Dan Driscoll is one of a series of high profile departures while the defense secretary reshapes the military in his own image. He has now given his first interview to Rolling Stone
What role did Dan Driscoll play in military modernization?

#driscoll #stone #defense #secretary

Interested in Motorola Solutions, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.
Motorola Solutions expects broad-based growth, projecting 2026 gains of 10%–11% in mission-critical networks, about 11% in video security and about 15% in command-center software, supported by modernization of public-safety and federal infrastructure.
Silvus Technologies is becoming a major defense growth driver, with approximately $850 million in expected 2026 sales at current capacity. Motorola is expanding production, sales and R&D as demand grows for secure communications in contested environments and unmanned-systems operations.
D-Fend Solutions expands Motorola's counter-drone opportunity in public safety, airports, critical infrastructure and venues. The business was selected for a $1.5 billion U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant program and uses cyber-based technology to take control of and safely land threatening drones.
Motorola's $1.5B Bet to Own the Skies

#Growth #safety #infrastructure

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE), through its Potomac Edison subsidiary, proposed a $52.8 million Maryland distribution-rate adjustment to support investment in aging infrastructure, grid modernization and electric-system reliability. If approved, the request would increase the average residential customer's monthly bill by approximately 5.3%.
Potomac Edison said its electric rates were 25% below the average of its in-state peers as of June 1. The utility expects its residential rates to remain the lowest among Maryland's investor-owned electric utilities even after the proposed adjustment.
The proposed reliability program includes Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition technology, replacement of substation reclosers, new circuit ties and automation, overhead-conductor upgrades, aging underground-cable replacement and removal of high-risk trees near power lines. The Maryland Public Service Commission must review and approve the request before any adjustment can take effect.
The proposal connects the requested revenue to specific reliability investments. SCADA technology can give operators greater visibility into system conditions, while reclosers, circuit ties, and automation can isolate problems and reroute electricity. These capabilities can reduce the number of customers affected by outages and shorten restoration times.
Reconductoring, underground-cable replacement and vegetation management address physical causes of service interruptions. The investments could also improve resilience during severe weather, potentially lowering emergency-response costs and reducing the disruption experienced by customers.

#proposed #maryland #aging

Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) is a leading specialty infrastructure contractor that designs, builds, upgrades, repairs, and maintains critical energy and communications infrastructure across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and select international markets.
With a market cap of $96.1 billion, Quanta Services fits squarely within the large-cap stock category. It is particularly well positioned to benefit from the surging demand for electricity and grid investment. Data-center expansion, AI infrastructure, manufacturing reshoring, electrification, renewable-energy buildouts, and grid modernization are all driving demand for the infrastructure Quanta provides.
'Not Tens Of Billions, But Tens Of Trillions': Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Is Like the New Electricity and the Scale Is Unlike Any Tech in History
What It Means for MSFT Stock Investors as Microsoft Switches to 2 Business Segments
RKLB Stock Jumps as Rocket Lab Debuts New Solar Cell for ******* e

#energy

Wall Street has bid up defense contractors on geopolitical tensions alongside expanded missile-defense funding, but Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) remains an outlier. On September 4, 2026, the company secured a $508.5 million Missile Defense Agency contract for ICBM and IRBM target flight-test support running through 2035. The non-competitive contract follows the $3 billion (approx.) in framework agreements to expand solid-rocket-motor production for PAC-3 and THAAD interceptors. Despite these bookings, stock slipped 2.5% to $515. The stock is trading near 16 times earnings and 33% below its peak, making Northrop one of the lowest-multiple prime defense contractors.
Northrop is one of the largest-cap defense contractors with exposure to Golden Dome through ******* e sensors and interceptors, while the Sentinel ICBM and the B-21 bomber provide additional exposure to broader U.S. strategic modernization. The recent bookings back that up: the $508.5 million MDA award, the ~$3 billion PAC-3 and THAAD agreements that will double and triple solid-rocket-motor capacity, and $1.4 billion of IBCS-related U.S. and Polish air-and-missile-defense awards announced in 2025. The latest MDA contract includes cost-plus, cost-reimbursable, and fixed-price-incentive elements, which reduce some financial exposure compared with purely fixed-price development work. Long-term missile-shield funding, however, remains tied to both political and defense bets. Legislative approval introduces timing risk, but the bull thesis is already working.
Execution problems explain the valuation discount. The Sentinel ICBM program triggered a critical Nunn-McCurdy breach after projected costs rose 81% to roughly $141 billion, forcing a Pentagon program restructuring. Concurrently, low-rate initial production on the B-21 bomber generated approximately $2 billion in pre-tax charges on fixed-price commitments. Management must demonstrate that these losses have ceased. Till then, multiple expansion will remain limited. Lockheed trades at roughly 19 times earnings compared with Northrop at about 16 times.
Institutional positioning does not point to aggressiveness in short trades. Our Insider Monkey database tracked 59 hedge funds holding NOC in the second quarter of 2026, compared to 62 in the first quarter. Short interest sits at 1.7% of the float, representing a low number of bets against the stock. Paired with -0.11 beta and a 1.9% dividend yield, the stock offers portfolio diversification at a discounted entry multiple.

#northrop

Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE:ACA) shareholders approved the proposed acquisition by CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) on September 4. The merger agreement received 39,595,867 votes in favor, compared with 66,113 against and 16,786 abstentions. Approximately 39.7 million shares, representing 80.8% of shares outstanding as of the record date, were present or represented by proxy.
The vote satisfies a major condition for the all-cash transaction. CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) agreed to pay $150 per share, valuing Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE:ACA) at an enterprise value of approximately $8.5 billion. The companies continue to expect a first-quarter 2027 closing, subject to required regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.
CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) described the valuation as 11.5 times estimated 2026 adjusted EBITDA, a company-defined non-GAAP measure, including $175 million of targeted annual run-rate cost synergies expected by year three. CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) defines adjusted EBITDA as earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, with exclusions for impairments, divestitures and investments, equity-method results, substantial acquisition costs and specified pension items.
The result removes the principal seller-side approval risk. The merger no longer depends on another shareholder meeting, and support was decisive among the shares represented. Financing appears less exposed than regulatory clearance: CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) plans to use available cash and committed debt financing, while completion is not subject to a financing condition.
The strategic rationale is tangible. Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE:ACA) would add 109 quarries and yards, nine asphalt plants, 19 terminals and approximately 35 million tons of 2025 aggregates shipments. CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) expects more than 265 million tons of combined annualized aggregates production. Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE:ACA) also brings engineered structures serving grid modernization, electrification and data-center construction.

#NYSE #represented

Palantir shares gained 7.7% on September 3, the same day PwC US expanded an alliance built around enterprise AI, M&A, and ERP modernization. The companies described an AI-native deals platform intended to execute transactions up to 50% faster and cut one-time costs by as much as 45%, but disclosed no new contract value. The same day, Globant introduced a MuleSoft AI Pod for Salesforce integration. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) and Globant S.A. (NYSE:GLOB) are packaging expertise around software in very different ways.
Palantir's bull case is productized delivery. PwC can bring industry relationships and implementation capacity, while Foundry and AIP remain the recurring platform. Palantir's Q2 revenue rose 93% to $1.94 billion, including 149% growth in U.S. commercial revenue, so the alliance lands on real momentum. Arrowstreet Capital held 20,517,115 shares at June 30 after increasing its stake by 97%.
The valuation is the obvious counterweight. A partnership announcement without disclosed revenue cannot by itself justify a large daily move. Receivables concentration, stock-based compensation, and competition from clouds and consultants deserve attention. Hedge-fund breadth had already weakened: Insider Monkey counted 86 funds holding Palantir at June 30, down from 96 at March 31.
Globant's AI Pod offers a more explicit delivery unit. Configurations support roughly six, 12, or 24 integration flows or APIs per month, and the company cited benchmarks including up to 80% automation and 15% to 25% faster time to value. That makes capacity tangible. Twenty-three hedge funds held Globant S.A. (NYSE:GLOB) in Q2, down from 25 in Q1. Pzena Investment Management reported 3,859,718 shares after adding 31%.
Globant's problem is that reusable pods can still be labor businesses. The service remains on a waitlist, the benchmark outcomes are not guaranteed customer results, and AI may pressure billing rates even as it improves productivity.

#glob

On August 25, EPAM Systems (NYSE:EPAM) announced a partnership with Wiz, the cloud and AI security platform now owned by Google Cloud, joining the Wiz Partner Alliance to help large organizations turn cloud risk data into actual engineering fixes. The timing is notable. Just weeks earlier, on August 6, EPAM reported second-quarter revenue growth of only 4.5% and pointed to a much slower pace ahead. A cybersecurity push gives the company a fresh growth story just as its core business decelerates.
The Wiz deal pairs Wiz's AI Application Protection Platform with EPAM's AI-native engineering and cloud modernization work, aiming to move clients from simply spotting cloud risks to actually remediating them across Google Cloud, AWS, Azure, and other environments. White Hat, an EPAM company, adds an offensive security layer of defensive, offensive, and incident response specialists to test whether flaws found by Wiz are actually exploitable, rather than just theoretical. EPAM says this formalizes work already underway, having delivered Wiz implementation programs across six industries: media and entertainment, transportation and logistics, life sciences and healthcare, financial services, automotive, and retail and consumer goods. That existing footprint gives the partnership a running start rather than a cold launch.
The financial backdrop supports the case that EPAM has room to invest here. Second quarter GAAP income from operations rose to 10.8% of revenue from 9.3% a year earlier, while non-GAAP operating margin climbed to 16.4% from 15%. GAAP diluted EPS reached $1.97, up 26.3% year over year, and non-GAAP diluted EPS hit $3.38, up 22%. The company also returned $409 million to shareholders through buybacks in the first half of 2026, including $85 million in the second quarter alone.
The numbers behind the Wiz announcement tell a more cautious story. EPAM's full-year revenue growth guidance now sits at 3.2% to 4.2%, with organic constant currency growth pegged at just 2.0% to 3.0%. The third quarter outlook is softer still: revenue of $1.410 billion to $1.425 billion implies year-over-year growth of roughly 1.7% at the midpoint, a sharp step down from the 4.5% posted in the second quarter.
Cash flow moved in the wrong direction too. EPAM used $38.8 million in operating activities during the first half of 2026, compared with $77.4 million generated over the same period in 2025. Total cash, equivalents and restricted cash fell 39% to $794.3 million as of June 30, from $1.301 billion at the end of 2025, a decline driven in part by continued share repurchases. Headcount growth was modest as well, with delivery professionals up just 0.3% from the prior quarter, suggesting a company being deliberate rather than aggressive about scaling capacity even as it adds new service lines like Wiz implementation.

#epam #cloud #year #company

Palantir shares gained 7.7% on September 3, the same day PwC US expanded an alliance built around enterprise AI, M&A, and ERP modernization. The companies described an AI-native deals platform intended to execute transactions up to 50% faster and cut one-time costs by as much as 45%, but disclosed no new contract value. The same day, Globant introduced a MuleSoft AI Pod for Salesforce integration. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) and Globant S.A. (NYSE:GLOB) are packaging expertise around software in very different ways.
Palantir's bull case is productized delivery. PwC can bring industry relationships and implementation capacity, while Foundry and AIP remain the recurring platform. Palantir's Q2 revenue rose 93% to $1.94 billion, including 149% growth in U.S. commercial revenue, so the alliance lands on real momentum. Arrowstreet Capital held 20,517,115 shares at June 30 after increasing its stake by 97%.
The valuation is the obvious counterweight. A partnership announcement without disclosed revenue cannot by itself justify a large daily move. Receivables concentration, stock-based compensation, and competition from clouds and consultants deserve attention. Hedge-fund breadth had already weakened: Insider Monkey counted 86 funds holding Palantir at June 30, down from 96 at March 31.
Globant's AI Pod offers a more explicit delivery unit. Configurations support roughly six, 12, or 24 integration flows or APIs per month, and the company cited benchmarks including up to 80% automation and 15% to 25% faster time to value. That makes capacity tangible. Twenty-three hedge funds held Globant S.A. (NYSE:GLOB) in Q2, down from 25 in Q1. Pzena Investment Management reported 3,859,718 shares after adding 31%.
Globant's problem is that reusable pods can still be labor businesses. The service remains on a waitlist, the benchmark outcomes are not guaranteed customer results, and AI may pressure billing rates even as it improves productivity.

#palantir #globant #shares #june

Jim Cramer broke down Dell Technologies Inc.'s (NYSE:DELL) post-close earnings report on Mad Money's episode aired on September 1, as he declared it one of the best quarters he has ever witnessed. He stated:
You're getting a Dell, specifically, a blowout quarter from Dell Technologies. After the close, this iconic maker of tech hardware reported one of the best quarters I've ever seen thanks to the incredible strength of their AI server business. Dell's revenue grew 58% year-over-year, a 2 billion dollar beat. The company earned $7 and 4 cents per share. That's more than $2 above what Wall Street was looking for and more than triple what they made the year before. And the guidance was even better. They took their full-year earnings per share forecast from just under 18 bucks all the way up to $25.50. Stunning, definition of blowout.
The headline numbers show that the business is operating at extraordinary velocity. Dell Technologies Inc.'s (NYSE:DELL) total revenue reached a record $47 billion, marking a 58% increase year-over-year and beating estimates by more than $2 billion. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share landed at $7.04, crushing expectations by $2.1. Management backed up the beat by raising full-year revenue guidance to $192 billion and lifted non-GAAP earnings expectations to $25.50 per share.
The main catalyst was the Infrastructure Solutions Group, where revenue surged 89% to $31.8 billion. Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) also booked $60.9 billion in AI-optimized server orders during the quarter, closing the period sitting on a staggering $95 billion AI backlog, proving that enterprise data centers are experiencing a broad modernization cycle. The company's COO and vice chairman, Jeff Clarke commented:
We're seeing broader revenue growth as well, with traditional servers and networking up 122%, storage up 26% and our client solutions up 20% year over year. Our second quarter results underscore the compounding benefits of our competitive advantages, the breadth of our portfolio and the strength of our operating model.

#year #billion #technologies #NYSE

Diamond Hill Capital, a First Eagle Investment Management company, issued its Q2 2026 investor letter for its "Small Cap Strategy". The letter can be downloaded here. The strategy returned 24.01% in the second quarter, outperforming the Russell 2000 Index's 21.49% return. Performance was positively affected by stock selection in health care and industrials, while the Fund's underweight position in information technology was the largest relative detractor as AI-related companies drove market gains. Small-cap equities benefited from strong earnings, resilient economic conditions, and easing geopolitical concerns, with technology leading sector performance while energy declined alongside lower oil prices. Despite the market's focus on AI, the Fund's strongest contributors came from businesses outside the theme, particularly in health care, defense-oriented companies, and tangible-asset industries. Looking ahead, the Fund remains focused on resilient, underfollowed companies tied to infrastructure, defense modernization, and essential industries where disciplined capital allocation and long-term demand can support value creation. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy highlighted United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM). United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) manufactures and supplies lime and limestone products in the United States. On September 02, 2026, United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) closed at $115.05 per share. Over the past month, United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) declined 0.94%, and its shares lost 4.79% over the past 52 weeks. United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) has a market capitalization of $3.3 billion.
Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM), a producer and supplier of limestone products, underperformed as several near-term headwinds—weather disruptions, labor shortages and higher fuel costs—pressured demand and margins. Despite these challenges, the company's scarce limestone reserves in Texas continue to support strong pricing power, and we maintain a constructive long-term view for the business."
United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 26 hedge fund portfolios held United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) at the end of the second quarter which was 24 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. (NASDAQ:USLM) 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 tarif

Diamond Hill Capital, a First Eagle Investment Management company, issued its Q2 2026 investor letter for its "Small Cap Strategy". The letter can be downloaded here. The strategy returned 24.01% in the second quarter, outperforming the Russell 2000 Index's 21.49% return. Performance was positively affected by stock selection in health care and industrials, while the Fund's underweight position in information technology was the largest relative detractor as AI-related companies drove market gains. Small-cap equities benefited from strong earnings, resilient economic conditions, and easing geopolitical concerns, with technology leading sector performance while energy declined alongside lower oil prices. Despite the market's focus on AI, the Fund's strongest contributors came from businesses outside the theme, particularly in health care, defense-oriented companies, and tangible-asset industries. Looking ahead, the Fund remains focused on resilient, underfollowed companies tied to infrastructure, defense modernization, and essential industries where disciplined capital allocation and long-term demand can support value creation. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy highlighted Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY). Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) is a US-based leading independent oil and natural gas company, which detracted from the performance this quarter. On September 02, 2026, Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) closed at $27.38 per share. The one-month return of Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) was 10.28%, and its shares gained 10.96% over the past 52 weeks. Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) has a market capitalization of $6.56 billion.
Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Exploration and production company Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) saw shares decline after an agreement was reached to end the war between the US and Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Although the situation in the Middle East remains fragile, the market increasingly viewed the risk of a meaningful supply disruption as diminished, and the war-related risk premium that had supported US exploration and production companies earlier in the year largely dissipated."
Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 32 hedge fund portfolios held Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) at the end of the second quarter which was 32 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) 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 s

Diamond Hill Capital, a First Eagle Investment Management company, issued its Q2 2026 investor letter for its "Small Cap Strategy". The letter can be downloaded here. The strategy returned 24.01% in the second quarter, outperforming the Russell 2000 Index's 21.49% return. Performance was positively affected by stock selection in health care and industrials, while the Fund's underweight position in information technology was the largest relative detractor as AI-related companies drove market gains. Small-cap equities benefited from strong earnings, resilient economic conditions, and easing geopolitical concerns, with technology leading sector performance while energy declined alongside lower oil prices. Despite the market's focus on AI, the Fund's strongest contributors came from businesses outside the theme, particularly in health care, defense-oriented companies, and tangible-asset industries. Looking ahead, the Fund remains focused on resilient, underfollowed companies tied to infrastructure, defense modernization, and essential industries where disciplined capital allocation and long-term demand can support value creation. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy highlighted Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) as a leading contributor. Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) provides engineering and manufacturing services for products and applications used in the aerospace and defense, industrial, medical, and other industries. On September 02, 2026, Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) closed at $165.60 per share. Over the last month, Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) declined 17.80% and its shares gained 81.24% over the past 52 weeks. Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) has a market capitalization of $2.55 billion.
Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Shares of aerospace and defense manufacturer Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) rose as both of its primary end markets strengthened simultaneously for the first time in years. Missile revenue increased by nearly a quarter, supported by funded Department of Defense contracts calling for substantial production increases, while commercial aerospace returned to growth following a prolonged period of lower activity."
Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 31 hedge fund portfolios held Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) at the end of the second quarter which was 18 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Ducommun Incorporated (NYSE:DCO) 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 rep

Diamond Hill Capital, a First Eagle Investment Management company, issued its Q2 2026 investor letter for its "Small Cap Strategy". The letter can be downloaded here. The strategy returned 24.01% in the second quarter, outperforming the Russell 2000 Index's 21.49% return. Performance was positively affected by stock selection in health care and industrials, while the Fund's underweight position in information technology was the largest relative detractor as AI-related companies drove market gains. Small-cap equities benefited from strong earnings, resilient economic conditions, and easing geopolitical concerns, with technology leading sector performance while energy declined alongside lower oil prices. Despite the market's focus on AI, the Fund's strongest contributors came from businesses outside the theme, particularly in health care, defense-oriented companies, and tangible-asset industries. Looking ahead, the Fund remains focused on resilient, underfollowed companies tied to infrastructure, defense modernization, and essential industries where disciplined capital allocation and long-term demand can support value creation. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy highlighted Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH). Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH), a US-based healthcare management company that provides medical care services, contributed positively to the Strategy's performance this quarter. On September 2, 2026, Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) closed at $38.57 per share. Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) was up 11.75% over the past month, and its shares gained 23.75% over the past 52 weeks. Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) has a market capitalization of $1.91 billion.
Diamond Hill Capital Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH), a leader in value-based health care, outperformed as the company results have continued to demonstrate that it was not taking advantage of loopholes within Medicare coding, the balance sheet is back in good shape after the recent Prospect Health acquisition, which is performing well, and recent Medicare Advantage rates came in better than expected."
Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 18 hedge fund portfolios held Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) at the end of the second quarter which was 15 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) 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.

#astrana

The expanded collaboration targets enterprise AI deployment, M&A transformation and ERP modernization, giving Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) a broader route for embedding its platforms into complex corporate workflows.
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) and PwC US are expanding their strategic alliance around three areas: enterprise AI, M&A transformation and ERP modernization.
The collaboration combines Palantir Foundry and AIP with PwC's engineering, industry and transformation capabilities, potentially extending Palantir technology deeper into enterprise operations.
The companies are introducing an AI-native deals IT platform designed to help clients execute transactions up to 50% faster and cut one-time transaction costs by up to 45%.
PwC and Palantir will also target SAP and ERP transformation, using AI to improve data quality and identify process inefficiencies before implementation.

#palantir #technologies #NASDAQ #modernization

At three in the morning, an AI system can evaluate a trade flow, verify a contract and trigger a cross-border payout in seconds. The payment may still sit in a correspondent bank queue for days. Corporate software now operates at machine speed, while the financial infrastructure beneath it still keeps banking hours.
That timing gap is the structural challenge. The financial architecture underneath these autonomous workflows has failed to experience a corresponding modernization.
Sophisticated, automated software layers now sit on top of traditional banking rails that remain bound by manual processes, legacy clearing schedules, regional banking hours and standard multi-day settlement timelines. This systemic divergence creates an immediate operational mismatch.
An enterprise cannot maximize continuous, automated commerce when its settlement infrastructure relies on decades-old technology designs.
https://www.youtube.com/wa...

#automated #settlement #corporate #sophisticated

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) has pulled back sharply from its recent highs, but UBS sees the weakness as a buying opportunity. On August 31, UBS upgraded Kaiser Aluminum from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target to $184 from $179. ******* yst Alex Stansbury argued that the selloff has created an attractive entry point into a business with improving earnings power.
UBS's upgrade to Buy from Neutral is based on the view that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU)'s recent pullback has created an attractive entry point rather than signaling a deterioration in the company's long-term earnings outlook. ******* yst Alex Stansbury raised the price target to $184 from $179, arguing that the selloff has created an opportunity to buy a business with improving earnings power.
The most important part of UBS's argument is that several of the pressures weighing on Kaiser's shares appear temporary. Stansbury specifically pointed to scrap as a meaningful tailwind while also saying that the company's underlying fundamentals are strengthening. That is important because UBS is not relying solely on higher aluminum prices to support its bullish view. Instead, the bank sees operational improvements and stronger end-market demand contributing to earnings growth.
UBS also highlighted the benefits of Kaiser's investments at Warrick and Trentwood. Those investments are increasingly relevant to the earnings story. Kaiser says its Warrick investment is designed to increase capacity for higher-margin coated packaging products, while its Trentwood modernization has focused on improving efficiency, capacity and the quality of products serving aerospace and general engineering customers.
The aerospace recovery is another key part of UBS's thesis. Stansbury pointed to the end of aerospace destocking and accelerating build rates, suggesting that an important headwind for Kaiser is beginning to reverse. That view is supported by Kaiser's latest results: the company said aerospace demand was strengthening as destocking eased, while second-quarter aerospace shipments increased year over year.

#kaiser #earnings #created #view

Two telecommunications giants recently showcased the contrasting sides of the 5G and connectivity ecosystem. On August 6, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced it selected Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) (NASDAQ:ERIC) to supply 600 MHz dual-band radios to support the deployment of its newly acquired spectrum from EchoStar. The partnership reinforces AT&T's ongoing network modernization while keeping Ericsson deeply embedded in U.S. carrier infrastructure.
Shortly after, on August 10, AT&T demonstrated real-world execution by upgrading wireless connectivity at Mississippi State University's Davis Wade Stadium using a Distributed Antenna System powered by Airspan's MobileAccess 6000. While AT&T is actively converting network upgrades into sticky, high-margin subscriber growth, Ericsson faces the capital-intensive burden of hardware delivery.
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is showing a stronger financial trajectory and cash-generation profile than its equipment vendor partner, Ericsson. In Q2 2026, AT&T's consolidated revenue increased 2.3% year over year to $31.6 billion, supported by a 5.1% increase in Advanced Connectivity service revenue. Adjusted EPS surged 20.4% to $0.65, beating the $0.59 consensus estimate, while adjusted EBITDA rose 5.2% to $12.3 billion, producing a strong 39.1% margin. Free cash flow reached $4.7 billion, enabling management to raise its full-year share buyback target to $10 billion while maintaining its forecast for more than $18 billion in full-year free cash flow.
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) (NASDAQ:ERIC), meanwhile, faced weaker operating momentum in Q2 2026, with net sales declining 6% year over year to SEK 52.7 billion, or approximately $5.0 billion, due to lower IPR licensing revenue and uneven carrier capital spending. Net income fell 12% to SEK 4.1 billion, or approximately $390 million, although adjusted gross margin remained resilient at 48.4%. Free cash flow before M&A, however, plunged from SEK 2.6 billion to just SEK 385 million, or approximately $36.7 million.

#year

On August 18, Keysight Technologies (NYSE:KEYS) delivered a fiscal third quarter that beat the high end of its own guidance across the board. Revenue climbed 36% year over year to $1.85 billion, non-GAAP earnings per share jumped 79% to $3.07, and orders topped $2 billion for the second straight quarter. Management raised its outlook for both the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year, pointing to demand tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure, defense modernization, and next-generation communications standards. The results position Keysight as one of the more direct ways to invest in the testing and validation side of the AI buildout, a corner of the market most investors rarely think about.
Orders reached $2.091 billion in the quarter, up 56% on a reported basis, the second straight quarter above the $2 billion mark. Wireline orders more than doubled year over year as customers scaled out AI data center infrastructure, and Commercial Communications crossed $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, up 56%, while revenue from wireline products outpaced wireless within that segment for the first time. The Electronic Industrial Solutions Group posted a record $501 million in revenue, up 21%, with double-digit order growth across general electronics, semiconductors, and automotive and energy. Aerospace, defense and government revenue grew 14% to $339 million as spending shifted toward lower-cost autonomous platforms, including UAVs and low earth orbit satellite constellations built by venture-funded defense technology firms.
Profitability expanded right alongside the growth: operating margin hit 33.2%, up 820 basis points and above the company's long-term target range of 31% to 32%, while free cash flow rose to $403 million from $291 million a year earlier. The company also added nearly 3,000 new customers so far this fiscal year, a group that has already contributed more than $100 million in new business, and said July was its busiest month yet for incoming sales opportunities, pushing the trailing 12-month pipeline to a record. Further out, the 3GPP standards body confirmed in June that the first 6G standard is targeted for March 2029, a milestone management said is already moving customers from exploratory research into funded development work.
CFO Neil Dougherty tempered the enthusiasm, warning that supply availability remains "a governor of our ability to convert demand into revenue" over the next several quarters, meaning orders are outrunning what the company can actually ship and book as revenue right now. He also noted that one-time tariff impacts in fiscal 2026 inflated this year's profitability in ways that are not expected to repeat in fiscal 2027. That combination, a backlog constrained by supply and a margin base partly lifted by tariffs, complicates how much of this quarter's strength carries forward unchanged. The integration of recent acquisitions is also still working through the system.

#quarter #billion #m

Sustainable Growth Advisers (SGA), an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for its "Global Growth Strategy." The letter can be downloaded here. The SGA Global Growth Portfolio returned 7.4% gross and 7.2% net, compared with 14.9% for the MSCI ACWI and 19.8% for the MSCI ACWI Growth Index. Momentum leadership and enthusiasm around AI infrastructure drove markets, with semiconductor, memory, and hardware stocks accounting for much of the gain. Although the portfolio owned AI beneficiaries, broader holdings lagged despite fundamentals, as median revenue and EPS growth reached 12% and 14% and more than 60% of the holdings beat expectations. SGA believes valuation compression reflects sentiment rather than weaker business quality, leaving the portfolio near its widest discount to the market since inception. The firm continues to favor durable compounders and expects 16% revenue growth and 20% earnings growth over three years. Also, please check the Fund's top five holdings to see its best picks for 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, SGA Global Growth Strategy highlighted Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP). Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP) owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada and internationally. On August 24, 2026, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP) closed at $94.68 per share. The one-month return of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP) was 3.25%, and its shares gained 24.17% over the past 52 weeks. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP) has a market capitalization of $83.25 billion.
SGA Global Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"We engaged with management of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP) in advance of the company's annual meeting to discuss its climate strategy and a proposal on climate-related disclosures. A key topic of discussion was the company's decision to defer establishing a Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated 1.5°C-aligned emissions reduction target. While the ISS Sustainability policy recommended voting against the climate proposal due to the absence of intermediate and long-term emissions targets, management explained that the delay stemmed from the lack of a finalized intensity-based methodology from SBTi appropriate for the freight rail industry, emphasizing that CPKC remains committed to its existing goal of reducing locomotive well-to-wheel emissions intensity by 36.9% by 2030 and continues to work with SBTi as industryspecific frameworks evolve. Management highlighted continued spending on locomotive fleet modernization, including investment in new Tier 4 locomotives, expansion of its hydrogen locomotive program, and trials of renewable fuels. After reviewing the company's disclosures, proxy materials, and feedback from management, we concluded that the company is making goo

The Department of Defense continues to dole out lucrative contracts as the Pentagon looks to modernize and upgrade its supply chain. Boeing on Monday won a $131 billion contract covering the F-15 fighter jet fleet. The Missile Development Agency granted Parsons a contract extension worth more than $500 million. General Dynamics landed an armored vehicle contract. Elsewhere, William Blair lifted its 2027 targets for Booz Allen Hamilton after the company closed a $720 million acquisition.
Defense stocks were mixed early Tuesday.
The Air Force on Monday awarded Boeing (BA) a $131.23 billion contract to support the F-15 Eagle Crest program, which oversees the F-15 fighter jet fleet. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract covers aircraft production, systems integration, modernization, upgrades, retrofits and sustainment. The contract also calls for Boeing to establish organic depot maintenance capabilities for F-15 Eagle weapons systems for the Air Force, Air National Guard and other Department of Defense customers.
"Organic depot maintenance" refers to government facilities that do not rely on support from commercial contractors.
The DOD said Boeing will perform the work at its St. Louis, Missouri facility and it expects to complete it by August 2037. The ordering period for the contract runs to Aug. 24, 2031, with an option to extend to Aug. 24, 2036.

#eagle

Financial technology firms' SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)'s shares have diverged in performance in 2026. SOFI is down by 31% year-to-date while PYPL is up by 5.9%. PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)'s stock has gained primarily on the back of takeover news, but Cramer has remained unconvinced. In his previous remarks about the firm, the CNBC TV host remarked that he was hesitant to recommend the stock on the basis of takeover news. In his morning appearance on August 17th, Cramer admonished **** ysts for recommending the stocks even though they were struggling:
"One of the more irritating parts of this market is, the insistence of loving fintech. The **** ysts just love fintech. And the three that they love are SoFi, Klarna, and now PayPal. Look, I totally understand it. But you don't need to reiterate every day people. We understand. PayPal maybe a takeover candidate. Klarna is doing really great. SoFi, it's going to come back. Just stop. **** ysts stop recommending these. Let them go to where they are on the downside. And then you can recommend them. . .I really think that's what happened is that, thatPayPal, when we heard that it might get a takeover bid, it made everything really exciting to people. But I just think, no, just go buy Wells Fargo. Go buy JPMorgan over Klarna. Okay. Or over PayPal."
SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI)'s narrative surrounds its valuation. The firm's forward P/E ratio is 31.55, which is nearly double that of banking giant JPMorgan and more than 2x of PYPL's 11.79. The risk to SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI)'s valuation comes from its transformation into a digital bank from a student loan company. Therefore, the firm's Financial Services and Technology platforms are at the center of the narrative.
On this front, SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI)'s second quarter saw its two businesses grow net revenue by 29% and drop by 23% annually. Technology suffered as a large client transitioned away from the platform. SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI)'s management added that the two businesses should account for more than 50% of overall revenue over the long term. To sum it up, the firm's headwinds could stem from high deposit costs of sizable amount of funds, such as $45 billion in the latest quarter, while the capital light Financial Services business and fee-driven Technology Services could lead the way to growth.
Shifting towards PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL), it's all about turnaround versus acquisitions. The turnaround camp, of which its management is also a part of, hinges on improved checkout performance, AI modernization, cost savings and Venmo growth. Through these, PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) aims to save $400 million in costs in 2026 and streamline headcount in 2027. Therefore, the firm could experience tailwinds should it achieve the stated $1.5 billion in gross run rate savings and generate earnings power.

#NASDAQ #paypal

On August 13, Stratasys (NASDAQ:SSYS) held its second-quarter earnings call, and the headline number was consumables revenue hitting a record $66.3 million. For a company trying to prove it has moved beyond selling prototyping machines into recurring, production-grade manufacturing, that record matters more than the top line itself. But underneath the record sat a cash flow warning that investors will want to weigh carefully.
Aerospace and defense is Stratasys's largest business, and it grew 17% year over year in the second quarter. Management pointed to expanding adoption across the U.S. Air Force, where the company's F900 system is certified for flightworthy production parts, describing the orders as increasing in volume across the Air Force's sustainment enterprise rather than one-time purchases. Once a part is qualified on a Stratasys platform, switching suppliers becomes costly, which is the basis for calling this demand structural. Stratasys Direct, the company's parts manufacturing arm, grew 12.1% year over year, fueled by defense technology customers building drones and munitions.
The quarter also delivered two large multiyear systems deals. Quickparts expanded its relationship with Stratasys by purchasing 12 Neo 800-plus systems on top of six units it already owned, with three of the new systems placed in Europe. FAW Group, one of China's largest auto manufacturers, signed for 12 F900 systems by year-end, with two shipped in the second quarter, adding to five F900s and eight other Stratasys machines it already runs to make interior parts like armrests and panels. Stratasys was also awarded a two-year, $7.8 million program through the 2026 America Makes OIB Modernization Challenge to develop monitoring technology for its F900 and F3300 platforms. Layered on top is the pending $42.5 million cash acquisition of MarkForged, whose continuous carbon fiber technology generated about $70 million in revenue in 2025 and which management expects to add positively to EBITDA within a year of closing.
System revenue fell to $26.4 million from $30.6 million a year earlier, meaning machine sales are shrinking even as the recurring materials business grows. Gross margin slipped too, with non-GAAP gross margin at 47.2% versus 47.7% a year ago, which the company attributed largely to a stronger Israeli shekel raising costs incurred in that currency. GAAP net loss widened slightly to $16.9 million, compared to $16.7 million a year ago, though GAAP loss per diluted share improved slightly to $0.19 from $0.20.

#stratasys #gaap

Baron Capital, an investment management company, released its Q2 2026 investor letter for the "Baron Focused Growth Fund". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the second quarter, the Baron Focused Growth Fund achieved a 13.26% gain, still trailing the Russell 2500 Growth Index's 24.02% return. The underperformance was driven by ongoing concerns about AI's impact on portfolio businesses and underexposure to AI infrastructure. The IPO of ****** eX provided a boost, but overall, the Fund's companies are generating robust revenue growth and strengthening margins through enhanced client engagement and product offerings. Many stocks remain historically undervalued, and companies are beginning accelerated share repurchases, bolstering investor confidence. The Fund is perceived as compelling, benefiting from favorable market conditions and strong balance sheets, while inflation and interest rates are expected to remain stable. The Fund has outperformed its Benchmark over the past 3, 5, and 10 years, showing significant excess returns with lower market risk, attributed to a research-driven investment approach. The Fund maintains a commitment to long-term investing in growth-oriented businesses, utilizing a balanced portfolio to mitigate risk and potentially enhance returns. Please review the Fund's top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Baron Focused Growth Fund highlighted Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR). Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR), an automated electronic broker that provides trading, clearing, and custody services, contributed 1.12% to the Fund's performance this quarter. On August 19, 2026, Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) closed at $90.54 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $154.26 billion. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) posted a one‑month return of -1.33%, while its shares gained 44.93% over the past 52 weeks.
Baron Focused Growth Fund stated the following regarding Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Global electronic brokerage firm Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) contributed to performance as the company continued to compound growth at a rare pace for its scale. Client accounts increased 34% year over year to 5.2 million, customer equity grew 40%, and margin loan balances rose 67%. Trading activity remained robust, with June daily average revenue trades increasing 53% year over year. Operating on a highly automated, low-cost platform, Interactive Brokers benefits from substantial operating leverage as volume grows, supporting industry-leading pretax margins. New opportunities, including an expanded prediction markets offering and the favorable modernization of day-trading margin rules, further extend the company's growth runway. We retain conviction in the stock, viewing Interactive Brokers as a structural share gainer with a large global ad

For a decade, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) has been one of the most preferred stocks in the telecom industry. However, on August 14, 2026, Wolfe Research's Peter Supino cut the stock's rating from Outperform to Peer Perform, and the shares declined. As Supino questions both TMUS's growth story and the cash-return story, the downgrade gives bulls some reason for caution.
T-Mobile's second-quarter print reported July 23, 2026, provides some support for Supino's first argument that
Long-term revenue growth forecast risk tilts negatively as competition expands in T-Mo's core.
Postpaid net account additions stood at 277,000 – a 13% decline from 318,000 a year earlier. Also, management expects third-quarter postpaid net account additions of approximately 250,000 as rate-plan modernization temporarily elevates account churn. Postpaid phone churn was 0.85% in Q2, with management saying the impact on phone churn should be smaller because the modernization is concentrated in accounts with fewer lines
The second argument targets cash returns. Supino warned that

#postpaid #account #Growth #argument

Sands Capital, an investment management company, released its "Sands Capital Technology Innovators Fund" Q2 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the quarter, global equities rebounded sharply, with the MSCI ACWI posting its strongest quarterly gain since 2020, supported by broad market strength, easing geopolitical tensions, and continued enthusiasm for AI infrastructure. Information technology led the advance, with semiconductor and hardware companies accounting for most of the index's rise. The fund returned 26.9% (net) in the second quarter of 2026. The portfolio benefited from strong gains across memory, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other AI-related holdings, although its concentrated exposure to mega-cap chip designers and manufacturers weighed on relative performance as leadership broadened into CPUs, networking, and memory. Vertical software, internet, and financial holdings were modest detractors amid macro concerns and uncertainty over AI disruption. The fund remains focused on critical AI bottlenecks, including compute, memory, manufacturing, networking, and power, while retaining selected businesses that may use AI to strengthen their competitive positions. You can check the fund's top five holdings to learn more about its leading investment ideas for the year.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Sands Capital Technology Innovators Fund highlighted TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) as a new addition. TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) manufactures and sells mission systems, radio frequency (RF) components, RF microwave/microelectronic ******* emblies, and printed circuit boards (PCBs) and substrates in the United States and internationally. On August 7, 2026, TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) closed at $137.21 per share. One-month return of TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) was -0.64% and its shares gained 207.58% over the past 52 weeks. TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) has a market capitalization of $14.45 billion.
Sands Capital Technology Innovators Fund stated the following regarding TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) is a leading Western manufacturer of highly complex printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated electronic subsystems. We believe the company is positioned at the intersection of AI data center growth and defense modernization. TTM is 75 percent sole sourced in U.S. aerospace and defense projects due to lack of domestic competitors and is already booking revenue from Golden Dome. As AI infrastructure evolves to support advanced accelerators, networking equipment, and custom compute architectures, boards require more layers, higher performance, and greater manufacturing precision, creating meaningful pricing uplift versus commoditized PCBs. We believe TTM's exposure to AI accelerator boards, networking, and defense demand can support durable earnings growth and improving qual

Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) just did two things worth paying attention to at once. On August 5, the company deepened a cloud modernization partnership with Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX) to bring its enterprise service orchestration platform to Amazon Web Services. A day later, on August 6, CEO Kate Johnson bought 100,000 shares of her own company's stock. Neither event alone would move the needle much. Together, they tell a story about a company betting its future on enterprise cloud infrastructure.
The Amdocs deal is the clearest signal yet that Lumen's pivot toward becoming a Network-as-a-Service provider is picking up speed. Amdocs will use aOS, its agentic operating system built specifically for telecom companies, to automate the ******* sment, customization ******* ysis, and migration planning needed to move Lumen's order management platform to AWS. That work reportedly compresses what used to take months into days, a meaningful efficiency gain for a company trying to modernize its infrastructure while managing over $13 billion in long-term debt. This builds on prior migrations Lumen already completed on Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, meaning the company will operate across all three major cloud platforms once the AWS work is done.
The strategic case for that spending shows up in the numbers. Lumen's new business segment, the one aimed at AI-driven infrastructure demand, grew revenue 14% year over year to $1.3 billion in the second quarter. That segment now makes up the majority of total business revenue, crossing the 50% threshold for the first time, a real inflection point for a company that spent years defined by declining legacy telecom.
Then there's Johnson's stock purchase. She already held more than 7.5 million shares directly, so buying another 100,000 at a weighted average price of $6.13 was not a move born of necessity. It reads as a vote of confidence from someone with unusually direct visibility into how the AWS transition and the broader NaaS pivot are progressing.
Lumen's legacy operations, still the larger piece of the business today, saw revenue fall 15% year over year to $1.2 billion in the same quarter. Growth in the new segment is real, but it is racing to outpace decline in the old one, and that is not a guaranteed outcome.

#infrastructure

Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) just did two things worth paying attention to at once. On August 5, the company deepened a cloud modernization partnership with Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX) to bring its enterprise service orchestration platform to Amazon Web Services. A day later, on August 6, CEO Kate Johnson bought 100,000 shares of her own company's stock. Neither event alone would move the needle much. Together, they tell a story about a company betting its future on enterprise cloud infrastructure.
The Amdocs deal is the clearest signal yet that Lumen's pivot toward becoming a Network-as-a-Service provider is picking up speed. Amdocs will use aOS, its agentic operating system built specifically for telecom companies, to automate the ******* sment, customization ******* ysis, and migration planning needed to move Lumen's order management platform to AWS. That work reportedly compresses what used to take months into days, a meaningful efficiency gain for a company trying to modernize its infrastructure while managing over $13 billion in long-term debt. This builds on prior migrations Lumen already completed on Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, meaning the company will operate across all three major cloud platforms once the AWS work is done.
The strategic case for that spending shows up in the numbers. Lumen's new business segment, the one aimed at AI-driven infrastructure demand, grew revenue 14% year over year to $1.3 billion in the second quarter. That segment now makes up the majority of total business revenue, crossing the 50% threshold for the first time, a real inflection point for a company that spent years defined by declining legacy telecom.
Then there's Johnson's stock purchase. She already held more than 7.5 million shares directly, so buying another 100,000 at a weighted average price of $6.13 was not a move born of necessity. It reads as a vote of confidence from someone with unusually direct visibility into how the AWS transition and the broader NaaS pivot are progressing.
Lumen's legacy operations, still the larger piece of the business today, saw revenue fall 15% year over year to $1.2 billion in the same quarter. Growth in the new segment is real, but it is racing to outpace decline in the old one, and that is not a guaranteed outcome.

#amdocs #year

For most of the last two decades, the anxiety in power planning was about demand: would consumption grow fast enough to justify new capacity, and how would an aging fleet keep pace? That question has inverted. Demand is no longer the uncertain variable—it is the one thing forecasters are confident about. The uncertainty now sits on the supply side: whether the workforce, the equipment, and the political and economic conditions needed to build and run generation can keep up with a demand curve that is accelerating for the first time in a generation.The International Energy Agency (IEA) put a number on the demand side in its Electricity 2026 report, projecting that global electricity demand will grow by an average of 3.6% per year through 2030, roughly 50% faster than the average over the previous decade, driven by industrial electrification, electric vehicles, air conditioning, and data centers. For the first time in three decades outside of a crisis period, electricity demand has begun to grow faster than the global economy itself. The demand is coming. The open question is deliverability.That framing—supply-side constraints as the binding risk—runs through recent research from Verdantix, a UK-based **** yst firm whose Industrial Dislocation Index scores nine major economies on how far their operating conditions have diverged from their own 30-year norms. For power generation specifically, Verdantix identifies four factors that carry disproportionate weight: politics, geo-economic friction, energy prices, and production inputs.
The clearest signal in the Verdantix data for a power audience is the energy sub-index, which scores each country on how far its energy position has moved from its own historical baseline. The spread is wide. The U.S. sits at the resilient end, with the lowest energy-dislocation score in the study at 1.83, a reflection of its position as a net exporter of natural gas, crude, and coal, with electricity and fuel costs below the global average. At the other end is the UK, at 7.33, the highest in the study—a measure of how sharply its energy position has diverged from what UK industry was historically built around. Germany (5.67) and France (5.50) sit high as well; **** an (4.50), India (3.50), China (3.17), Saudi Arabia (3.00), and Canada (2.67) fall in between.What that gap looks like on the ground varies by market, and Verdantix's country profiles fill it in. The UK's high score traces to underinvestment in nuclear, the grid-modernization costs of shifting to decentralized renewables, and windfall taxes on oil and gas—a combination severe enough that Verdantix notes chemical producers citing UK energy costs as a reason to pull back operations. France is Europe's largest net electricity exporter thanks to its nuclear fleet, but that same concentration is a vulnerability: recent questions about the quality of French reactor maintenance, Verdantix observes, show how quickly a strength can turn into a present-day problem. ****

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Delivered 10% organic constant currency revenue growth, marking the tenth consecutive quarter of high single-digit growth or better.
U.S. Financial Services outperformance was driven by share gains and innovation rather than underlying market volumes, growing at a 9% CAGR excluding mortgage.
Strategic diversification has resulted in over one-third of Financial Services revenue coming from alternative data and non-credit solutions like Trusted Call.
Platform modernization reached a milestone with 60% of U.S. match activity and 30% of online customers now migrated to the OneTru platform.

#cagr