Stanley Black & Decker reported third quarter 2026 sales of US$3,731.6 million and net income of US$272.1 million, with basic earnings per share from continuing operations at US$1.84.
Management paired these stronger earnings with a new US$1b share repurchase authorization and ongoing cash dividends, indicating continued emphasis on capital return alongside operational execution.
The focus now turns to how Stanley Black & Decker's investment narrative incorporates this earnings performance and the new US$1b buyback authorization.
Spot opportunities that echo Stanley Black & Decker's earnings strength and capital return focus by scanning our curated list of list of solid balance sheet and fundamentals (23 results).
Owning Stanley Black & Decker means buying into a very physical story. Tools on shelves, outdoor gear in garages, fastening systems in factories. The thesis leans on execution in Tools & Outdoor, disciplined pricing, and the ability to turn that reach into consistent cash that can support both reinvestment and regular dividends. The third quarter earnings, with US$3,731.6 million in sales and US$272.1 million in net income, suggest the cost and mix work of the past few years is feeding through to the bottom line.

#earnings #decker #tools #outdoor

Call it a contrarian move. It has been a riveting 12 hours or so in the markets as investors slice and dice the midterm election outcomes.
Initially, stocks got hammered as the results trickled in. The thinking was that Democrats are less pro-business than Republicans, and since they will control the House and the Senate, there goes the corporate profit miracle that has driven the markets over the past two years.
But something very interesting has emerged after that initial knee-jerk reaction. Stocks are rallying on Wednesday — big-time!
Here are three reasons I think we're seeing this play out.
First, the midterm election results threaten to significantly disrupt AI data center expansion as voter backlash over soaring utility bills, grid instability, and water usage drive a sharp political pivot toward tighter regulatory oversight. That is being viewed as a positive for hyperscalers such as Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Amazon (AMZN) in that they will be forced to pull back on spending, which would boost free cash flow.

#initially

Yesterday, tens of millions of Americans made their voices heard by casting or mailing in their ballots. These votes have charted a new course for America, with Democrats taking firm control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, according to the **** ociated Press. Starting in early January, President Donald Trump will be working with a Democrat-led Congress.
This congressional shake-up is a big win for Democrats. But at the end of the day, there's an even bigger winner: Wall Street's major stock indexes -- the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI), S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC), and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) -- and investors.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
President Trump will be working with a Democrat-led Congress in early January. Image source: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok.
President Trump has enjoyed a unified Republican government in the first two years of both of his nonconsecutive terms. In each case, Congress passed, and he signed into law, a major tax and spending bill. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (signed December 2017) permanently lowered the peak marginal corporate income tax rate to 21%, fueling S&P 500 share buybacks, while the Big, Beautiful Bill (signed July 2025) made the personal income tax bracket reductions from the TCJA permanent.

#president #Trump #NVIDIA #signal

With shares up by almost 700% over the last five years, Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) has been one of the biggest winners on the software side of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) megatrend. It has rapidly incorporated the new technology into its business model, leading to skyrocketing revenue and earnings.
That said, Palantir's stock rally has slowed over the last 12 months, leaving investors wondering whether it can return to the explosive growth it enjoyed in previous years. Let's dig into the pros and cons of the stock to decide what it might be worth by the end of 2027.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Right now, AI-hungry investors are mostly limited to the infrastructure side of the opportunity. This is where hardware companies like Nvidia and Micron build the chips that data center providers use to run and train large language models (LLMs). However, many leading consumer-facing AI software leaders are still privately held, putting them out of reach.
Palantir convincingly bucks the trend. Its business involves sifting through vast amounts of its clients' internal data to help them identify actionable insights like business trends, opportunities, and fraud. Generative AI proved highly synergistic with these tools, enabling operators to access insights via natural language prompts rather than advanced interfaces. Demand has been explosive.

#NVIDIA #generative

President Donald Trump has been in the White House for nearly six years, spanning two nonconsecutive terms. Over that time, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI), benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC), and growth-dependent Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) have delivered well-above-average annual returns, compared to most other presidents since the late 1890s.
One of the key catalysts powering Wall Street's bull market, the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure build-out, was well underway before Trump's second term began. But make no mistake about it: Wall Street and investors have also benefited immensely from the president's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (signed into law in December 2017), which lowered the peak marginal corporate income tax rate to 21% (the lowest rate since 1939), fueling record S&P 500 share buybacks.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
President Trump's tariff and trade policy may be doing more harm than good. Image source: Official White House Photo by Molly Riley.
President Trump has also made tariffs a huge part of his economic growth plan. Said Trump,

#Trump #NVIDIA #white #House

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Washington has a way of making the economy feel good. But Jamie Dimon wants Americans to look at what's fueling the high.
Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago earlier this month, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) compared government spending to a powerful drug — one that can boost corporate profits while setting the stage for a painful aftermath.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
A single line on your car insurance policy could be inflating your premium by up to 30% — here's what to change

#moneywise #finance

Kimberly Guilfoyle has lost her ambassador job, but her name still carries a six-figure price tag on the speaking circuit. The former Fox News personality is listed for appearances costing between $50,000 and $100,000 after she left as U.S. ambassador to Greece amid allegations of financial misconduct, which she denies. Whether anyone is paying those rates is another question. The listing offers a glimpse of her potential earning power, but it doesn't show that she's booked a single six-figure engagement.
Papadakis Press/MEGA
According to her Speaker Booking Agency profile, Guilfoyle is available for speaking engagements, corporate appearances, virtual events, moderated discussions, and meet-and-greets. The page displays a speaking-fee range of $50,000 to $100,000 and lists West Palm Beach, Florida, as her departure point.
That puts the advertised upper limit for one appearance at the same dollar figure as the American Express payment at the center of the controversy surrounding her diplomatic career. The two amounts concern separate matters. One is a public booking estimate, while the other involves disputed allegations about a donor's financial dealings with her.
Papadakis Press/MEGA

#papadakis

Eric Bauza, the Emmy Award-winning voice actor known for bringing some of the most famous Looney Tunes characters to life, has died at the age of 46.
Bauza died at a home in Los Angeles County on Sunday, October 25. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that his cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease and classified his death as natural. He also had sleep apnea and class 2 obesity.
His family announced his death in a statement posted to his Instagram account on Sunday.
Bauza was best known as one of the modern voices behind Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but his work spanned a host of other beloved Looney Tunes characters, including Porky Pig, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, and Road Runner.
According to IMDB, his extensive career included voicing characters in over 400 productions, with roles in productions including "Space Jam: A New Legacy," "Looney Tunes Cartoons," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated."

#bauza #characters #died

Investors are afraid. That's the conclusion of CNN's Fear and Greed Index. The index incorporates seven indicators, including market momentum, stock price strength, and market volatility. CNN's index has spent most of the last two months hovering between a level of "fear" and "extreme fear."
Warren Buffett has one piece of advice for investors worried about the stock market and a potential crash. And history proves it works.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Warren Buffett. Image source: Getty Images. Image source: Getty Images.

#fear #warren #investors

The 10-year Treasury yield recently hit its highest level in 24 years at 5.3%. That high yield has income-seeking investors wondering whether to load up on Treasuries while they're at a historically high level.
Here's a look at how much passive income you can generate over the next 10 years on Treasury bonds compared to another popular income-focused investment: the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHD).
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ***** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
A 10-year Treasury bond is a fixed-income investment backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. It's a global financial benchmark that influences the rates of almost all consumer and corporate credit, including mortgages.

#treasury #missed #year #investors

Jamie Dimon has spent much of this year warning that the bond market is a problem waiting to happen. On April 28, at a conference hosted by Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the JPMorgan Chase CEO said there would be "some kind of bond crisis," according to TheStreet.
The debt he had in mind was mostly owed by governments. But Dimon has long argued that the pain lands somewhere else.
In a 2025 Fox Business interview, he said bond market volatility hurts the people raising money, small businesses included. He admitted he could not tell whether trouble was six months or six years away. This time, he named the next group in line.
Also read: Scott Bessent just made a bold move on the bond market
Speaking on the sidelines of a JPMorgan event in London on Oct. 6, Dimon said the worldwide scramble for capital could begin to squeeze corporate borrowers, Bloomberg reported. Investors will keep asking for more, he said. At some point, that feeds into corporate debt and credit spreads.

#debt

Princess Diana left behind one of the world's most recognizable jewelry collections, and decades after her death, several of its most sentimental pieces continue to appear on Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Kate received perhaps the most famous jewel of them all: Diana's sapphire engagement ring. Meghan, meanwhile, has worn a broader **** ortment of personal pieces, including the late princess' Cartier watch and striking aquamarine **** tail ring. However, determining who received the "best" collection is not as simple as counting diamonds. Some jewels Kate wore belonged to Diana, while others remained part of the royal collection and were merely loaned to both princesses.
Anwar Hussein Newscom/MEGA
Diana reportedly made her wishes clear before her death in 1997.
"I would like you to allocate all my jewelry to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it," she stipulated in a letter accompanying her will, according to Vanity Fair.
The exact division between Prince William and Prince Harry has never been publicly disclosed. Nevertheless, the pieces their wives have subsequently worn offer occasional glimpses into how Diana's personal collection may have been distributed. Kate and Meghan have both used the jewels to honor the mother-in-law they never met. Their selections also reflect their different public lives: Kate regularly wears statement pieces at state occasions, while Meghan frequently incorporates Diana's more personal accessories into contemporary outfits.

#meghan #prince

From a purely statistical standpoint, Wall Street has thrived under President Donald Trump. During his first, non-consecutive term, the timeless Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI), benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC), and tech-focused Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) gained 57%, 70%, and 142%, respectively. We've witnessed something of an encore performance since the beginning of his second term in January 2025.
The Trump bull market is being fueled by the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure build-out, much better-than-expected corporate earnings, and record share buybacks. The president's first-term tax-and-spending law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (signed into law December 2017), spurred the latter by reducing the peak marginal corporate income tax rate to 21%, the lowest level since 1939.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ***** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Image source: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok.
But things may not be as perfect for the stock market as the Dow's, S&P 500's, and Nasdaq Composite's gains imply. An ominous $8.44 trillion figure with historical precedent at its back looms large, implying that the Trump bull market is operating on borrowed time.

#term

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon sharpened his warning about the risks of a global bond sell-off on Tuesday, saying the world's massive competition for capital could begin squeezing corporate borrowers.
Dimon warned that the combination of rising government borrowing costs and spending on the AI boom could spill into corporate credit markets, pushing up the costs for companies to refinance or raise new debt.
"There will be a point where the market will ask for more and more and more, and yeah, at one point that'll feed into corporate debt, corporate credit spreads, and things like that, which is how it normally happens," Dimon said in a Bloomberg interview on the sidelines of a JPMorgan event in London.
"The best thing to do with any of these things is deal with it before it becomes a crisis. If it becomes a crisis, we will deal with it. It just will be in a much less pleasant way," he added.
The warning comes as a global rout in bonds has pushed longer-term borrowing costs sharply higher in recent weeks, with the benchmark US 10-year Treasury yield recently surpassing heights not seen since 2002.

#credit

Interested in Texas Instruments Incorporated? Here are five stocks we like better.
Texas Instruments, Philip Morris International, and W.P. Carey all recently raised their dividends and offer yields ranging from roughly 2% to nearly 6%.
Although all three stocks show elevated trailing payout ratios, forward-looking estimates using future earnings or AFFO suggest their dividends are sustainable.
Each company's growth drivers differ, with Texas Instruments benefiting from chip demand, Philip Morris from smoke-free products, and W.P. Carey facing pressure from higher interest rates.
Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN), Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM), and W.P. Carey (NYSE: WPC) are key names across semiconductors, tobacco, and real estate with strong dividend yields. These three names not only have yields between 2% and 6% but also just increased their payments. At first glance, their dividend sustainability looks questionable, with all three having elevated payout ratios. However, adjusting for future growth and using the appropriate payout metric shows that their dividends are on solid footing.

#instruments #dividends #yields #international

Four major corporate splits are upcoming, with MSGS separating the Knicks and Rangers into two distinct public companies by October 2026.
Keurig Dr Pepper's coffee spinoff carries significant execution risk as Russ Torres becomes its third CEO candidate ahead of the early 2027 split.
Textron leans toward selling its $3 billion Industrial segment rather than spinning it off, meaning shareholders would receive no second stock.
Building a portfolio and living off one are two completely different skills, and almost ******* ody teaches the second. This problem is what The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income helps, and it is free today. Read more here. (Sponsor)
Corteva (NYSE:CTVA) has split into two companies, and we walked through what its shareholders own now. Four more large separations are coming. Each has its own timeline, and each leaves shareholders holding something different. They are listed below by expected timing, soonest first.

#split #second #different

The bond-market rout of 2026 may be jolting markets, but it's also gaining a important following among savers and the risk-averse.
Wall Street has been gripped by the volatile moves in bond yields over the past few weeks. The all-important 10-year Treasury yield BX:TMUBMUSD10Y was up another 3.4 basis points on Monday to 5.35%, it highest level since April 2002, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
My wife never went back to work after raising our kids. Do I have to share my retirement savings 50/50?
Go ahead and get that poetry degree. Republican law won't prevent people with humanities majors from getting student loans.
That's raised the costs of new mortgages, corporate borrowing and financing the $40 trillion national debt. It also has many bond portfolios sitting in a sea of red ink for 2026, with the bond market's equivalent of the S&P 500 SPX — the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index's — total return having turned negative. Bond yields and prices move in the opposite direction.

#bond #treasury #tmubmusd10y

U.S. homeowners paid about $633 more on average in property taxes in 2024 compared to 2019, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Here's what's driving the increase and which states are hit the hardest.
Property taxes are largely determined by a home's ***** sed value and the local tax rate.
The ***** sed value is a dollar amount ***** igned to your home by your local county ***** sor to help determine the property tax. It's not the same as the market value, but it incorporates it.
A higher home market value can mean a higher ***** sed value, which would directly increase its property taxes. And the average market value for a single-family home in the U.S. is $362,210 according to February Zillow estimates — a nearly 55% increase since 2019.
Higher property tax rates may also be behind an increase in real estate taxes. Local governments can raise the rate to cover increases in operational and service costs.

#local #home #average

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admits "something's clearly not working" with the artificial intelligence money that has flooded the midterm elections — and he doesn't expect President Donald Trump's rebrand of the technology to improve his industry's image with the American public, either.
"I get why AI has a really negative perception right now," Altman told Brendan Bordelon in an exclusive interview marking the launch of Decoded by POLITICO. "I don't think spending money on politics is what's going to make people feel better about it. The industry needs to figure out a way to address what the actual concerns are, and right now, a lot of people in the industry are being quite tone deaf."
In the wide-ranging conversation, Altman offered a window into how OpenAI is confronting new political pressures and intensified competition with Anthropic, its corporate archrival run by former employee Dario Amodei.
Altman says OpenAI is more tolerant than Anthropic of less-than-catastrophic harms from AI, drawing out what he sees as a fundamental split in worldview between the two leading labs even as they converge on tougher rules in the wake of high-profile autonomous hacking incidents.
"We believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency," said Altman, who characterized those harms as linked to "the lighter touch regulatory stance that we advocate for."

#openai #money #president

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Douglas, the award-winning actor and producer, recently turned 82. He is a cancer survivor, a recovered addict, a married man, the father and son of actors. He is also an author, who begins his memoir with a message of thanks to his family — past and present and future — for the "sense of immortality."
Immortality.
"Many times my father was asked, 'Kirk, are you jealous of your son?'" he said during a recent interview at a Manhattan hotel, referring to his late father, fellow actor and sometime combatant Kirk Douglas. "And he said, 'Jealous?' This is a sense of immortality, a continuity of generations.'"
Family is how Douglas anchors his legacy and his place in a world he fears is breaking down. But there are other ways to live on past your own time: starring in cultural touchstones like "Fatal Attraction" or "Basic Instinct," or writing a 500-page book that is called "One ****** uva Ride," a famous man's journey from rebellion and coming-of-age, to midlife success and transgression to the inevitable reckoning with mortality and past mistakes.
Publishing on Tuesday, his memoir is framed around the making of some of his most notable movies, including "Basic Instinct," "Fatal Attraction," "Falling Down," "Romancing the Stone" and two films that brought him Oscars: as a producer of best picture winner "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and as star of "Wall Street," when his turn as corporate raider Gordon Gekko brought him the prize for best actor and helped make "Greed is good" a catch phrase for the late 1980s.

#father #basic #instinct

Rihanna continued her Paris Fashion Week style journey at the AWGE spring 2027 show on Wednesday in support of her partner A$AP Rocky. While Rocky revealed his newest Puma styles on the runway, Rihanna's front-row look teased a not-yet-released Amina Muaddi pump style. Rihanna Courtesy of Puma, Photographed by Jojo Korsh/BFA.com Rihanna stepped out in a custom black velvet version of the luxury brand's upcoming Elizabeth pump, which Amina Muaddi has previously teased on social media as a winter 2026 style. Bookended by a sharp toe and a stiletto heel, the focal point of the shoe is its dazzling crystal straps. One is daintier and wraps around the ankle, the other is chunkier and more ornate and draped across the foot. Amina Muaddi is known to incorporate crystal embellishment in some of its footwear styles, ranging from thong sandals to pumps. Rihanna has a significant history with the brand, from collaborating with the eponymous designer on shoe collections under her Fenty banner to debuting silhouettes like the Anok pump and the Elizabeth pump. A closer look at Rihanna's shoes. Courtesy of Puma, Photographed by Jojo Korsh/BFA.com At the AWGE show, Rihanna's Amina Muaddi heels accompanied tight black stirrup pants, a white ****** on-down shirt over a black top
Follow Footwear News on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

#black #awge #rocky

Daisy Edgar-Jones updated the constrained corsetry of the Austen era with sheer romance courtesy of Miu Miu for the premiere of "Sense and Sensibility" in Sydney at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on Thursday.
Daisy Edgar-Jones
The actress turned to the Italian luxury fashion label, founded by Miuccia Prada and launched in 1993, for her latest romantic red carpet moment. The gown combined the ethereal elements and sartorial romanticism Edgar-Jones has incorporated into her wardrobe throughout the press tour.
More from WWD
Florence Pugh Concludes Her 'East of Eden' Press Tour With Vivienne Westwood's Vibrancy

#edgar #daisy

Meghan Markle's As ever brand and Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés unveiled a limited-edition Advent calendar
The holiday countdown features imagery of Meghan and Prince Harry's California home decked out for Christmas
In new videos shared on Instagram Stories, Meghan gave a glimpse of her preparing for the holiday calendar in June
Meghan Markle is already counting down to Christmas!
The ****** ss of Sussex's As ever brand and Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés unveiled a limited-edition Advent calendar on Oct. 1. The $148 calendar features 24 chocolates, with flavors such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and orange marmalade — plus a special chocolate that incorporates Meghan's flower sprinkles.

#compart

When AI stocks rebounded last week, optical networking companies did not rebound equally.
Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) jumped nearly 10% in Wednesday trading and led the S&P 500, while Coherent rose 6.9%. Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) managed only a 0.4% gain and remained down sharply for the week.
All three sit inside the same broad AI-connectivity buildout. The divergence suggests investors are beginning to distinguish between different pieces of that infrastructure rather than buying every optics name together.
Photo from Lumentum Holdings website
AI clusters increasingly need optical connections as more accelerators communicate across larger physical distances. That drives demand for high-speed transceivers, lasers and other photonic components.

#NASDAQ #lite #wednesday #coherent

For the past couple of decades, the so-called "American Dream" has followed a pretty linear pathway. You finish high school, go to a four-year university, and then graduate straight into a corporate office that comes with a slick 401(k).
That bachelor's degree was the golden ticket that made everything possible, and your parents probably told you that earning a diploma was critical to your success, right? Well, new labor market data has turned that decades-old playbook upside down.
Here's Another Little-Known Firm Jensen Huang's Nvidia Is Quietly Backing
MediaTek Is Stepping Up Competition Against Qualcomm With a New 2-Nanometer Chip. What This Means for QCOM Stock.
1 Year Into the Microsoft Deal, IREN Is Delivering and a Rally May Follow Soon

#firm #jensen

On August 6, Aflac (NYSE:AFL) reported second-quarter numbers that point in opposite directions. Net earnings climbed to $825 million, helped along by investment losses that shrank to $153 million from $421 million a year ago. Adjusted earnings, though, fell 7.7% to $883 million. Both numbers are real, but they answer different questions. Which measure you trust changes the story, so here is what sits underneath.
Start with the yen, because it is muddying the picture. The average rate was 159.45 to the dollar, 9.3% weaker than a year earlier, and that cost adjusted earnings $0.05 a share. Take the currency out of the first half and adjusted earnings per share rose 4.1% to $3.57. ******* an is also running more profitably. Its pretax adjusted margin widened to 34.3% from 32.0% as claims took a smaller bite out of premiums, and yen-based pretax adjusted earnings rose 3.4%. So part of the decline in ******* an's dollar-reported profit is currency, not operations.
The US business is still growing at the top line. Net earned premiums rose 2.3% to $1.5 billion, and sales climbed 2.6% to $349 million, led by group voluntary benefits along with dental and vision plans. In ******* an, the refreshed Tsumitasu life policy and the new Anshin Palette medical product grew strongly in the quarter, and first-half sales rose 7.0% to ¥37.3 billion. Then there is the cash. Aflac returned $1.3 billion to shareholders in the quarter, $983 million of it through buybacks, and declared a $0.61 third-quarter dividend, payable September 1 to holders of record on August 19, 2026. Management notes 43 straight years of dividend increases through 2025 and says the board is on a path to extend that in 2026.
The catch is that ******* an's profit gains came from lower claims, not a bigger business. Net earned premiums in yen fell 3.7%, mainly because of a new external reinsurance deal and older limited-pay policies reaching paid-up status. Premium persistency, the share of policies customers keep, slipped to 92.7% from 93.7%. ******* an's pretax adjusted earnings still fell 2.1% once currency is stripped out, and new sales dipped 5.6% in the quarter against a tough comparison for the Miraito cancer product, which launched in March 2025.
The US segment has its own soft spot. Pretax adjusted earnings fell 4.6% to $370 million, and the margin narrowed to 20.9% from 22.5% as claims and benefits took a bigger share of premiums. Corporate and Other swung to a $10 million pretax adjusted loss from a $20 million gain a year earlier, with interest expense up 21.6% to $62 million. And adjusted book value per share, excluding foreign currency remeasurement, slid to $41.22 at June 30 from $42.97 a year earlier.

#earnings #fell

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN) dropped 5.55% to $15.82 on September 16, 2026, close to its 52-week low. The price movement was triggered by a profit warning at a Barclays conference. Huntington brought down its 2027 EPS guidance from above $1.90 to the range of $1.75-$1.83, and its 2026 net interest income growth from 39%-43% to roughly 35%. What matters more than these numbers is the reason behind them. Deposit costs are rising, and loan pricing is tightening, and it landed on the day the Fed delivered its first interest rate hike since 2023. The drop therefore raises the question: is this an oversold bank or the opening crack in regional-bank margins?
A well-run bank has just lowered its guidance, citing intense competition for deposits and loans. If Huntington feels the margin pressure, then it is likely that its peers feel the same. This explains why Fifth Third shares slid 4.1% on the same afternoon alongside the whole financials group. The Fed's new hike makes the environment more unfavorable for the group in the near term. While rate increases eventually lift ***** et yields, banks must immediately offer higher deposit yields to retain balances, squeezing net interest margins in the near term. Furthermore, accelerated commercial real estate loan payoffs reduced total earning ***** ets, though these early payoffs lower credit risk on the loan book.
The selloff leans too much into the reset. A move to $1.75-$1.83 from above $1.90 is a modest single-digit trim. Huntington sustains its profit as well as its operational performance. Loans reached $189 billion from $50 billion in 2015. Deposits touched $222 billion. And one of the company's biggest growth engines, value-added fee income, compounded at a 14% annual rate since mid-2024, with year-to-date growth near 32%. The income helps offset a notable portion of the spread pressure and offers a competitive edge against pure spread lenders.
A higher-for-longer rate environment carries trade-offs for commercial banks. It drives up deposit expenses, reflecting the margin pressure Huntington reported. It also expands loan yields as credit ***** ets reprice. Deposit beta determines the net effect by measuring how much of each benchmark rate increase the bank transfers to depositors. After the rate hikes, deposit costs typically rise further, so betting on a near-term peak takes some faith. A lower beta allows fee revenue to support earnings, whereas a higher beta keeps the squeeze sustained over multiple quarters.

#bank #interest #Growth

On September 9, 2026, Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) reported its first quarterly results as a public company, with total revenue up 10% year over year to $208 million and same-store sales accelerating to 2.3% growth from 1.7% in the prior quarter. It was primarily driven by transaction growth even as the restaurant industry faced weak traffic trends. Net income fell to $37 million from $59 million a year earlier. It showed non-routine expenses, advertising fund timing, and higher interest costs following the company's July initial public offering, partially offset by a $14 million gain on the sale of corporate-owned stores.
Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) is gaining customers while its brand remains a major competitive advantage. The firm added 83 stores in the second quarter. It grew its customer base and increased systemwide sales 10% to $1.21 billion. Jersey Mike's also earned the No. 1 ranking among U.S. quick-service restaurant brands in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index, surpassing Chick-fil-A after 11 consecutive years at the top. It gives the newly public company a strong foundation for continued customer and franchisee growth.
The business has substantial whitespace for long-term unit growth. Jersey Mike's ended the quarter with 3,378 locations and maintains a domestic development pipeline of more than 1,600 stores, with more than 90% of that pipeline coming from existing franchisees. Management estimates that the U.S. market could eventually support roughly 7,500 locations and sees potential to reach approximately 15,000 stores globally. It gives the business a long runway for franchise-led revenue and royalty growth.
Digital engagement and transaction growth give Jersey Mike's more avenues to increase sales. Digital sales represented 43% of systemwide sales in the second quarter, up from 41% a year earlier. Same-store sales increased 2.3% mainly because customers placed more transactions. Jersey Mike's also had more than 12.5 million active MyMike's loyalty members in 2025. It provides the company with a large customer database that it can use to increase frequency and personalize marketing as it expands.
Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) still faces a significant profitability challenge despite its revenue growth. Second-quarter revenue jumped 10% to $208 million. However, net income fell 37% to $37 million from $59 million a year earlier. Management attributed part of the decline to advertising-fund timing and higher interest expense. It shows that revenue growth has not yet translated into comparable bottom-line growth for shareholders.

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On September 4, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)' longtime chai latte devotees have turned against the company's reformulated recipe, introduced in March. It reduced sweetener and shifted from a pre-made concentrate to a new base with just two grams of sugar.
Customers have signed petitions, flooded Starbucks' corporate lines, and taken to Reddit and store review sites demanding the original formula back. Starbucks says the change gives customers more control over sweetness and has introduced new variations like Mango Cream Chai and Pumpkin Cream Chai.
Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)' broader turnaround remains intact despite the backlash over its chai reformulation. Global comparable sales increased 7.9% in fiscal Q3, with comparable transactions rising 4.2%. The company raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.55-$2.65 from $2.25-$2.45. Stronger customer traffic and higher earnings give investors evidence that one unpopular menu change has not derailed the recovery.
The chai backlash appears concentrated among loyal customers of one product rather than across Starbucks' broader customer base. The business introduced the new chai formula as part of a personalization strategy. Customers can customize sweetness and other ingredients. If Starbucks keeps transaction growth across its wider menu, the business could improve its product economics without materially damaging overall customer demand.
Starbucks is improving profitability while it executes its turnaround. Non-GAAP operating margin expanded 430 basis points year over year to 14.4% in fiscal Q3, while North America revenue increased 7% to $7.4 billion. These results give investors evidence that the company can improve margins and sales even as it experiments with its menu and customer experience.

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Toward the end of the lightning round on September 17, a caller asked for Mad Money's host Jim Cramer's thoughts on Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM), and he replied:
It's been an incredible stock. It's a real estate investment trust, basically. And you know, we know that they shred, 3% yield, down 20 points from its high. I think it's a buy.
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) operates a highly durable business model centered on physical records management, secure document destruction, and expanding digital infrastructure. In Q2, total revenue reached $2.03 billion, representing an 18.7% increase year-over-year and 16.8% organic growth. The core physical storage business provides reliable cash flow, with storage rental revenue expanding 11.5% year-over-year excluding foreign-exchange effects across a global customer base of 240,000. Adjusted funds from operations grew 17% to $432.7 million, or $1.44 per share.
At the same time, management has channeled capital into scaling higher-growth segments, including digital solutions, ***** et lifecycle management, and data center operations. The data center segment posted 39% revenue growth during the second quarter, securing 110 megawatts in new leases through July and increasing power capacity across major enterprise markets. Operating as a real estate investment trust, the company maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.864 per share, offering shareholders a forward yield of over 3%.
On the other hand, Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM) faces risks inherent to capital-intensive real estate infrastructure expansion. Rapid buildouts of data center power capacity demand substantial capital expenditure, leading to elevated leverage across the balance sheet. Long-term debt, net of the current portion, reached approximately $17.1 billion at the end of the second quarter, increasing sensitivity to interest rate fluctuations and refinancing costs.

#revenue #Growth