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The Top 5 Analyst Questions From H&R Block's Q1 Earnings Call
The Top 5 Analyst Questions From H&R Block's Q1 Earnings Call

Yahoo

time03-07-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

The Top 5 Analyst Questions From H&R Block's Q1 Earnings Call

H&R Block's first quarter results were met with a negative market reaction, despite the company surpassing Wall Street's revenue and non-GAAP profit expectations. Management attributed revenue growth to higher net average charge (NAC) in the U.S. and increased company-owned Assisted return volumes, while acknowledging challenges in international operations and a highly competitive do-it-yourself (DIY) segment. CEO Jeffrey Jones emphasized the impact of a late-season client surge and a continued industry shift towards Assisted tax preparation, highlighting, 'We experienced record-high volumes in our tax offices in the final two days of the season compared to recent history.' Is now the time to buy HRB? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $2.28 billion vs analyst estimates of $2.25 billion (4.2% year-on-year growth, 1.3% beat) Adjusted EPS: $5.38 vs analyst estimates of $5.17 (4.1% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $1.01 billion vs analyst estimates of $984.2 million (44.4% margin, 2.8% beat) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $3.72 billion at the midpoint Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $5.25 at the midpoint EBITDA guidance for the full year is $997.5 million at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 43%, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $7.48 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Kartik Mehta (Northcoast Research) questioned the shift from DIY to Assisted filings and why the Assisted segment continues to outpace expectations. CEO Jeffrey Jones attributed this to consumer uncertainty and the importance of expert help during tax season. Scott Schneeberger (Oppenheimer & Co.) asked about the decline in franchise operations and the impact of franchise buybacks. CFO Tiffany Mason explained that most of the decline was due to buybacks, not organic weakness, and highlighted the attractive returns from this strategy. Scott Schneeberger (Oppenheimer & Co.) also inquired about the competitive dynamics in the DIY segment, especially around paid vs. free filers. Jones stated that H&R Block focused on paid clients rather than pursuing volume for free filers amid heavy competitor promotions. George Tong (Goldman Sachs) addressed the difference between H&R Block's Assisted volume growth and the broader industry's performance. Jones acknowledged improved conversion and retention, particularly among higher-value clients, but noted the company has more work to do to gain share. Alexander Paris (Barrington Research) probed the effect of tax filing deadline extensions on volumes. Mason clarified that most extensions shift some volume into the next quarter, but the overall impact is not material to full-year guidance. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) the effectiveness of H&R Block's initiatives to drive retention and conversion among higher-value Assisted clients, (2) adoption and monetization of digital and AI-enabled services in both DIY and Assisted channels, and (3) the impact of further franchise buybacks and integration on operating performance. Shifts in consumer filing timing and regulatory developments will also be important markers for tracking strategic progress. H&R Block currently trades at $55.90, down from $61.64 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows
National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows

Los Angeles Times

time02-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Los Angeles Times

National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows

WASHINGTON — Only 36% of Democrats say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, according to a new Gallup poll, reflecting a dramatic decline in national pride that's also clear among young people. The findings are a stark illustration of how many — but not all — Americans have felt less of a sense of pride in their country over the past decade. The split between Democrats and Republicans, at 56 percentage points, is at its widest since 2001. That includes all four years of Republican President Trump's first term. Only about 4 in 10 U.S. adults who are part of Generation Z, which is defined as those born from 1997 to 2012, expressed a high level of pride in being American in Gallup surveys conducted in the past five years, on average. That's compared with about 6 in 10 millennials — those born between 1980 and 1996 — and at least 7 in 10 U.S. adults in older generations. 'Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else,' said Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup. 'But even among the older generations, we see that they're less patriotic than the ones before them, and they've become less patriotic over time. That's primarily driven by Democrats within those generations.' America's decline in national pride has been a slow erosion, with a steady downtick in Gallup's data since January 2001, when the question was first asked. Even during the tumultuous early years of the Iraq War, the vast majority of U.S. adults, whether Republican or Democrat, said they were 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American. At that point, about 9 in 10 were 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American. That remained high in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but the consensus around American pride slipped in the years that followed, dropping to about 8 in 10 in 2006 and continuing a gradual decline. Now, 58% of U.S. adults say that, in a downward shift that's been driven almost entirely by Democrats and independents. The vast majority of Republicans continue to say they're proud to be American. Independents' pride in their national identity hit a new low in the most recent survey, at 53%, largely following that pattern of gradual decline. Democrats' diminished pride in being American is more clearly linked to Trump's time in office. When Trump first entered the White House, in 2017, about two-thirds of Democrats said they were proud to be American. That had fallen to 42% by 2020, just before Trump lost reelection to Democrat Joe Biden. But while Democrats' sense of national pride rebounded when Biden took office, it didn't go back to its pre-Trump levels. 'It's not just a Trump story,' Jones said. 'Something else is going on, and I think it's just younger generations coming in and not being as patriotic as older people.' Other recent polling shows that Democrats and independents are less likely than Republicans to say that expressing patriotism is important or to feel a sense of pride in their national leaders. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans in a 2024 SSRS poll said they believed patriotism has a positive impact on the United States, with Democrats more divided: 45% said patriotism had a positive impact on the country, while 37% said it was negative. But a more general sense of discontent was clear on both sides of the aisle earlier this year, when a CNN/SSRS poll found that fewer than 1 in 10 Democrats and Republicans said 'proud' described the way they felt about politics in America today. In that survey, most Americans across the political spectrum said they were 'disappointed' or 'frustrated' with the country's politics. Sanders and Thomson-Deveaux write for the Associated Press.

Americans' pride in their country is declining, new Gallup poll shows
Americans' pride in their country is declining, new Gallup poll shows

Fox News

time30-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Fox News

Americans' pride in their country is declining, new Gallup poll shows

With Independence Day nearly upon us, a new Gallup poll shows that pride in America is declining, splitting along party lines. The Gallup report shows that a record-low number of U.S. adults expressed that they are "extremely" or "very" proud to be an American. Only 41% of adults say they are extremely proud to be an American, while 17% are very proud to be an American, a nine-point drop from last year. The data indicate a plummeting sense of pride in America over the past decade. Furthermore, the report explained further that there is a 56-point gap between Republicans (92% extremely or very proud) and Democrats (36%). Democrats are a major factor in the significant drop in U.S. pride in 2025, down 26 points from 62% last year. Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, wrote that "each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else." "But even among the older generations, we see that they're less patriotic than the ones before them, and they've become less patriotic over time. That's primarily driven by Democrats within those generations," Jones wrote. As far as Gen Z Democrats, only 32% say they are extremely or very proud. Gen Z Republicans also showed less pride than previous generations of Republicans. The Gallup poll added the findings were conducted before Trump's decision to strike Iran on June 21 and "it is unknown whether Americans' national pride has been affected by that action." "In addition to the 58% of U.S. adults who are extremely or very proud, 19% say they are 'moderately' proud, 11% 'only a little' proud and 9% 'not at all' proud," Gallup reported. "The combined 20% on the lower end of the pride scale essentially ties the record 21% measured in 2020. Until 2018, less than 10% of U.S. adults had consistently said they had little or no national pride." Americans who registered as independents indicated a drop in pride since last year and has been on a steady decline over the past two decades.

As national pride plunges, Trump's America looks less 'great' than ever, Gallup poll data reveals
As national pride plunges, Trump's America looks less 'great' than ever, Gallup poll data reveals

Economic Times

time30-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Economic Times

As national pride plunges, Trump's America looks less 'great' than ever, Gallup poll data reveals

Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Just days before the Fourth of July , a new Gallup poll has delivered a jolt to America's patriotic spirit: only 58% of U.S. adults now say they are 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, marking a dramatic 9-point plunge from last year and the lowest level ever recorded by Gallup since the survey began in 2001. This historic dip is driven by a collapse in the number of Americans who describe themselves as 'very proud,' which tumbled from 26% in 2024 to just 17% this year, while the percentage who are 'extremely proud' held steady at 41%.The Gallup Poll is a nationally recognized public opinion survey conducted by Gallup, Inc. , using scientifically selected random samples to measure the attitudes and views of U.S. adults on a wide range of political, social, and economic drop is most pronounced among Democrats , with only 36% expressing strong national pride—an astonishing 26-point fall from 62% just a year ago, and the lowest figure Gallup has ever measured for the group. For comparison, 92% of Republicans now say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, up 7 points from 2024 and continuing a two-decade trend of high GOP patriotism. Independents also showed a decline, with just 53% reporting strong pride, down from 60% last divides are equally stark. Only 41% of Gen Z adults (born 1997–2012) say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, compared to 58% of Millennials and over 70% of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. Jeffrey Jones, Gallup's senior editor, notes, 'Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else. Even among older generations, patriotism is declining—primarily driven by Democrats within those age groups'.National pride in the U.S. peaked in the early 2000s, with 87% of Americans expressing strong pride in 2001, a figure that hovered in the high 80s and low 90s for several years before beginning a steady decline. The current 58% is a new low, surpassing the previous record of 63% set in 2020. The Gallup survey, conducted June 2–19 with a sample of 1,000 adults, carries a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

As national pride plunges, Trump's America looks less 'great' than ever, Gallup poll data reveals
As national pride plunges, Trump's America looks less 'great' than ever, Gallup poll data reveals

Time of India

time30-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Time of India

As national pride plunges, Trump's America looks less 'great' than ever, Gallup poll data reveals

Just days before the Fourth of July , a new Gallup poll has delivered a jolt to America's patriotic spirit: only 58% of U.S. adults now say they are 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, marking a dramatic 9-point plunge from last year and the lowest level ever recorded by Gallup since the survey began in 2001. This historic dip is driven by a collapse in the number of Americans who describe themselves as 'very proud,' which tumbled from 26% in 2024 to just 17% this year, while the percentage who are 'extremely proud' held steady at 41%. The Gallup Poll is a nationally recognized public opinion survey conducted by Gallup, Inc. , using scientifically selected random samples to measure the attitudes and views of U.S. adults on a wide range of political, social, and economic issues. The drop is most pronounced among Democrats , with only 36% expressing strong national pride—an astonishing 26-point fall from 62% just a year ago, and the lowest figure Gallup has ever measured for the group. For comparison, 92% of Republicans now say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, up 7 points from 2024 and continuing a two-decade trend of high GOP patriotism. Independents also showed a decline, with just 53% reporting strong pride, down from 60% last year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 1/2/3 BHK Apartments in Thane Mumbai by Lodha - 58.99 Lakh* Lodha Casa Premier Book Now Undo Generational divides are equally stark. Only 41% of Gen Z adults (born 1997–2012) say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, compared to 58% of Millennials and over 70% of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. Jeffrey Jones, Gallup's senior editor, notes, 'Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else. Even among older generations, patriotism is declining—primarily driven by Democrats within those age groups'. National pride in the U.S. peaked in the early 2000s, with 87% of Americans expressing strong pride in 2001, a figure that hovered in the high 80s and low 90s for several years before beginning a steady decline. The current 58% is a new low, surpassing the previous record of 63% set in 2020. The Gallup survey, conducted June 2–19 with a sample of 1,000 adults, carries a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Live Events

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