Latest news with #JohnMurphy
Globe and Mail
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Bank of America Securities Remains a Buy on Ford Motor (F)
In a report released today, John Murphy from Bank of America Securities reiterated a Buy rating on Ford Motor, with a price target of $14.00. The company's shares closed last Friday at $11.16. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Murphy covers the Consumer Cyclical sector, focusing on stocks such as Ford Motor, General Motors, and Group 1 Automotive. According to TipRanks, Murphy has an average return of 7.5% and a 57.61% success rate on recommended stocks. Currently, the analyst consensus on Ford Motor is a Hold with an average price target of $10.08, representing a -9.68% downside. In a report released on July 16, TR | OpenAI – 4o also upgraded the stock to a Buy with a $13.00 price target. F market cap is currently $44.38B and has a P/E ratio of 8.94.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Coca-Cola (KO) Raises 2025 Profit Forecast
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) reported its second quarter 2025 results on July 22nd, delivering 5% organic revenue growth, 4% year-over-year comparable earnings per share growth, and continued robust comparable margin expansion, despite a 1% decline in volume amid currency headwinds. Management raised full-year 2025 comparable currency-neutral EPS growth guidance to about 8% and underscored strong operational agility, market-specific pivots, disciplined reinvestment, and tangible advances in productivity as key drivers of performance. The following insights address strategic execution, margin durability, and portfolio innovation that underpin the company's long-term investment thesis. Margin expansion drives KO's profit growth Comparable operating margin expanded by 190 basis points year-over-year, driven by a combination of productivity initiatives, favorable investment timing, and cycling effects. Margin resilience persisted even as volume growth turned negative 1% year-over-year, juxtaposed with solid performance in developed markets and pockets of emerging market weakness. "Comparable gross margin increased approximately 80 basis points, and comparable operating margin increased approximately 190 basis points. Both were driven by underlying expansion, partially offset by currency headwinds. Approximately one-third of our underlying expansion was driven by faster realization of our productivity initiatives, while the rest was driven by timing of investments and favorable cycling versus the prior year." -- John Murphy, President and Chief Financial Officer This sustained margin expansion highlights structural cost discipline and operational leverage, supporting earnings momentum even in a mixed volume environment where pricing power and productivity offset input pressures. Strategic pivots sustain KO top-line algorithm KO achieved seventeen consecutive quarters of global value share gains, with 5% organic revenue growth (non-GAAP) and sequential improvements in key developed markets. Management emphasized the need for rapid, data-driven adjustments at both geographic and channel levels, as illustrated by accelerated marketing and value initiatives targeting Mexico, India, and underperforming emerging markets following weather and geopolitical headwinds. "We got hit by an early monsoon in India, which is the important selling season, plus the India-Pakistan conflict, brief as it was, plus weather in Mexico, which required us to pivot to bring back growth in those parts of the world coming into the second half. So it's really, if you like, about the need for the all-weather strategy, to be taken up another notch in terms of how fast you can pivot and execute to still deliver the results that we're delivering." -- James Quincey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer This operational agility enhances KO's ability to defend its growth algorithm, mitigating externally driven volatility and reinforcing its leadership via tailored price-pack architecture and marketing that restore brand momentum across regions. Portfolio innovation and capacity gains unlock future growth The Fairlife brand sustained double-digit volume growth, albeit at moderating rates in the second half of 2025, due to pronounced U.S. production bottlenecks; the expansion of the New York facility in early 2026 will relieve capacity constraints. At the same time, KO's $30 billion-brand portfolio and disciplined innovation pipeline (e.g. Sprite Plus Tea, U.S. cane sugar Coca-Cola) address evolving consumer preferences, while ongoing international expansion targets differentiated value-added dairy opportunities. "Firstly, Fairlife continues to have strong growth. Double-digit volume growth in the second quarter. The New York facility will come online at the beginning of 2026, obviously. That doesn't all turn on with a flick of the switch on day one, and that will ramp up over 2026, but it will steadily debottleneck our constraints on capacity across all the different Fairlife variants and package sizes. Secondly, as it relates to international, having made some investments in dairy which were unhappy in small countries and with small investments, it is worth pointing out that Santa Clara in Mexico also had a strong performance. It's now the number one value-added dairy business in Mexico." -- James Quincey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Capacity expansion and innovation ensure that KO captures share in high-growth premium categories, extending its competitive moat beyond traditional CSDs (carbonated soft drinks). Looking Ahead Management reaffirmed its full-year 2025 organic revenue growth guidance of 5%-6% and raised comparable currency-neutral earnings per share growth guidance to about 8% for 2025, though comparable EPS growth is now expected at 3% year-over-year due to a roughly 5-point currency headwind. KO expects positive volume growth in the second half of 2025 as transitory Q2 impacts fade and investment flexibility increases, with concentrate sales in Q3 2025 expected to trail unit cases modestly. The company highlighted robust free cash flow generation ($3.9 billion in Q2, up $600 million versus the prior year's second quarter), and ongoing discipline in hedging and productivity, while confirming that strong first-half 2025 margin gains mean margin expansion will not be weighted toward the second half. Where to invest $1,000 right now When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,037%* — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I'm going to composer hell for this': ‘Superman' composers on adapting John Williams' ‘sacred' anthem for their super-score
In the annals of hallowed movie scores, John Williams boasts the Holy Trinity of Jaws, Star Wars, and Superman. (If you want to round upwards, throw in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park, as well.) And woe be unto any composer that strives outdo those immortal soundtracks — particularly if they try to put their own stamp on one of the reigning gods of movie music. That's a risk that John Murphy and David Fleming were both well aware of when James Gunn persuaded them to collaborate on the score for his relaunch of the Man of Steel's feature film franchise. Past Superman revivals have handled the challenge in different ways. John Ottman's score for 2006's Superman Returns didn't mess with success, preserving the Williams title anthem with little to no changes. But Hans Zimmer left the "Superman March" out of his score for 2013's Man of Steel — one of many controversial departures that movie made from the template established the Christopher Reeve films. More from Gold Derby 'It feels like I've won the Medal of Freedom': Molly Gordon loves being part of the Emmy-nominated 'The Bear' Anne Hathaway reveals first-look photo from 'The Devil Wears Prada 2': Everything to know about anticipated sequel Gunn's Superman is also very much its own comic book confection, but as both Murphy and Fleming tell Gold Derby in separate interviews, the director never intended to fully march to the beat of his own drummer. "James said to me early on that he wanted to pay homage to Williams and bring the 'Superman March' back in," Murphy says. "We knew we wanted to hear it. At least in my generation, we grew up hearing that amazing motif the first time we saw Superman fly in the first movie." "James' movie is obviously influenced by the Superman comics, but he was also touched by Richard Donner's film and loves that Williams score, as do I," echoes Fleming. "It's a gem of our craft." (The original Superman's score was nominated for an Oscar, but didn't join Jaws and Star Wars in bringing home a statuette for Williams.) Murphy was the first of the duo to join Gunn's justice league, having previously collaborated with the director on The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. "James told me to just try stuff," he remembers about his early marching orders in how to adapt the Williams theme. "So I did it in a lot of different ways: I did a big Gothic version and a version that changed it from a major key to a minor key." "Then I started getting really crazy with it," he continues with a laugh. "I slowed it down to half-speed and it still sounded great. I also added an acoustic guitar and did a Radiohead-style version, which you actually hear in the movie at the end. There was a synth version and even a punk version at one point. After that one, I was like, 'I'm going to composer hell for this!'" Murphy eventually hit the right note — almost by accident. While noodling around on an electric guitar during one recording session, he started strumming the "Superman March" in the style of Jimi Hendrix's classic sunrise-at-Woodstock take on "The Star-Spangled Banner." "It made me smile," he remembers. "Even played on a dirty guitar through a Vox AC15 amp, it's still that bloody theme! I just did it to entertain myself, but then I started thinking: 'I couldn't ... or could I?'" When Gunn heard Murphy's rendition, he decided that the composer absolutely could. In fact, the director was so high on the Hendrix-tinged take that he put it in the movie's first teaser trailer without telling his composer. "I though they'd use one of the big orchestral versions I did," Murphy says. "But then he put the trailer on for me, and the guitar came in. I was like, 'This is going to be the first sound that the world will hear of the new Superman.'" It was also the first sound that Fleming heard when he was brought aboard. "John had already cracked a lot of the most difficult challenges on the score," the composer says. "So I got to come in and further explore the Superman music and the DNA of that iconic theme." With Murphy having used what Fleming calls "the chorus" of the "Superman March," Fleming focused his attention on the track's "opening call," finding ways to incorporate it into the movie's big action beats. "I used that as an action motif," he explains, adding that he broke out other sections of Williams's theme to drive separate narrative throughlines — like the scenes where Clark struggles with the knowledge that his Kryptonian parents may have sent to Earth to do more nefarious things than help people. "I used the end cadence from the 'Superman March' for those moments," Fleming notes. "That part of the theme always touched me. I remember playing a slow version of it on the piano for James and I could feel him really responding to it. It not only fit his version of Superman, but also his version of Clark." Far from being condemned to hell for daring to mess around with an iconic John Williams anthem, Murphy and Fleming's score has been met with a largely positive response from fans. The one person they haven't heard from is Williams — and they're just fine with that. "I try not to think about," Murphy laughs when asked about the chances that the legendary composer, who turned 93 earlier this year, may have heard his noodling. "Composers don't get any bigger than John Williams, let's be honest," he adds. "So I hope he likes it! His Superman score is a holy grail — it's sacred." But there's more — much more — to this new Superman score than just the "Superman March." We had the duo walk us through some of the most notable tracks on the album, from themes for Lex Luthor and the dynamic duo that is Lois and Clark to that endlessly replayable Mighty Crabjoys tunes. "LuthorCorp" Unlike the more classical Superman sound, Murphy wanted Nicholas Hoult's tech bro interpretation of the Man of Steel's nemesis, Lex Luthor, to sound more present day. "The way James has drawn this version of the character, he could be Elon Musk or a lot of other people like that," the composer says. "We wanted to keep the antagonists modern so we introduced a lot of synth guitars in the sound design. And that helped for when the two characters collide, because it's easier to differentiate sonically between Superman and Lex." Murphy also has an affinity for that particular track because it allowed him to team up with his daughter, Molly. "She did all the cool trip-up stuff that's in there and all the synths and pulses," the proud father says. "I'm so lucky that I get to write music with my daughter. She makes my stuff cooler!" "Justice Gang vs. Kaiju" While Murphy focused on Luthor's villainy, Fleming took point on scoring the movie's earlier action sequences, including Superman and Maxwell Lord's Justice Gang going toe-to-oversized toe with a gaint kaiju creature as Lex invades the Fortress of Solitude. "That fight is one of your first opportunities to see Superman in battle," he says. "It's also the most purely fun action sequence in the film. That's the first moment where I used the opening call of the 'Superman March' as an action motif. You get to really enjoy seeing Superman use his powers — he's in danger, but also in control at the same time." "Lois & Clark" Can you read our minds? Murphy came up with two versions of a tone-setting theme for the movie's red hot couple. The first was big and orchestral — not unlike Williams's lushly romantic take. The second, on the other hand, featured nearly eight minutes of filtered guitars for a stripped-down modern sound. Murphy sent both versions off to Gunn, assuming that he'd pick the grander one. But the director immediately wrapped his arms around the quieter version, much to Murphy's initial chagrin. "I was disappointed," he admits. "But then I realized that it makes total sense: Lois and Clark have a very grounded relationship, so they don't need to have this big romantic theme playing. If you watch their first scene together, she's being snarky and he's being a bit of a dick! So of course it would be the simple little guitar version rather than this big, blown-up thing." "Metropolis" While Murphy and Fleming oversaw individual tracks, they also joined forces for the movie's most complicated sequences where multiple musical themes and motifs were at play. Fleming likens those collaborations to a jigsaw puzzle where they each ensured that all the pieces were placed correctly within the overall soundscape. "Metropolis" is part of the movie's grand climax and Fleming describes it as "the closest thing to a pure collaboration that John and I got to have." "That actually started as a John Murphy guitar piece with these two chords that were going back and forth," he recalls. "Then the scene keeps going, so I took his piece and ran with it, adding orchestra to make it a little grander. He set the bar for that track and then I hopefully took it somewhere else." "The Mighty Crabjoys" For the record, Murphy and Fleming aren't an official part of the Mighty Crabjoys — the punk-pop band that's become a running joke in the new DC cinematic universe. Instead, the fictional group's hit single was written as a group effort by Gunn, Foxy Shazam's Eric Nally, and musician Devin Williams and performed by Foxy Shazam and Lou Lou Safran. But Fleming says that he did add some choir to the track in the final stages of production. "My only question was, 'Do we want this to be a classical choir or do we want to make it punk rock?' And James said, 'It would be funnier if it sounds like a big classical choir.' The choir ended up doing it gospel-style and it gives the movie its own specific energy." Even if their own score isn't nominated at the Oscars next year, both composers would love to see the Mighty Crabjoys appear at the ceremony as Original Song performers... and nominees. "If we could get the Mighty Crabjoys onstage at the Oscars, that would be hilarious," Fleming says with a smile. "It would be the coolest thing if Superman could be the lead singer," Murphy adds in agreement. "Batman would be cool, too." Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
23-07-2025
- CBS News
Inver Grove Heights' historic Rock Island Swing Bridge gets illuminating upgrade
An historic rail bridge built in the late 1890s is getting new life in one Minnesota community. Scenic views of the Mississippi River can still be found where horse-drawn wagons, trains and cars once traveled over "America's River" between Inver Grove Heights and St. Paul Park. "It's super important to us," said Adam Lares, Inver Grove Heights' park and recreation director. "This is part of our history and one of our foundations of our city." That history began with construction of the double-decker Rock Island Swing Bridge in 1894. The local legend is that notorious gangster John Dillinger crossed the bridge in a stolen car following a shootout with Dakota County authorities in the mid-1930s. The bridge closed to rail traffic in 1980 and road traffic in 1999. Today, it is a pier spanning 680 feet over the river where old meets new — thanks to an illuminating idea. "The first time I heard about it was from one of our council members, Councilmember John Murphy. He's like, 'Hey, it'd be great idea if we could kind of draw some more attention to our community, utilize our history and put some lights on that bridge,'" Lares said. New life and light were added to the bridge in the form of 28,000 color-changing LEDs in June. The half-million-dollar upgrade got a big boost from the state, and the city chipped in, too. The nightly light shows are bringing new visitors, and brightening memories for longtime locals. "When I was a kid, went over that on a toll. I walked across that bridge. My grandpa, my grandma worked on that bridge, so it just really flooded a lot of history back," Lares said. The city is already getting requests for color combinations and other light show suggestions. They are currently working on a lighting policy. "I hope one day we will see it purple and gold for the Vikings when they win the Super Bowl," Lares said. The unique light show starts every 15 minutes from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night through the summer.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The protein boom is only beginning: Morning Brief
They're cramming it into everything now. It's in pancakes and pasta, chips and cereal. Plant-based or harvested from the farm, it's the macro(nutrient) of the moment. And slices of corporate America are not so subtly asking: Have you met your protein goal today? Protein Doritos sounds like the ideal mashup for the gym rat snack fiends of the world. But it's not as farfetched a product as you might think. Pepsi (PEP) plans to unveil new protein offerings for some of its Frito-Lay and Quaker brands, part of a broader shift to enhance their products and strip away artificial flavors and colors. (But what is a tasty Cheeto if not a brazenly synthetic delight?) Pepsi's intended relaunch and extension of popular brands is a reaction to a consumer base on the hunt for healthier, cleaner options. Executives across the food and beverage world see a potential crisis unfolding. As demand for legacy products wavers, companies are reaching for new lines (like fiber, prebiotics, hydration, energy, and protein) to support the core business. Sign up for the Yahoo Finance Morning Brief By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy "Protein is clearly a subsegment in our food and beverages categories that is growing fast," said PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta on an earnings call last week. "Consumers are adopting protein solutions in the diet at a pace that was not the case a few months back, a few years back." Coca-Cola (KO), which reported on Tuesday, is undergoing its own notable evolution. Earlier this year, the company came out with a prebiotic soda brand, Simply Pop, an answer to the initial success of soda alternatives like Olipop and Poppi. Coca-Cola's Fairlife line of lactose-free, ultra-filtered milk and protein shakes (a fitness influencer staple) is touting double-digit volume growth. Coke CFO John Murphy told my colleague Brooke DiPalma that protein is another representation of consumers looking for products that help them in their daily lives, have fewer calories, or are perceived as healthier. Coca-Cola also confirmed it'll offer a Coke variant sweetened with US cane sugar this fall. A confluence of factors has amped up the recommendations and ability to up your protein intake. Strength training is having a moment, in a sort of vindication of gym bro fitness culture but also an expansion and reimagining of it. More young people, older people, and women are skipping (or supplementing) the treadmill and stationary bike and heading to the weight rack. Big, commercial gyms are swapping out cardio machines to make space for pumping iron. Planet Fitness (PLNT) announced plans at the start of the year to install new plate-loaded strength equipment — like bench presses and hack squats — into all of its more than 2,700 clubs by the end of 2025. Logically, protein follows to help realize the gains. Social media reflects and amplifies these trends. Popular influencers, like some of their Hollywood counterparts, are sporting more muscular physiques: wider backs, denser arms, and thicker legs. And they're touting the advantages of higher protein consumption as a method to change the way people look and feel. You have to eat more protein, they proclaim, to grow a dump truck. The opposite is true too: You generally need to actually train to put protein to work — and we may all be going overboard. Otherwise, you're just eating protein aspirationally. The explosion of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs from Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) is another reason why consumers are seeing more protein-enriched foods on grocery aisles. As appetite-suppressed Ozempic and Wegovy users eat less and drop pounds, it isn't just body fat they're shedding. People in a calorie deficit generally lose fat and muscle, so healthcare providers advise patients to eat more protein to help preserve their muscle mass. And as a diet trend, the pro-protein movement is also just that, "pro" something, instead of the carb villainization of Atkins of the 2000s or low-fat of the 90s and before. For food and snack companies, it's an opportunity to capitalize on that turbocharged demand by providing something that's acceptable to eat, tackling health through consumption instead of austerity. So far, the market is gobbling it up. Hamza Shaban is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering markets and the economy. Follow Hamza on X @hshaban. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices
