
17 best practices that help brands grow alongside their customers
Customer expectations are constantly changing, and the most successful brands are proactive enough to anticipate them. Sales growth in the modern age is all about forging stronger relationships, building trust, and creating value at every stage of the customer journey.
From real-time feedback loops to thought leadership and adaptive storytelling, business leaders are finding new ways to grow in sync with the people they serve. To that end, 17 members of the Fast Company Executive Board share the most effective practices they've used to evolve alongside their customers and strengthen long-term loyalty.
1. SHIFT FROM SELLING TO SERVING.
Brands grow when they shift from selling to serving. By educating the industry, sharing expertise, and leading with insight, not just products, they earn trust and stay top of mind. Being a reliable source of clarity in a noisy market builds lasting credibility and customer loyalty. – Lexi Sydow, interos.ai
2. DEEPLY UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER.
Have a deep understanding of who your customer is and communicate in ways that surprise and delight them. Encourage them to help you share the good news about your brand through word of mouth and social media. – Jo Ann Herold, Herold Growth Consulting
3. INVEST IN HIGHLY ACTIONABLE DATA.
Investing in highly actionable data enables brands to truly understand their customers and engage with them on a deeper level. With accurate, privacy-first identity insights, marketers can deliver more relevant experiences, build trust, and drive sustainable growth through better engagement strategies. You can't scale what you don't understand. – Bryan Whitaker, Statara Solutions
4. TURN CEOS INTO STORYTELLERS.
To truly grow with their customers, brands need CEOs who don't just lead behind the scenes but become their most authentic, magnetic storytellers—because when a CEO's personal brand shines, customer loyalty follows like a spotlight on stage. A strong thought partner helps a CEO figure out their ideal and authentic personal leadership brand. – Beth Jannery, Titan Strategic Communications
5. BUILD A MEASUREMENT MINDSET.
Growth isn't a guessing game. Brands that build a measurement mindset into their marketing double down on what works and grow with their customers. Don't stop at basic conversion metrics that only tell part of the story. Widen the lens to spot patterns that bring the bigger picture into focus, helping you understand what drives customer decisions, meet their needs, and earn their loyalty. – Jessica Shapiro, LiveRamp
6. DESIGN ADAPTIVE EXPERIENCES.
A best practice for brand growth is building adaptive systems across experience, strategy, and storytelling. Today's customers expect progression, not just personalization. Every interaction should be an opportunity to listen, learn, and evolve. Growth happens when brands evolve with their audience, not just market to them. – Gabriel Bridger, Rightpoint
7. ALWAYS BE HELPFUL.
Be helpful, whether it has anything to do directly with what you sell or not. If your customers think you're helpful, there is truly no downside to that perception—ever. – Andrea Lechner-Becker, GNW Consulting
8. LISTEN, LEARN, AND ADAPT.
Engage in active listening through surveys, feedback loops, and social engagement to understand evolving customer needs. Then adapt offerings and messaging accordingly. This builds trust, loyalty, and long-term growth. – Scott Keever, Keever SEO
9. BREAK DOWN ORGANIZATIONAL SILOS.
Only one best practice? Ruthless audience centricity—and breaking silos. I rarely see marketing, product, and sales all rowing in sync. But when those three act as one team, grounded in customer needs, the center of that Venn diagram isn't chaos—it's growth. – Sarah Buckler, Tangible
10. ENGAGE CUSTOMERS PERSONALLY.
Actively engage with your customers, whether that's through social media or personalized engagement. Respond to online comments, write thank you notes for orders, and take your time when answering emails. Meaningful interactions show that you care about your customers and help build a personal connection with clients. – Mark Valentino, Citizens
11. LEVERAGE THE POWER OF PR.
Get as much visibility as you possibly can. The best way to do this is through the press. Speak on podcasts, contribute to a publication in your field, and get the attention of a journalist by offering your expertise. Do whatever you can to stay in the public eye. No publicity is bad publicity. – Victoria Chynoweth, Victoria Chynoweth
12. MAINTAIN HUMAN CONNECTIONS.
When you're growing and scaling, don't forget where personal touch and connection actually matter in your customer's journey. You can automate a lot, but you can't automate the trust and loyalty that come from real human interaction. Keep that part real. – Travis Schreiber, erase.com
13. CREATE A CUSTOMER ADVOCACY PROGRAM.
There must be a consistent feedback loop between brands and their customers, which can take many forms. One way is through a customer advocacy program, where both parties benefit from a deeper level of access and investment in each other. This might include soliciting customers' feedback more regularly, meetings with business leaders, and participating in pilot and beta programs for new products. – Irina Soriano, Seismic
14. RESPOND PROMPTLY TO BUILD TRUST.
The best practice brands can follow to grow with their customers is to respond to their customers quickly, within an hour or two. That includes phone calls and emails. It doesn't have to be a long answer to their concern or question, but an automatic email, text, or phone message that tells them you received their communication and are addressing their need goes a long way toward building trust. – Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
15. STUDY THE CUSTOMERS WHO LEAVE.
Listen carefully to the people who walk away. We studied our defectors, asking, 'What made you downgrade? What did we miss?' The feedback wasn't always easy to hear, but it was gold. Their departures revealed blind spots our loyal users couldn't see. Sustainable growth comes not from doubling down on what works, but from understanding why others say it doesn't. – Shayne Fitz-Coy, Sabot Family Companies
16. HOST CUSTOMER CO-CREATION LABS.
My go-to best practice is hosting quarterly 'Customer Co-Creation Labs'—live virtual sessions with our members to brainstorm new templates and PR tactics. We feed those insights directly into our roadmaps, creating a feedback loop that ensures our branding evolves in lockstep with our customers' needs. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
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Whirlpool stock tumbles after trimming earnings guidance Whirlpool (WHR) stock tumbled 12% after hours. The Michigan-based maker of washers and dryers reported diluted earnings of $1.17 per share on net sales of $3.7 billion. Wall Street was expecting earnings of $1.58 per share on net sales of $3.8 billion. Investors have been watching Whirlpool, which manufactures most of its appliances in the US, as a potential winner from President Trump's tariffs. However, the company hasn't seen the benefits of Trump's policies yet. In fact, retailers front-running expected tariffs appeared to weigh on the company's second quarter results. "As expected, the second quarter continued to be impacted by competitors stockpiling Asian imports into the U.S.," the company said in the earnings release. "Despite this, we are well positioned in North America with a robust pipeline of new products, the industry's leading U.S. manufacturing footprint, and favorable housing demand fundamentals. 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Charter loses more broadband users in Q2 as competition heats up Charter Communications (CHTR) stock fell 10% premarket Friday after reporting a higher-than-expected fall in broadband subscribers in the second quarter. Reuters reports: Read more here. Puma stock plunges after reporting net loss, with challenges persisting throughout 2025 Puma ( stock plunged 17% after the German sports apparel company lowered its forecast and said it now expects sales to fall by double digits this year. During the second quarter, sales fell everywhere except Latin America and the Middle East, particularly in apparel (-10.7%) and accessories (-6.4%). Footwear sales grew 5.1%, which wasn't enough to offset softness elsewhere. The company swung to a net loss of 241 million euros (roughly $282 million), compared to net income of 41.9 million euros the year before. The sportswear company also noted a hit from tariffs. "Despite ongoing mitigating measures such as supply chain optimization, pricing adjustments and partner collaboration, the U.S. Tariffs are expected to have a mitigated negative impact in 2025 of around € 80 million on gross profit," Puma said in its release. Phillips 66 profit beats estimates on higher refining margins Phillips 66 (PSX) stock rose about 1% in premarket trading after the US refiner reported an adjusted profit of $2.38 per share, beating Wall Street EPS estimates of about $1.71. During the quarter, Phillips 66 returned $906 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Reuters reports: Read more here. Health insurer Centene reports surprise quarterly loss Centene's (CNC) stock fell 12% before the bell on Friday after the health insurance company reported a quarterly loss and warned of a revenue slump from government-backed plans. Read more here. 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The company expects net sales for the current quarter in the range of $1.38 billion to $1.42 billion, in line with analyst estimates. Earnings are expected to be in the range of $1.50 to $1.55 per share. Read more here. Intel stock rises on Q2 revenue beat, plans to cut 15% of workforce Intel (INTC) second quarter revenue beat analyst estimates, but its earnings fell short of expectations. The chip giant also said it is slashing its workforce by 15% and expects to have approximately 75,000 employees by the end of the year. Intel's new CEO Lip-Bu Tan has already undertaken or is exploring several cost-cutting measures. According to the Oregonian, the company is shuttering its automotive business, outsourcing marketing jobs, and laying off factory workers. Yahoo Finance's Daniel Howley has more details on Intel's results: Read more here. Intel to report Q2 earnings as Wall Street looks for signs of turnaround Intel (INTC) will report its second quarter earnings on Thursday as the company's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, continues his attempt to turn around the ailing chip giant. Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley details what to expect when Intel reports: Read more here. Novo stock sinks as company cuts 2025 sales growth, operating profit outlook From Reuters: Read more here. From Reuters: Read more here. PayPal lifts 2025 profit forecast above estimates as turnaround picks up pace From Reuters: The stock was down in premarket trading. Read more here. From Reuters: The stock was down in premarket trading. Read more here. Spotify stock sinks after Q2 earnings miss Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the audio streamer missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations, although subscriber metrics Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the audio streamer missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations, although subscriber metrics Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. UnitedHealth stock slips after muted earnings, higher-than-expected costs Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell over 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell over 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Procter & Gamble announces new CEO ahead of quarterly results Procter & Gamble (PG) just announced a major C-suite shakeup ahead of its quarterly earnings report, scheduled for release before the bell on Tuesday morning. The consumer products giant said late Monday that Shailesh Jejurikar will succeed CEO Jon Moeller on Jan. 1, 2026. Yahoo Finance's Brian Sozzi reports: Read more here. Procter & Gamble (PG) just announced a major C-suite shakeup ahead of its quarterly earnings report, scheduled for release before the bell on Tuesday morning. The consumer products giant said late Monday that Shailesh Jejurikar will succeed CEO Jon Moeller on Jan. 1, 2026. Yahoo Finance's Brian Sozzi reports: Read more here. Spotify set to report earnings as investor optimism meets cautious guidance Spotify (SPOT) is set to report second quarter earnings on Tuesday before the bell, and investors are weighing the music streamer's long-term monetization potential against softer near-term guidance. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports that Spotify stock has risen 120% over the past 12 months. The company's massive stock rally has followed a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Here's what Wall Street expects from the upcoming results, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates: Read more here. Spotify (SPOT) is set to report second quarter earnings on Tuesday before the bell, and investors are weighing the music streamer's long-term monetization potential against softer near-term guidance. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports that Spotify stock has risen 120% over the past 12 months. The company's massive stock rally has followed a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Here's what Wall Street expects from the upcoming results, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates: Read more here. Whirlpool stock tumbles after trimming earnings guidance Whirlpool (WHR) stock tumbled 12% after hours. The Michigan-based maker of washers and dryers reported diluted earnings of $1.17 per share on net sales of $3.7 billion. Wall Street was expecting earnings of $1.58 per share on net sales of $3.8 billion. Investors have been watching Whirlpool, which manufactures most of its appliances in the US, as a potential winner from President Trump's tariffs. However, the company hasn't seen the benefits of Trump's policies yet. In fact, retailers front-running expected tariffs appeared to weigh on the company's second quarter results. "As expected, the second quarter continued to be impacted by competitors stockpiling Asian imports into the U.S.," the company said in the earnings release. "Despite this, we are well positioned in North America with a robust pipeline of new products, the industry's leading U.S. manufacturing footprint, and favorable housing demand fundamentals. We are confident in our long-term strategy and believe that evolving tariff policies will ultimately support domestic manufacturers." Whirlpool also cut its full-year guidance to $6 to $8 a share (previously it was $10 a share) and recommended slashing its quarterly dividend to $0.90 per share from $1.75 per share. Whirlpool (WHR) stock tumbled 12% after hours. The Michigan-based maker of washers and dryers reported diluted earnings of $1.17 per share on net sales of $3.7 billion. Wall Street was expecting earnings of $1.58 per share on net sales of $3.8 billion. Investors have been watching Whirlpool, which manufactures most of its appliances in the US, as a potential winner from President Trump's tariffs. However, the company hasn't seen the benefits of Trump's policies yet. In fact, retailers front-running expected tariffs appeared to weigh on the company's second quarter results. "As expected, the second quarter continued to be impacted by competitors stockpiling Asian imports into the U.S.," the company said in the earnings release. "Despite this, we are well positioned in North America with a robust pipeline of new products, the industry's leading U.S. manufacturing footprint, and favorable housing demand fundamentals. We are confident in our long-term strategy and believe that evolving tariff policies will ultimately support domestic manufacturers." Whirlpool also cut its full-year guidance to $6 to $8 a share (previously it was $10 a share) and recommended slashing its quarterly dividend to $0.90 per share from $1.75 per share. Waste Management beats on revenue, earnings Waste Management (WM) reported earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations, sending the shares marginally higher in after-hours trading. Earnings per share of $1.92 were ahead of estimates for earnings of $1.90 per share, while revenue of $6.43 billion exceeded estimates of $6.35 billion, per S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Our second quarter results are a strong demonstration of our progress on all fronts," WM CEO Jim Fish said in a release. "Our Collection and Disposal business produced robust organic revenue growth and margin expansion, achieving the Company's best-ever operating expense margin." Waste Management stock rose 0.7% following the results. Waste Management (WM) reported earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations, sending the shares marginally higher in after-hours trading. Earnings per share of $1.92 were ahead of estimates for earnings of $1.90 per share, while revenue of $6.43 billion exceeded estimates of $6.35 billion, per S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Our second quarter results are a strong demonstration of our progress on all fronts," WM CEO Jim Fish said in a release. "Our Collection and Disposal business produced robust organic revenue growth and margin expansion, achieving the Company's best-ever operating expense margin." Waste Management stock rose 0.7% following the results. Tilray stock sinks after earnings Tilray stock (TLRY) reversed gains, sinking over 6% after hours after the Canadian cannabis company posted mixed quarterly results. Net revenue was $224.5 million in the fourth quarter compared to $229.9 million in the same period a year ago and $233 million estimated, per S&P Global Market Intelligence. Tilray posted adjusted earnings of $0.02 per share, compared to expectations for flat profitability. For its fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, Tilray expects to achieve adjusted EBITDA of $62 million to $72 million Listen to the earnings call live here. Tilray stock (TLRY) reversed gains, sinking over 6% after hours after the Canadian cannabis company posted mixed quarterly results. Net revenue was $224.5 million in the fourth quarter compared to $229.9 million in the same period a year ago and $233 million estimated, per S&P Global Market Intelligence. Tilray posted adjusted earnings of $0.02 per share, compared to expectations for flat profitability. For its fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, Tilray expects to achieve adjusted EBITDA of $62 million to $72 million Listen to the earnings call live here. An earnings scorecard Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer reports: Read more here. S&P 500 hits record highs amid parade of earnings with more Big Tech results on deck The S&P 500 (^GSPC) cleared its fifth straight record high on Friday after a busy week of earnings, headlined by reports from Google (GOOG) and (TSLA). With 34% of S&P 500 companies having reported results, 80% have reported a positive earnings per share surprise, and 80% reported a positive revenue surprise. Earnings season isn't slowing down just yet, however, with more major companies reporting next week. Notable companies reporting include Big Tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) and consumer-facing names like Procter & Gamble (PG) and Mastercard (MA) that can provide an updated view on consumer health. Here's a look at the earnings calendar for the next five business days: Monday: Tilray (TLRY), Waste Management (WM), Whirlpool (WHR) Tuesday: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Wednesday: Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Arm (ARM), Altria (MO), Carvana (CVNA), Ford (F), Generac (GNRC), Harley Davidson (HOG), Hershey (HSY), Humana (HUM), The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC), Qualcomm (QCOM), Robinhood (HOOD) Thursday: Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), Cigna (CI), Coinbase (COIN), CVS Health (CVS), Mastercard (MA), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), Reddit (RDDT), Roblox (RBLX), Roku (ROKU), Strategy (MSTR) Friday: Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Exxon Mobil (XOM) The S&P 500 (^GSPC) cleared its fifth straight record high on Friday after a busy week of earnings, headlined by reports from Google (GOOG) and (TSLA). With 34% of S&P 500 companies having reported results, 80% have reported a positive earnings per share surprise, and 80% reported a positive revenue surprise. Earnings season isn't slowing down just yet, however, with more major companies reporting next week. Notable companies reporting include Big Tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) and consumer-facing names like Procter & Gamble (PG) and Mastercard (MA) that can provide an updated view on consumer health. Here's a look at the earnings calendar for the next five business days: Monday: Tilray (TLRY), Waste Management (WM), Whirlpool (WHR) Tuesday: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Wednesday: Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Arm (ARM), Altria (MO), Carvana (CVNA), Ford (F), Generac (GNRC), Harley Davidson (HOG), Hershey (HSY), Humana (HUM), The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC), Qualcomm (QCOM), Robinhood (HOOD) Thursday: Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), Cigna (CI), Coinbase (COIN), CVS Health (CVS), Mastercard (MA), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), Reddit (RDDT), Roblox (RBLX), Roku (ROKU), Strategy (MSTR) Friday: Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Exxon Mobil (XOM) Intel turnaround story could realistically take years, analyst says Intel (INTC) stock fell 9% on Friday after the company reported quarterly results on Thursday that showed it was focused on cost-cutting. Intel's revenue of $12.8 billion beat analyst expectations of $11.8 billion, per Bloomberg data, and the chipmaker issued an upbeat Q3 revenue forecast of between $12.6 billion and $13.6 billion. But the company continues to face challenges as it attempts to transform into a chipmaker as well as a chip designer. As Yahoo Finance's Laura Bratton noted in our markets blog, investors focused on Intel's manufacturing roadmap instead of its headline numbers for the quarter. Intel, once a leading global chipmaker, has fallen behind its rivals in both its own products and its attempt to manufacture chips for outside customers. 'This is a multiquarter — realistically, probably multiyear — kind of complete turnaround story before all the benefits start to show up,' TECHnalysis Research president and chief analyst Bob O'Donnell told Yahoo Finance following the report. Intel (INTC) stock fell 9% on Friday after the company reported quarterly results on Thursday that showed it was focused on cost-cutting. Intel's revenue of $12.8 billion beat analyst expectations of $11.8 billion, per Bloomberg data, and the chipmaker issued an upbeat Q3 revenue forecast of between $12.6 billion and $13.6 billion. But the company continues to face challenges as it attempts to transform into a chipmaker as well as a chip designer. As Yahoo Finance's Laura Bratton noted in our markets blog, investors focused on Intel's manufacturing roadmap instead of its headline numbers for the quarter. Intel, once a leading global chipmaker, has fallen behind its rivals in both its own products and its attempt to manufacture chips for outside customers. 'This is a multiquarter — realistically, probably multiyear — kind of complete turnaround story before all the benefits start to show up,' TECHnalysis Research president and chief analyst Bob O'Donnell told Yahoo Finance following the report. Boston Beer Company says strong profits helped brewer absorb tariff costs The Boston Beer Company (SAM) reported earnings and revenue that topped analyst expectations on Thursday, and the Samuel Adams brewer maintained its earnings outlook for the year. Profits were $5.45 per share on revenue of $625 million, versus estimates for earnings of $4.00 per share on $588 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. SAM stock popped 6% on Friday, as the company also said it expects to see lower tariff costs than previously expected. For the full year, Boston Beer expects tariffs to weigh on costs by about $15 million to $20 million, instead of the $20 million to $30 million it previously modeled. "Right now, I think we're very happy with the performance," Boston Beer CEO Michael Spillane said on the earnings call. "Not only that, but that's allowed us to offset some of the tariffs that we've seen so far." The Boston Beer Company (SAM) reported earnings and revenue that topped analyst expectations on Thursday, and the Samuel Adams brewer maintained its earnings outlook for the year. Profits were $5.45 per share on revenue of $625 million, versus estimates for earnings of $4.00 per share on $588 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. SAM stock popped 6% on Friday, as the company also said it expects to see lower tariff costs than previously expected. For the full year, Boston Beer expects tariffs to weigh on costs by about $15 million to $20 million, instead of the $20 million to $30 million it previously modeled. "Right now, I think we're very happy with the performance," Boston Beer CEO Michael Spillane said on the earnings call. "Not only that, but that's allowed us to offset some of the tariffs that we've seen so far." Charter loses more broadband users in Q2 as competition heats up Charter Communications (CHTR) stock fell 10% premarket Friday after reporting a higher-than-expected fall in broadband subscribers in the second quarter. Reuters reports: Read more here. Charter Communications (CHTR) stock fell 10% premarket Friday after reporting a higher-than-expected fall in broadband subscribers in the second quarter. Reuters reports: Read more here. Puma stock plunges after reporting net loss, with challenges persisting throughout 2025 Puma ( stock plunged 17% after the German sports apparel company lowered its forecast and said it now expects sales to fall by double digits this year. During the second quarter, sales fell everywhere except Latin America and the Middle East, particularly in apparel (-10.7%) and accessories (-6.4%). Footwear sales grew 5.1%, which wasn't enough to offset softness elsewhere. The company swung to a net loss of 241 million euros (roughly $282 million), compared to net income of 41.9 million euros the year before. The sportswear company also noted a hit from tariffs. "Despite ongoing mitigating measures such as supply chain optimization, pricing adjustments and partner collaboration, the U.S. Tariffs are expected to have a mitigated negative impact in 2025 of around € 80 million on gross profit," Puma said in its release. Puma ( stock plunged 17% after the German sports apparel company lowered its forecast and said it now expects sales to fall by double digits this year. During the second quarter, sales fell everywhere except Latin America and the Middle East, particularly in apparel (-10.7%) and accessories (-6.4%). Footwear sales grew 5.1%, which wasn't enough to offset softness elsewhere. The company swung to a net loss of 241 million euros (roughly $282 million), compared to net income of 41.9 million euros the year before. The sportswear company also noted a hit from tariffs. "Despite ongoing mitigating measures such as supply chain optimization, pricing adjustments and partner collaboration, the U.S. Tariffs are expected to have a mitigated negative impact in 2025 of around € 80 million on gross profit," Puma said in its release. Phillips 66 profit beats estimates on higher refining margins Phillips 66 (PSX) stock rose about 1% in premarket trading after the US refiner reported an adjusted profit of $2.38 per share, beating Wall Street EPS estimates of about $1.71. During the quarter, Phillips 66 returned $906 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Reuters reports: Read more here. Phillips 66 (PSX) stock rose about 1% in premarket trading after the US refiner reported an adjusted profit of $2.38 per share, beating Wall Street EPS estimates of about $1.71. During the quarter, Phillips 66 returned $906 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Reuters reports: Read more here. Health insurer Centene reports surprise quarterly loss Centene's (CNC) stock fell 12% before the bell on Friday after the health insurance company reported a quarterly loss and warned of a revenue slump from government-backed plans. Read more here. Centene's (CNC) stock fell 12% before the bell on Friday after the health insurance company reported a quarterly loss and warned of a revenue slump from government-backed plans. Read more here. Deckers stock soars after Hoka, Ugg sales surge Hoka sneakers and Ugg brand shoes boosted Deckers (DECK) sales and profits last quarter, sending shares up more than 14% after hours. On Thursday, Deckers reported net sales grew 17% to $964.5 million, above estimates of $901.4 million, per Bloomberg data. Profits surged 24%, with diluted earnings per share coming in at $0.93. "HOKA and UGG outperformed our first quarter expectations, with robust growth delivering solid results to begin fiscal year 2026," CEO Stefano Caroti said in a press release. "Though uncertainty remains elevated in the global trade environment, our confidence in our brands has not changed, and the long-term opportunities ahead are significant. We will lean on the fundamental strengths of our powerful operating model as we continue executing our strategy." The main story for the quarter was Deckers' international business: International net sales rose 49.7%, offsetting a 2.8% decline in domestic sales. The company expects net sales for the current quarter in the range of $1.38 billion to $1.42 billion, in line with analyst estimates. Earnings are expected to be in the range of $1.50 to $1.55 per share. Read more here. Hoka sneakers and Ugg brand shoes boosted Deckers (DECK) sales and profits last quarter, sending shares up more than 14% after hours. On Thursday, Deckers reported net sales grew 17% to $964.5 million, above estimates of $901.4 million, per Bloomberg data. Profits surged 24%, with diluted earnings per share coming in at $0.93. "HOKA and UGG outperformed our first quarter expectations, with robust growth delivering solid results to begin fiscal year 2026," CEO Stefano Caroti said in a press release. "Though uncertainty remains elevated in the global trade environment, our confidence in our brands has not changed, and the long-term opportunities ahead are significant. We will lean on the fundamental strengths of our powerful operating model as we continue executing our strategy." The main story for the quarter was Deckers' international business: International net sales rose 49.7%, offsetting a 2.8% decline in domestic sales. The company expects net sales for the current quarter in the range of $1.38 billion to $1.42 billion, in line with analyst estimates. Earnings are expected to be in the range of $1.50 to $1.55 per share. Read more here. Intel stock rises on Q2 revenue beat, plans to cut 15% of workforce Intel (INTC) second quarter revenue beat analyst estimates, but its earnings fell short of expectations. The chip giant also said it is slashing its workforce by 15% and expects to have approximately 75,000 employees by the end of the year. Intel's new CEO Lip-Bu Tan has already undertaken or is exploring several cost-cutting measures. According to the Oregonian, the company is shuttering its automotive business, outsourcing marketing jobs, and laying off factory workers. Yahoo Finance's Daniel Howley has more details on Intel's results: Read more here. Intel (INTC) second quarter revenue beat analyst estimates, but its earnings fell short of expectations. The chip giant also said it is slashing its workforce by 15% and expects to have approximately 75,000 employees by the end of the year. Intel's new CEO Lip-Bu Tan has already undertaken or is exploring several cost-cutting measures. According to the Oregonian, the company is shuttering its automotive business, outsourcing marketing jobs, and laying off factory workers. Yahoo Finance's Daniel Howley has more details on Intel's results: Read more here. Intel to report Q2 earnings as Wall Street looks for signs of turnaround Intel (INTC) will report its second quarter earnings on Thursday as the company's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, continues his attempt to turn around the ailing chip giant. Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley details what to expect when Intel reports: Read more here. Intel (INTC) will report its second quarter earnings on Thursday as the company's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, continues his attempt to turn around the ailing chip giant. Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley details what to expect when Intel reports: Read more here. 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