Latest news with #financials
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Intuit Hits All-Time High of $775.36; Analyst Upgrades Fuel Rally
Intuit (INTU, Financials) hit a record high of $775.36 Friday; the stock is up 19.41% over the past year, backed by strong financials and upbeat analyst sentiment. The company reported a gross margin of 80.26%; revenue rose 15% year over year. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with ISRG. List of 52-Week Lows List of 3-Year Lows List of 5-Year Lows Analysts are raising price targets; Mizuho went to $875; Stifel to $850; BMO reaffirmed $820; CLSA opened at $900. The bullish calls reflect optimism in QuickBooks, AI tools, and the global business segment. With low churn, higher pricing, and platform expansion, analysts see more room to run; Intuit's R&D push is also viewed as a long-term growth lever. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Forbes
16 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
The 6 Best Stocks To Buy Now For July 2025
Opt for companies with reasonable valuations and strong outlooks to hedge against a downturn later ... More this year. The S&P 500 is flirting with a new high this June, despite geopolitical unrest and a fast-approaching tariff deadline. When investor enthusiasm runs hot, it can be a good time to exercise caution. Should inflation or unemployment jump later this year, you'll appreciate having defensive options in your portfolio. That's why these top stocks for July have defensive qualities alongside double-digit upside potential. Any one of them could be the all-field player your portfolio needs to thrive amid the economic complexities of 2025. How These Top Stock Picks Were Chosen Analysts at Wealth Management see opportunities later this year in utilities, financials and international industrials alongside ongoing growth in technology. Utilities have long been viewed as defensive stocks, but they now have good growth potential, too—since the AI data center buildout is driving electricity demand higher. Financials can be a defensive play against rising interest rates, but they're also likely to thrive as banking regulations ease under President Trump. Also, regional financial companies and utilities have the added advantage of limited tariff exposure. The selection criteria for these top stock picks were designed to capitalize on these trends. All six stocks are either utilities or financials that meet these parameters: The six stocks chosen also pay dividends, with yields ranging from 0.7% to 6.5%. 6 Top Stocks To Buy Now In July 2025 The table below highlights six reasonably valued financial and utility stocks that are expected to deliver double-digit EPS growth this year. A review of each company follows. Metrics are sourced from company reports, and author calculations. For more top stock ideas, see this list of best stocks to buy for 2025. 1. PG&E Corporation (PCG) (H2) PCG by the numbers: PG&E sells electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial and agricultural customers in Northern and Central California. PG&E's 2025 non-GAAP core earnings EPS guidance is $1.48 to $1.52. The midpoint of the range, $1.50, represents an increase of 10.2% from 2024. Longer term, analysts expect the utility company to continue increasing earnings by high single digits, reaching EPS of $2.12 in 2029. A strong data center pipeline and aggressive capital spending plan are contributing to PG&E's optimistic outlook. The utility has 18 projects in the final engineering phase, with some scheduled to come online next year. PG&E's capital spending budget from 2025 through 2028 totals $52.5 billion. Cost control and risk mitigation are also priorities. PG&E's long-term operations and maintenance cost reduction target is 2% annually. The company exceeded this goal in 2023 and 2024. The risk mitigation efforts are focused on improving wildfire response and powerline safety. PG&E's quarterly dividend is $0.025 and the yield is 0.7%. 2. Edison International (EIX) EIX by the numbers: Edison International provides electricity to residential, commercial, agency and industrial customers in Southern California. Edison International's 2025 core EPS guidance is $5.94 to $6.34. The midpoint of the range, $6.14, is 24.5% higher than EIX's 2024 core EPS of $4.93. The EIX leadership team says the company can grow core EPS 5% to 7% annually through 2028. The targeted range for 2028 core EPS is $6.74 to $7.14. EIX's stock price fell dramatically after the California wildfires in January 2025. The stock had been trading above $80 per share since the prior summer. It's now in the $50s. Several analysts see this as a buying opportunity. The consensus price target on the utility is $76.82, equating to 51.5% upside. Edison is facing lawsuits related to the wildfires, a risk investors should weigh carefully. California has a wildfire fund to protect its utility companies from bankruptcy if courts rule one of them liable for fire damages. Unfortunately, the $21 billion fund may not be enough to cover losses from the Eaton Fire. PG&E executives have said they don't think the utilities or their shareholders should contribute to the fund. Edison International pays a quarterly dividend of $0.8275 per share, for a yield of 6.5%. 3. SouthState Corporation (SSB) SSB by the numbers: SouthState Corporation operates a regional bank serving consumer and business customers in Texas and the southeastern U.S. Analysts expect SouthState to deliver EPS of $8.62 in 2025, up nearly 24% from the $6.97 result in 2024. By 2027, analysts expect SouthState's EPS to reach $10.50. SouthState implemented pivotal changes in the first quarter. The company completed its acquisition of Independent Bank Group, with branches located in fast-growing Texas markets. SouthState also completed a sale and leaseback of 165 bank branches and restructured $1.8 billion of securities. The acquisition expands SouthState's footprint into key markets. And the restructuring helped boost the bank's net interest margin to 3.85% from 3.48% in the prior quarter. The company is well-positioned for the future, with improved financial strength and profitability. SouthState pays a quarterly per-share dividend of $0.54, for a yield of 2.3%. 4. Webster Financial Corporation (WBS) WBS by the numbers: Webster Financial Corporation operates a regional bank serving consumers and business customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the New York metro. The 2025 EPS expectation for Webster Financial is $5.79, up 32.6% from last year's $4.37 result. Additionally, eight analysts project the company's 2027 earnings to eclipse $7 per share. Webster reported solid first-quarter 2025 results that included deposit and loan growth across multiple business lines. The bank also grew net interest income 0.6% on a higher net interest margin. However, WBS did increase its allowance for credit losses in the first quarter. CFO Neal Holland cited an uncertain economic outlook and the need to prepare "for a wider range of economic scenarios." Despite the uncertainty, WBS increased its common stock repurchase authorization by a generous $700 million in May. The move signals confidence in the bank's outlook. Webster Financial pays a quarter per-share dividend of $0.10, for a yield of 2.9%. 5. UMB Financial Corporation (UMBF) UMBF by the numbers: UMB Financial provides regional banking services to consumers and businesses in the Midwest and California. Services include traditional depository services plus wealth management, financial planning and institutional banking. Analysts expect UMBF to produce 2025 EPS of $10.23, a 13.8% improvement over 2024 EPS of $8.99. The earnings growth is projected to continue, albeit more slowly, in 2026 and 2027. The 2027 EPS outlook for UMBF is $12.25. UMB Financial has historically been a conservatively managed business. Strategic priorities include balance sheet health, liquidity and above-average credit quality. This approach has contributed to double-digit net income growth in three of the last four years. Business prudence also allowed UMBF to close the largest acquisition in its history in January. The purchase of Heartland Financial increased the bank's asset size by 32% and expanded UMBF's footprint into California, New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. The acquisition also contributed to a 37-basis point reduction in deposit costs and a 39-basis point improvement in net interest margin in the first quarter. UMBF pays a quarterly dividend of $0.40, for a modest yield of 1.5%. 6. Old National Bancorp (ONB) ONB by the numbers: Old National Bancorp operates the sixth largest commercial bank in the Midwest. The bank offers retail and commercial banking, wealth management, investing and capital markets services. Old National Bancorp produced 2024 EPS of $1.68. Analysts expect 2025 EPS of $2.17, which equates to earnings growth of 29.2%. Current EPS projections for 2026 and 2027 are $2.66 and $2.98, respectively. ONB's first quarter results beat analyst expectations for revenue and adjusted EPS. The leadership team cited solid organic loan and deposit growth combined with tight control of operating expenses. Other highlights included continued strong capital ratios and stable credit quality metrics. The positive results positioned ONB well for its merger with Bremer Bank, which closed after quarter-end on May 1. The ONB team expects the transaction to contribute to lower deposit costs and loan growth going forward. The combined entity at close had about $70 billion in assets and $37 billion in assets under management, placing it in the top 25 of U.S.-based banks. ONB pays a quarterly per-share dividend of $0.14, for a yield of 2.6%. Bottom Line For the second half of 2025, utility and midsized financial stocks could provide defensive growth, plus a nice boost to your cash income. Opt for companies with reasonable valuations and strong outlooks to hedge against a downturn later this year.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Goldman Sachs (GS) Gains BofA's Attention for Return on Equity Potential Among Other Catalysts
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) is one of the 10 cheap Jim Cramer stocks to invest in. On June 11, BofA analyst Ebrahim Poonawala maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $700. The analyst highlighted GS stock as a strong candidate for a secular re-rating due to its ongoing shift toward a structurally higher return on equity, its ability to deliver superior and durable earnings per share growth, and its better-than-perceived resiliency in capital markets. Poonawala also noted that Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) possesses a strong combination of scale and flexibility, which makes it an attractive investment at current levels. Moreover, at the Morgan Stanley US Financials, Payments & CRE Conference on June 11, CEO & President, Brian Thomas Moynihan, highlighted the firm's 25 straight quarters of net new checking account growth in consumer banking. The retail business, which accounts for 70% of customers and 30% of balances, maintains average checking balances triple the industry standard. Over the past decade, primary account usage increased from 60% to 90%, with notable gains in customer satisfaction. He added that Goldman Sachs' (NYSE:GS) sales and trading revenue has increased year-over-year for 12 consecutive quarters, with the 13th expected. A close-up of a financial advisor giving advice to a customer, demonstrating the importance of consumer and wealth management. Furthermore, on June 11, Cramer commented: 'I've tried to be skeptical of these three red hot areas, but as I told you last week, once the thing really takes off, you can't be a scold. I'm not about you not making money, I'm about you making money. And the market's saying, listen, these companies can raise some money, and I think you're going to see scores more coming public. By the way, we own Goldman Sachs for the Charitable Trust; that's another way to play it. The investment banks are eager to give it to them, and they know that there's a thirst that can't be slaked without more deals.' Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is a financial company that provides advisory, lending, investment management, and banking services across a wide range of asset classes and financial products, including services such as mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting, credit solutions, investment strategies, and transaction banking. While we acknowledge the potential of GS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. 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
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Closing Bell: ASX tumbles as banking stocks slump
ASX arrests momentum to fall 0.43pc Materials up 2.27pc alongside ASX 200 Resources, up 1.99pc Profit taking in bank stocks drives ASX 200 Banks index down 2.24pc While the ASX 200 had a roaring start to the day, up 0.61% in the first hour, it had tripped over its own feet by midday and continued to tumble right until close of trade. Despite a buoyant materials sector (+2.27%), the ASX has shed 0.43% today, suffering from profit taking in our top seven banking stocks and a lagging gold sector. Info tech (+0.55%) and telecoms (+0.54%) were able to provide some support, but it wasn't enough to outweigh full percentage drops in the financials, health care and real estate sectors. The ASX 200 Banks index fell 2.24% by the end of the day. Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) shed 2.8%, NAB (ASX:NAB) 1.5%, Westpac (ASX:WBC) 1.9%, ANZ (ASX:ANZ) 1.8% , QBE Insurance (ASX:QBE) 0.4% and Suncorp (ASX:SUN) 0.6% Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) was the only bright spot, jumping 1.96%. MQG today announced it has ceased to be a substantial shareholder in NRW Holdings (ASX:NWH). Gold stocks weren't part of the wider resources rally, shedding 1.08% as the ASX 200 Resources surged 1.99%. ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS Today's best performing small cap stocks: Security Name Last % Change Volume Market Cap RAN Range International 0.0025 150% 6635397 $939,290 GMN Gold Mountain Ltd 0.002 100% 19266605 $5,619,759 JAY Jayride Group 0.002 100% 3643361 $1,427,889 MIOR Macarthur Minerals 0.002 100% 1214368 $99,833 MGU Magnum Mining & Exp 0.005 67% 6139972 $3,364,953 CYQ Cycliq Group Ltd 0.003 50% 2810692 $921,033 TKL Traka Resources 0.0015 50% 1000000 $2,125,790 ASR Asra Minerals Ltd 0.002 33% 500000 $5,987,547 ECT Env Clean Tech Ltd. 0.004 33% 21157796 $12,020,306 MTB Mount Burgess Mining 0.004 33% 5038925 $1,055,108 PPG Pro-Pac Packaging 0.02 33% 292877 $2,725,316 D3E D3 Energy Limited 0.145 32% 712870 $8,742,251 CLG Close Loop 0.035 30% 7705999 $14,359,946 AGY Argosy Minerals Ltd 0.019 27% 43971108 $21,838,814 1CG One Click Group Ltd 0.01 25% 526551 $9,458,289 AN1 Anagenics Limited 0.005 25% 472587 $1,985,281 ANX Anax Metals Ltd 0.005 25% 10315929 $3,531,230 AUK Aumake Limited 0.0025 25% 5129 $6,046,718 BEL Bentley Capital Ltd 0.01 25% 89000 $609,023 DGR DGR Global Ltd 0.005 25% 225000 $4,174,784 SKK Stakk Limited 0.005 25% 206022 $8,300,319 VML Vital Metals Limited 0.0025 25% 3289773 $11,790,134 C1X Cosmosexploration 0.063 24% 270022 $5,531,797 8IH 8I Holdings Ltd 0.011 22% 11749 $3,133,448 THR Thor Energy PLC 0.011 22% 287171 $6,397,109 Making news… Argosy Minerals (ASX:AGY) has offloaded 60 metric tonnes of battery quality lithium carbonate in an offtake deal with a Hong Kong based chemical company. Management says it's joined an exclusive group of lithium carbonate product exporters at a challenging time for the industry, reflecting the strong fundamentals of its Rincon lithium project in the lithium triangle. Anagenics (ASX:AN1) has celebrated the launch of Bouf Haircare by York Street Brands, developed using its proprietary anti-aging solutions. The new product had a stellar launch in May, selling out of the Flouf Factor Growth Tonic product and forecast to generate $2.3 million in sales during the first quarter. That translates to a tidy royalty cut of $230,000 for AN1, which expects the royalty deal to generate quite a bit more than the minimum agreed 10-year payments of $4.5 million. ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS Today's worst performing small cap stocks: Security Name Last % Change Volume Market Cap PKO Peako Limited 0.001 -50% 10682448 $2,975,484 TAT Tartana Minerals Ltd 0.026 -38% 306401 $8,994,128 ALR Altairminerals 0.002 -33% 200000 $12,890,233 EEL Enrg Elements Ltd 0.001 -33% 8744238 $4,880,668 RCM Rapid Critical 0.002 -33% 12643388 $4,247,334 SRJ SRJ Technologies 0.005 -29% 2602849 $4,239,047 CZN Corazon Ltd 0.0015 -25% 24250 $2,369,145 OVT Ovanti Limited 0.006 -25% 1.18E+08 $24,044,120 AXI Axiom Properties 0.027 -23% 300290 $15,144,978 JAV Javelin Minerals Ltd 0.002 -20% 3030000 $15,315,373 SPQ Superior Resources 0.004 -20% 5837278 $11,854,914 PV1 Provaris Energy Ltd 0.014 -18% 435849 $11,866,022 BUR Burleyminerals 0.043 -17% 535303 $9,420,700 STG Straker Limited 0.4 -17% 195475 $30,882,864 C7A Clara Resources 0.0025 -17% 596670 $1,764,813 ICR Intelicare Holdings 0.005 -17% 10000 $2,917,129 KPO Kalina Power Limited 0.005 -17% 261602 $17,597,974 PRM Prominence Energy 0.0025 -17% 166367 $1,167,529 LKY Locksleyresources 0.074 -16% 17763032 $16,133,333 IRD Iron Road Ltd 0.022 -15% 800330 $21,546,012 REE Rarex Limited 0.017 -15% 10056907 $18,403,280 AKN Auking Mining Ltd 0.006 -14% 525000 $4,023,451 AVD Avada Group Limited 0.12 -14% 534442 $11,890,904 M2R Miramar 0.003 -14% 577648 $3,488,881 ODE Odessa Minerals Ltd 0.006 -14% 3988664 $11,196,728 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT QEM (ASX:QEM) can proceed with an environmental impact statement for its Julia Creek project in Queensland after receiving the finalised terms of reference. LinQ Minerals (ASX:LNQ) has become the first gold explorer to list on the ASX in 2025 after raising $10m through a heavily oversubscribed initial public offering priced at 20c per share. LAST ORDERS Harvest Technology Group (ASX:HTG) managing director Ilario Faenza was on the road this week, hosting 30 different meetings across three days in Singapore and Hong Kong. Faenza spoke with small cap fund managers and family offices, presenting HTG's Nodestream Enhanced Operating Network, an edge compute horsepower and storage solution. TRADING HALTS At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Harvest Technology Group is a Stockhead advertiser, it did not sponsor this article.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Brown & Brown (BRO) Deliver Strong Returns Across Economic Cycles?
Parnassus Investments, an investment management company, released the 'Parnassus Core Equity Fund' first quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Fund (Investor Shares) fell -2.44% (net of fees) in the quarter, outperforming the S&P 500 Index's -4.27% return. U.S. equities fell in the first quarter, showing a shift from the robust gains of the previous quarter. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its first-quarter 2025 investor letter, Parnassus Core Equity Fund highlighted stocks such as Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO). Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) provides insurance products and services. The one-month return of Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) was -2.97%, and its shares gained 20.21% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On June 25, 2025, Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) stock closed at $108.38 per share, with a market capitalization of $35.746 billion. Parnassus Core Equity Fund stated the following regarding Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) in its Q1 2025 investor letter: "Our overweight in the Financials sector grew as we added the insurance broker Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO). We believe the company is well positioned for strong returns across economic cycles. Our overweights within Financials continue to emphasize data and exchange companies and service oriented businesses like insurance providers, which we prefer over banks. A successful independent agent or broker discussing the benefits of life and health insurance with a customer. Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 32 hedge fund portfolios held Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) at the end of the first quarter, which was 39 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the undervalued AI stock set for massive gains. In another article, we covered Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) and shared The BBH Select Series – Mid Cap Fund's views on the company. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. While we acknowledge the potential of BRO as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. 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
