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The U.S. remains in the lead over Greater China with the most companies
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Globe and Mail
3 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Amazon Stock Falls Despite Q2 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates
AMZN delivered second-quarter 2025 earnings of $1.68 per share, which increased 36.6% from the year-ago quarter and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.32%. AMZN's net income increased 34.8% year over year to $18.2 billion in the second quarter. Net sales of $167.7 billion rose 13% year over year, ahead of management's guidance of $159-$164 billion and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.32%. Excluding the $1.5 billion unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 12% compared with the second quarter of 2024. Top-line growth was driven by solid momentum across the North America and International segments alongside steady growth in the Amazon Web Services ('AWS') segment. Amazon's strong global presence, growing Prime momentum and increasing efforts toward gaining strong traction among small and medium businesses are likely to drive its financial performance in the days ahead. However, geopolitical tensions, foreign exchange headwinds, inflation, interest rates and regional labor market constraints are concerning. Top-Line Details of AMZN Product sales (40.7% of sales) increased 10.8% year over year to $68.2 billion. Service sales (59.3% of sales) jumped 15.1% from the year-ago quarter to $99.4 billion. By segment, North America revenues (59.7% of sales) rose 11.1% from the year-ago quarter to $100 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%. International revenues (21.9% of sales) gained 16.1% year over year to $36.7 billion, which beat the consensus mark by 8.55%. AWS revenues (18.4% of sales) rose 17.5% year over year to $30.8 billion, which beat the consensus mark by 0.71%. Strengthening relationships with third-party sellers remained another positive. In the reported quarter, sales generated by third-party seller services rose 11% on a year-over-year basis to $40.3 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.64%. Sales from robust advertising services increased 23% year over year to $15.6 billion, which beat the consensus mark by 5.3%. AMZN experienced 8% year-over-year growth in its physical store sales, which were $5.59 billion in the reported quarter, up 7% year over year. The figure beat the consensus mark by 2.05%. The company's online store sales were $61.4 billion, up 11% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.63%. Amazon's Retail and Consumer Business in Q2 Amazon's Prime services demonstrated robust momentum in second-quarter 2025, with subscription services revenues reaching $12.2 billion, representing 12% year-over-year growth from the prior year's $10.8 billion. The figure beat the consensus mark by 2.48%. This performance underscores the continued strength of Prime's value proposition amid competitive pressures and economic uncertainties. The service's competitive positioning remained strong, with Prime Video maintaining market leadership dynamics and enhanced content offerings driving engagement. Infrastructure investments in delivery capabilities and digital services continued to support member satisfaction and retention. While Prime Day 2025 occurred after the quarter ended (July 8-11), management indicated it was the biggest Prime Day event ever, suggesting continued consumer enthusiasm. This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company's strategic focus on high-margin services like advertising and subscription offerings positions Prime services well for sustained growth, despite broader retail sector challenges and increased capital expenditure requirements for AI infrastructure development. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Amazon Strengthens AWS and AI Innovations in Q2 Amazon Web Services revenues climbed 18% in the second quarter, though this growth rate trails Microsoft MSFT Azure's 39% and Alphabet GOOGL -owned Google Cloud's 32% expansion in the same period. Despite maintaining market leadership, AWS faces intensifying competitive pressure as rivals demonstrate superior growth velocity. The cloud division generated $10.2 billion in operating income, indicating margin compression amid heavy infrastructure investments. The quarter marked a pivotal moment for Amazon's AI initiatives, with the company systematically embedding AI across its entire ecosystem. Key innovations included the launch of Kiro, an agentic IDE for developers, Bedrock AgentCore for secure AI operations, and S3 Vectors for cost-efficient AI storage. These tools represent Amazon's strategy to democratize AI capabilities while creating competitive moats through integrated solutions. The company's AI-driven logistics optimizations, including DeepFleet managing over a million robots, are driving operational efficiencies and supporting expansion of same-day delivery to more than 4,000 U.S. cities. Amazon's partnership strategy gained significant momentum during the quarter, with AWS securing new agreements with major enterprises, including PepsiCo PEP, Airbnb, Peloton, Nasdaq, London Stock Exchange, Nissan Motor, GitLab, SAP, Warner Bros. Discovery, and NatWest. These partnerships demonstrate the breadth of AWS' enterprise penetration and its success in positioning itself as the preferred infrastructure provider for digital transformation initiatives. However, the company faces near-term margin pressures from its ambitious AI investments. Amazon's $100+ billion capital expenditure plan for 2025, heavily focused on AI infrastructure, is expected to temporarily reduce AWS' operating margins to 35% from the previous 39.5%. Despite these headwinds, Amazon's advertising business provided a bright spot with 23% growth to $15.69 billion, reflecting successful AI-powered optimization of its advertising platform and growing market share in digital advertising. Operating Details Operating expenses were $148.5 billion, up 11.4% from the year-ago quarter. As a percentage of revenues, the figure contracted 150 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis to 88.6%. The cost of sales, fulfillment and technology and infrastructure expenses increased 9.5%, 10.2% and 21.8% year over year to $80.8 billion, $25.9 billion and $27.1 billion, respectively. Sales and marketing and other operating expenses were $11.4 billion and $199 million, up 8.6% and 105% year over year, respectively. General and administrative expenses declined 2.5% to $2.96 billion. Operating income increased 30.7% year over year to $19.1 billion in the first quarter. As a percentage of revenues, the figure expanded 150 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis to 11.4%. North America segment operating income was $7.51 billion, up 48.4% from the year-ago quarter. International segment operating income came in at $1.49 billion, up from $273 million reported in the year-ago quarter. AWS segment operating income was $10.1 billion, up 8.8% from the year-ago quarter. Balance Sheet & Cash Flow As of June 30, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $57.7 billion, down from $66.2 billion as of March 31, 2025. Marketable securities totaled $35.4 billion as of June 30, 2025, up from $28.3 billion as of March 31, 2025. The long-term debt was $52.6 billion at the end of the reported quarter, up from $53.3 billion at the end of the previous quarter. Operating cash flow increased 12% to $121.1 billion for the trailing 12 months compared with $108 billion for the trailing 12 months ended June 30, 2024. Free cash flow decreased to $18.2 billion for the trailing 12 months compared with $53 billion for the trailing 12 months ended June 30, 2024. Guidance Amazon stock dipped more than 7% in after-hours trading after projecting weaker-than-expected operating income for the third quarter and trailing the sales growth of its cloud rivals. Operating income is expected to be between $15.5 billion and $20.5 billion compared with $17.4 billion in the third quarter of 2024. For third-quarter 2025, Amazon expects net sales between $174 billion and $179.5 billion, or to grow in the range of 10-13% compared with third-quarter 2024. This guidance anticipates an unfavorable impact of approximately 130 basis points from foreign exchange rates. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%. Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP): Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report
Globe and Mail
3 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Ball Corp Set to Report Q2 Earnings: What Lies Ahead for the Stock?
Ball Corporation BALL is scheduled to report second-quarter 2025 results on Aug. 5, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BALL's net sales is pegged at $3.15 billion, indicating 6.6% growth from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at 87 cents per share, which has moved down 1.1% in the past 60 days. The estimate indicates year-over-year growth of 17.6%. BALL's Solid Earnings Surprise History Ball Corp's earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 4.9%. What the Zacks Model Unveils for Ball Corp Our model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for BALL this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. That is not the case here, as you can see below. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: Ball Corp has an Earnings ESP of -0.77%. Zacks Rank: BALL currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. Factors Likely to Have Shaped BALL's Q2 Performance Ball Corp has lately been witnessing weaker-than-expected demand as customer spending has been muted amid higher retail prices, particularly in the United States. This is likely to get reflected in BALL's second-quarter results. High input and labor costs due to supply constraints are anticipated to have impacted the company's performance. However, BALL has been focused on improving its efficiency and reducing costs, which is likely to have negated these impacts and aided its margins. Our estimate for the Beverage packaging, North and Central America segment's net sales is pegged at $1.52 billion, indicating a 3.2% year-over-year rise. We expect the segment's volume to increase 2.3% year over year. We anticipate a 14.4% year-over-year slip in the segment's operating income to $180 million. Our model predicts the Beverage Packaging, Europe segment's sales to be $923 million, indicating 4.9% growth from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. We expect volume growth of 4.3% for this segment. The segment's operating income is projected at $98 million, indicating a 13.6% year-over-year dip. We expect the Beverage Packaging, South America segment's net sales to be $448 million, indicating 6.2% growth from the year-ago period's reported level. The consensus estimate for the segment's operating income is pegged at $32 million, indicating a 12.8% dip from the year-ago quarter's actual. Our model predicts a volume increase of 5.4% for the segment. BALL Stock's Price Performance The company's shares have lost 10.1% in the past year compared with the industry 's 1.9% decline. Stocks to Consider Here are some stocks with the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases. Emerson Electric Co. EMR, expected to release results on Aug. 6, currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.46% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The consensus estimate for Emerson Electric's earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 is pegged at $1.51 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 5.6%. EMR has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 3.4%. Parker-Hannifin Corporation PH, slated to release second-quarter 2025 results on Aug. 7, has an Earnings ESP of +0.23% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Parker-Hannifin's second-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $7.08 per share, suggesting a year-over-year rise of 4.6%. PH has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 4.5%. Eaton Corporation plc ETN is scheduled to release second-quarter 2025 results on Aug. 5. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.33% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Eaton's second-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $2.92 per share, suggesting a year-over-year rise of 6.9%. Eaton has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 1.8%. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%. Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Emerson Electric Co. (EMR): Free Stock Analysis Report Parker-Hannifin Corporation (PH): Free Stock Analysis Report Eaton Corporation, PLC (ETN): Free Stock Analysis Report Ball Corporation (BALL): Free Stock Analysis Report
Globe and Mail
3 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
FLR BREAKING NEWS: Fluor Corporation Stock Plummets over 30% on Infrastructure Delays – BFA Law is Investigating and Urges Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm
Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Fluor, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: Why Is Fluor being Investigated? Fluor is a global professional services firm that provides engineering, procurement and construction, fabrication and modularization, and project management services. The Company has three principal segments: Urban Solutions, Energy Solutions and Mission Solutions. Its Urban Solutions segment includes infrastructure teams that provide a broad range of services, including consulting, design, planning, financial structuring, engineering, construction and operation and maintenance services. During the relevant period, the Company touted the strong productivity across its infrastructure portfolio. In truth, several of Fluor's infrastructure projects experienced undisclosed design errors, delays, and price escalation that significantly impacted its business. The Stock Declines as the Truth Is Revealed On August 1, 2025, before market hours, Fluor reported its fiscal Q2 2025 financial results and held an earnings call. The Company announced disappointing earnings and revealed 'a $54 million net impact of cost growth and expected recoveries on three infrastructure projects, due to subcontractor design errors, the related schedule impacts, and price escalation.' The Company also announced, 'a shift in expected capital spending from some clients.' On this news, the price of Fluor stock fell more than 30% during trading on August 1, 2025. Click here for more information: What Can You Do? If you invested in Fluor you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named 'Elite Trial Lawyers' by the National Law Journal, among the top '500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers' by Lawdragon, 'Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar' by Law360 and 'SuperLawyers' by Thomson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit
