B revenue growth was up 15% in constant currency and DTC revenue growth jumped 12% in constant currency. However, gross profit margin was down 380 basis points to 53.9% from 57.7% in the year ago period primarily due to unfavorable currency translation (230 basis points), incremental U.S. tariffs (90 basis points) and channel mix (30 basis points), partly offset by sales price adjustments (net of inflation) and improved capacity absorption. The company is facing several headwinds including inflationary pressures, tariffs, and the Iran War which impacted Middle East deliveries as well as consumer confidence in Europe. “Our business proved very resilient in the fiscal second quarter,” said Oliver Reichert, CEO of BIRKENSTOCK. “Despite the ongoing instability in the Middle East, persistent inflationary pressures, US tariff policy evolving unfavorably f...
The UK’s energy regulator said distribution grids must use flexibility tools such as smart technology to better control demand before being allowed to make network investments that add to customers’ bills. Utilities will need to utilize tools such as smart electrical-vehicle charging and battery storage and prove the need for physical grid upgrades, Ofgem said in a report that sets out rules for 2...
The UK’s energy regulator said distribution grids must use flexibility tools such as smart technology to better control demand before being allowed to make network investments that add to customers’ bills. Utilities will need to utilize tools such as smart electrical-vehicle charging and battery storage and prove the need for physical grid upgrades, Ofgem said in a report that sets out rules for 2028-33 grid investment. The framework allows for a 6.08% cost of equity for investments, higher than in the previous period. Britain is facing mounting pressure on its electricity networks as renewable energy projects, EV charging infrastructure and data centers compete for grid access. Years-long connection queues have become a major bottleneck for electrification plans, while the cost of expanding networks has raised concerns about it being passed onto household bills. The regulator warned against “speculative or premature” spending amid uncertainty over future demand, outlining a tougher approach to investment approvals. The five-year period is a critical stage for grid investment needed to expand the existing 800,000 kilometers (500,000 miles) of networks connecting some 30 million customers, Ofgem said. “We know electrification across the economy will drive unprecedented demand, but its precise pace, scale and location remain uncertain,” Steve McMahon, Ofgem’s director of network price controls, said in a statement. “We will sign-off new investment only where the strategic need is clear and networks have maximized existing grid capacity to control demand using smart, flexible grid technology.”
Deere press release ( DE ): Q2 GAAP EPS of $6.55 beats by $0.81 . Revenue of $13.37B (+4.8% Y/Y) beats by $1.87B . Net income attributable to Deere & Company for fiscal 2026 is forecasted to be in a range of $4.5 billion to $5.0 billion. Deere Segment Outlook for Fiscal 2026 Currency Price $ in millions Net Sales Translation Realization Production & Precision Ag Down 5 to 10% +3.0% ~ +1.0% Small A...
Deere press release ( DE ): Q2 GAAP EPS of $6.55 beats by $0.81 . Revenue of $13.37B (+4.8% Y/Y) beats by $1.87B . Net income attributable to Deere & Company for fiscal 2026 is forecasted to be in a range of $4.5 billion to $5.0 billion. Deere Segment Outlook for Fiscal 2026 Currency Price $ in millions Net Sales Translation Realization Production & Precision Ag Down 5 to 10% +3.0% ~ +1.0% Small Ag & Turf Up ~15% +1.0% ~ +1.5% Construction & Forestry Up ~20% +2.0% ~ +2.5% Financial Services Net Income ~ $860 Click to enlarge Shares +1.8% PM. More on Deere Deere: I Would Take The Gains (Q1 Earnings Preview) Deere: Q2 Earnings Beat Could Be On The Way With Industry Tailwinds Deere Is Finally Receiving Winds Of Change Deere heads into Q2 earnings amid soft farm demand and rising tariff pressures China pledges $17B in U.S. farm purchases as trade talks resume
Investing in solid, well-run businesses can help to build wealth so that you're better prepared for retirement. My philosophy is simple: When it comes to growth stocks, just buy and own a business that can increase its revenue, profit, and cash flow over the long term. The stock market will recognize the quality of the business and grant it a higher share price over time, allowing you to enjoy inc...
Investing in solid, well-run businesses can help to build wealth so that you're better prepared for retirement. My philosophy is simple: When it comes to growth stocks, just buy and own a business that can increase its revenue, profit, and cash flow over the long term. The stock market will recognize the quality of the business and grant it a higher share price over time, allowing you to enjoy increasing capital gains. The question you may ask is, what are the right types of stocks to buy and hold over years or even decades? I like companies that demonstrate steady growth in their top and bottom lines as it implies that the business has an edge that enables it to continue growing. These businesses should, ideally, be churning out lots of free cash flow (what's left of cash flow after capital investments) so they don't need to rely on banks to finance growth. By generating large amounts of free cash flow, these companies can pay an increasing dividend, thus helping you secure a larger stream of passive income. The following three stocks are great candidates to buy and hold for the rest of your life. Accenture Accenture (NYSE: ACN) offers consulting services to help its clients optimize their workplaces, improve productivity, and add value to their customers. The company reported strong and rising revenue, along with higher net income, during the past three fiscal years. Revenue increased from $50.5 billion for fiscal 2021 to $64.1 billion for fiscal 2023 (ended Aug. 31). Net income climbed from $5.9 billion to $6.9 billion over the same period. The free cash flow generated was healthy and averaged $8.7 billion per year from the consultancy firm. Because of this consistent free-cash-flow generation, dividends increased from $3.52 per share to $4.48 from fiscal 2021 through 2023. Accenture's earnings momentum has carried over into the first nine months of fiscal 2024 (ended May 31). Revenue inched up 0.8% year over year to $48.5 billion, while net income rose 1.5% year...
Credo Technology Group Company Overview Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock Credo Technology Group ( CRDO ) focuses on building high-speed connections for the internet’s ‘backbone,’ specifically specializing in data centers, AI systems, and cloud computing. In today’s high-tech digital world, high-speed connections are paramount. Whether someone is conducting a query through a large language model (L...
Credo Technology Group Company Overview Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock Credo Technology Group ( CRDO ) focuses on building high-speed connections for the internet’s ‘backbone,’ specifically specializing in data centers, AI systems, and cloud computing. In today’s high-tech digital world, high-speed connections are paramount. Whether someone is conducting a query through a large language model (LLM) like Alphabet’s ( GOOGL ) Gemini or Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Open AI’s ChatGpt, streaming a video, or using a cloud service like Apple’s ( AAPL ) iCloud, that data must travel efficiently and at lightning speed between different pieces of hardware. Credo’s niche is in delivering the specialized components that enable this super-fast, reliable, and energy-efficient data transfer. Credo Has Cash-Rich Clients Credo’s products, specifically their Active Electrical Cables (AECs) and Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) are integral for enabling power-hungry AI data centers operated by their clients. CRDO clients include cash-rich big tech companies like Amazon ( AMZN ), Nvidia ( NVDA ), Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ), and Tesla ( TSLA ). Data Center Buildout Drives Credo’s Revenue Data centers are at the heart of Wall Street’s fastest-growing industries, including cloud computing, AI, and Bitcoin mining. As big tech companies race for AI supremacy, they spend hundreds of billions of dollars in CAPEX on data centers. Wall Street analysts expect the data center market to more than double over the next five years. CRDO sells the “picks and shovels” to the AI gold rush, and as a result, Wall Street analysts expect robust triple-digit earnings growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Meanwhile, CRDO has shown a tendency to beat Zacks Consensus Estimates. Over the past four quarters, the company has delivered positive results that were 27% above expectations on average. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research CRDO Exhibits Relative Strength CRDO’s price action matches its fundame...
Xanadu Quantum Technologies ( Nasdaq: XNDU ) has entered into a synthetic at-the-market equity facility for up to $300M with YA II PN, Ltd. ("Yorkville Advisors"). The program provides Xanadu with the ability, but not the obligation, to issue and sell to Yorkville Advisors up to $300M of its Class B subordinate voting shares in private placements over a term of three years. Net proceeds, if any, w...
Xanadu Quantum Technologies ( Nasdaq: XNDU ) has entered into a synthetic at-the-market equity facility for up to $300M with YA II PN, Ltd. ("Yorkville Advisors"). The program provides Xanadu with the ability, but not the obligation, to issue and sell to Yorkville Advisors up to $300M of its Class B subordinate voting shares in private placements over a term of three years. Net proceeds, if any, will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. XNDU shares rose nearly +7% premarket to $15.09. More on Xanadu Quantum Technologies Limited Xanadu Quantum Technologies: A Bet On Photonics Quantum Computing Xanadu Quantum Technologies: Vast Potential, But Too Early For My Taste Historical earnings data for Xanadu Quantum Technologies Limited Financial information for Xanadu Quantum Technologies Limited
Topps Tiles (LON:TPT) reported broadly flat first-half revenue on a pro forma basis but said stronger gross margins and cost-saving initiatives supported a rise in operating profit, as the tile retailer works toward its “Mission 365” growth plan. Chief Executive Alex Jensen said the company had made “significant progress” against six priorities outlined in December, including increasing focus on t...
Topps Tiles (LON:TPT) reported broadly flat first-half revenue on a pro forma basis but said stronger gross margins and cost-saving initiatives supported a rise in operating profit, as the tile retailer works toward its “Mission 365” growth plan. Chief Executive Alex Jensen said the company had made “significant progress” against six priorities outlined in December, including increasing focus on the bottom line, growing trade sales, accelerating digital initiatives, improving sales execution in Topps Tiles stores and addressing unprofitable parts of the business. “We have increased our focus on profit,” Jensen said during the investor presentation. “We continue to expand gross margin and have implemented three major self-help cost initiatives aimed at accelerating progress to 8% PBT margin.” Pro forma revenue flat as gross margin improves Interim CFO Rob Swales said Topps presented pro forma figures to allow a like-for-like comparison after the CTD business was adjusted out of fiscal 2025 adjusted measures but included in fiscal 2026 adjusted results following the conclusion of the CMA process and Topps gaining full control. On that pro forma basis, first-half revenue was broadly flat year over year at £142.6 million, down 0.2%. Topps Tiles like-for-like sales were marginally positive at 0.1%, while online pure-play revenue grew strongly. CTD revenue declined by £2.8 million, largely because the business traded from 22 stores in the first half compared with about 30 in the prior-year period, although CTD store like-for-like sales were positive at 1%. Swales said pro forma gross margin rose 160 basis points to 53%, driven mainly by margin growth in Topps Tiles. He said close management of cost of goods sold and pricing more than offset mix effects from growth in trade and essentials, which naturally dilute the Topps margin. Margin also benefited from actions at CTD around product range, pricing, discounts and delivery, as well as the addition of the higher-margin Fir...
Intermediate Capital Group (LON:ICG) reported stronger full-year results for the 12 months ended March 31, 2026, with management pointing to above-target fundraising, growth in fee-earning assets under management and record group operating cash flow. Chris Hunt, managing director and head of investor relations, said the financial information discussed on the call was based on Alternative Performan...
Intermediate Capital Group (LON:ICG) reported stronger full-year results for the 12 months ended March 31, 2026, with management pointing to above-target fundraising, growth in fee-earning assets under management and record group operating cash flow. Chris Hunt, managing director and head of investor relations, said the financial information discussed on the call was based on Alternative Performance Measures, excluding the consolidation of some fund structures required under IFRS. Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer Benoît Durteste said fiscal 2026 was “a good year for ICG,” highlighting the firm’s expanded competitive position, fundraising performance and a new strategic relationship with Amundi. Durteste said ICG managed $126 billion of assets globally as of March 31, 2026. Fundraising for the year totaled $17 billion, which he said “materially surpassed” expectations. Fee-earning AUM rose 11% during the year, while the firm added 83 new institutional limited partners, bringing its total client base to more than 870. Fundraising Beats Expectations ICG’s strongest fundraising came from both established and scaling strategies. Durteste said the firm had its best year ever for real assets, raising $5.5 billion, while scaling strategies overall attracted $8.4 billion. North America accounted for 34% of capital raised, a trend Durteste attributed to investor interest in diversifying into Europe and to ICG’s investment in U.S. marketing capabilities. The company’s Europe Fund IX had raised more than €10 billion at the time of the call. Durteste said the fund was likely to be oversubscribed and expected a final close by the summer, ahead of its initial fundraising deadline. He described it as ICG’s first commingled fund above €10 billion and said he believed it would be the largest structured capital fund of its kind globally. Durteste also pointed to final closes for Infrastructure II and Metro II, both within real assets, saying they closed at or above...
Tharisa (LON:THS) reported sharply higher first-half earnings and cash generation, supported by stronger platinum group metals prices and stable chrome production, while management said it continues to fund underground development in South Africa and advance the Karo Platinum project in Zimbabwe. Chief Executive Officer Phoevos Pouroulis said the six months ended March 31, 2026, were marked by “a ...
Tharisa (LON:THS) reported sharply higher first-half earnings and cash generation, supported by stronger platinum group metals prices and stable chrome production, while management said it continues to fund underground development in South Africa and advance the Karo Platinum project in Zimbabwe. Chief Executive Officer Phoevos Pouroulis said the six months ended March 31, 2026, were marked by “a really good half-year period,” with the company looking to improve both PGM and chrome output in the second half, despite inflationary pressure tied in part to higher diesel prices. PGM Prices Drive Earnings Growth Chief Financial Officer Michael Jones said Tharisa’s co-product model, producing both PGMs and chrome concentrates, again demonstrated resilience. Revenue rose 28% to $359.4 million, driven mainly by a stronger PGM basket price and higher PGM sales volumes. Jones said EBITDA increased 138.1% to $104.3 million, while profit before tax rose to $69.9 million. Earnings per share were $0.158, up 532% from the comparable period. Operational cash flow totaled $96.4 million. The board approved an increased interim dividend of 0.025 per share, which Jones said equated to a 15.9% payout of consolidated net profit after tax. Tharisa produced 753,300 tonnes of chrome concentrate in the period, broadly flat year over year, while PGM production rose to 73,100 ounces. Jones said the average PGM basket price increased 85.3% to $2,099 per ounce, while the average metallurgical-grade chrome price rose 12.3% to $284 per tonne. On an FCA revenue basis, Jones said PGMs contributed just under 60% of revenue and chrome just over 40%. Rhodium, despite representing about 10% of production, contributed roughly 35% of revenue because of strong pricing. Balance Sheet Remains Net Cash Positive Tharisa ended the period with cash and cash equivalents of $184.3 million and total debt of $130.3 million, resulting in a net cash position of $54 million. Jones described the balance sheet as “extrem...
Minchella on life as a treble winner, his club’s rivalry with Wigan and why playing at Wembley brings it all back By No Helmets Required Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigan play each other twice in the next 10 days in two games that will fully test their depth and resilience. After a slow start in Super League, the treble winners are climbing up the table and could go second if they beat Wigan at Crave...
Minchella on life as a treble winner, his club’s rivalry with Wigan and why playing at Wembley brings it all back By No Helmets Required Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigan play each other twice in the next 10 days in two games that will fully test their depth and resilience. After a slow start in Super League, the treble winners are climbing up the table and could go second if they beat Wigan at Craven Park on Thursday night. Their second meeting is at Wembley in the Challenge Cup final next Saturday . Rovers seem to be peaking at the right time. They have been punching out peak performances in recent weeks, the latest a tough win at Leigh. This is a golden era for the club. After reaching the Challenge Cup final and Super League semi-finals in 2023, they played in their first Grand Final in 2024, finally won the title last year and were crowned world club champions in February. Willie Peters’ squad are entering their fourth year together. He will leave in October to take over new NRL franchise PNG Chiefs and, even though most of the club’s important players will stay, it feels like their time is now. Continue reading...
In this article .SPX NIO FXI AAP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Traders signal offers in the S&P options trading pit at the Cboe Global Markets exchange on March 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images With Nvidia earnings in the rearview mirror, traders have a handful of earnings before and after the bell to trade on Thursday. Here's how the action is setting up...
In this article .SPX NIO FXI AAP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Traders signal offers in the S&P options trading pit at the Cboe Global Markets exchange on March 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty Images With Nvidia earnings in the rearview mirror, traders have a handful of earnings before and after the bell to trade on Thursday. Here's how the action is setting up in some of the most popular names for options traders. Walmart The consumer retail giant is having a great year, up 16% — almost double the S&P 500 — as consumers under inflationary pressure seek shopping at a value. Walmart shares have dropped after four of the last five reports and swung an average 4.5% the past two years. Right now, options traders are prepared for just under that, with a 4.3% expected move. Of all the stocks reporting Thursday, Walmart was the most actively traded in options Wednesday, with more than 154,000 contracts exchanged. More puts traded than calls by volume, but more premium was spent on calls. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon WMT year to date Nio Chinese electric-vehicle maker Nio is up 9% on the year despite Chinese stocks in the Hang-Seng Index down 2% and the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) down 9%. Trading under $5.6 at Wednesday's close, the ADR is a popular trade among speculators looking for nominally cheap contracts. More than 110,000 calls traded Wednesday, compared to just 35,000 puts. More calls were sold than bought, and the 6 and 6.5-strike calls expiring Friday were most popular by volume. Gamma exposure of $25 million was five times the actual premium traded, suggesting out-of-the-money traders looking for big, quick moves. Webull Trading and investing app Webull is down 15% on the year, bringing its 52-week decline to more than 40%. It's not the only brokerage under pressure: Robinhood is down 34%, and Charles Schwab has lost 11%. Options traders bought more than three times as many calls as puts on the stock Wednesday, and...
Key Points Equity and index options are speculative instruments that can produce surprisingly big returns. The outsize potential of options requires taking on outsize risk, and comes with some sort of trade-off. The big trade-off with JEPI is above-average short-term cash flow in exchange for below-average total returns (particularly after taxes). 10 stocks we like better than JPMorgan Equity Prem...
Key Points Equity and index options are speculative instruments that can produce surprisingly big returns. The outsize potential of options requires taking on outsize risk, and comes with some sort of trade-off. The big trade-off with JEPI is above-average short-term cash flow in exchange for below-average total returns (particularly after taxes). 10 stocks we like better than JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF › Income investors willing to look a bit off the beaten path might have come across the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (NYSEMKT: JEPI) in their search; its monthly dividend payments and yields of up to 10% are certainly attractive. As is the case with all investment choices, however, this one comes with trade-offs ... trade-offs that don't work for me. But that doesn't necessarily mean this fund isn't right for you. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » What's the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF? It's a somewhat unusual instrument. In simplest terms, JEPI is a large-cap equity fund, but with a major twist. That twist is that it generates recurring short-term income by selling -- or "writing" -- call options, using its stakes in stocks like Alphabet, Apple, and Johnson & Johnson as a kind of collateral for these somewhat risky options trades. Selling these "covered" calls, however, also means the fund is occasionally forced to sell some of its stock holdings at below-market prices. Options are essentially bets that a stock or index will rise or fall to a particular price within a specific time frame. Options contracts are bought and sold just like stocks, at ever-changing prices that reflect their underlying stock or index's ever-changing value. Although options can be used to force the contract's seller (JPMorgan's fund, in this case) to buy or sell a stock or index at the ...
Key Points Zcash doesn't mimic Ethereum in staking or smart contracts. It's planning to change both of those things. It could also compete with Bitcoin as a store of value. 10 stocks we like better than Zcash › Many crypto investors try to assemble their portfolios based on getting exposure to different segments of the sector. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is the go-to store-of-value pick, whereas Ethereu...
Key Points Zcash doesn't mimic Ethereum in staking or smart contracts. It's planning to change both of those things. It could also compete with Bitcoin as a store of value. 10 stocks we like better than Zcash › Many crypto investors try to assemble their portfolios based on getting exposure to different segments of the sector. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is the go-to store-of-value pick, whereas Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) is appealing because it's where a large portion of the activity in decentralized finance (DeFi) happens, and Zcash (CRYPTO: ZEC) is one of the leaders in the privacy coin segment. But Zcash's development roadmap is planning to blur the lines that define those categories in ways that could lead to it siphoning capital from both Bitcoin and Ethereum, assuming several of the project's unfinished technical bets pay off. Here's what Zcash is building, why it matters, and what needs to go right for it to threaten the two biggest cryptocurrencies. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » This privacy coin could create its own ecosystem The concept of Zcash is that it offers holders a form of financial privacy by giving them the option to mask their transactions and wallet balances. One of the most important things about Zcash is that it shares Bitcoin's defining supply constraint, which specifies a hard cap of 21 million coins, and features regular events called halvings that cut the reward in coins that the protocol's miners get for contributing their computing power to the network. In terms of scarcity, the two assets are, at least on paper, largely equivalent. Now, Zcash is aiming to build features that will skew the demand side of the equation in its favor. Three overlapping upgrades could turn Zcash into something neither Bitcoin nor Ethereum offers. First, there's an effort to bring ...