Latest news with #JohnWalker
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Nasdaq 100 Stock Worth Investigating and 2 to Steer Clear Of
The Nasdaq 100 (^NDX) is home to some of the biggest success stories in tech and growth investing. However, certain stocks in the index face challenges like profitability concerns, rising costs, or shifts in market trends. Even among high-growth companies, some are struggling, which is why we built StockStory - to help you separate winners from losers. That said, here is one Nasdaq 100 stock driving the future of tech and two that may struggle. Market Cap: $2.19 trillion Founded by Jeff Bezos after quitting his stock-picking job at D.E. Shaw, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the world's largest online retailer and provider of cloud computing services. Why Are We Hesitant About AMZN? Amazon revolutionized the way consumers shop. But its capital-intensive online retail business caps its profitability, leading to margins that lag behind its Magnificent 7 peers. Although Amazon Web Services is a gold mine producing mission-critical infrastructure, its outsized scale limits its growth rate compared to smaller peers such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. Returns on invested capital are well below their pre-COVID peak as the company is in the middle of an investment cycle. Will Amazon ever harvest profits or keep pushing them to the future? At $206.51 per share, Amazon trades at 32.4x forward price-to-earnings. To fully understand why you should be careful with AMZN, check out our full research report (it's free). Market Cap: $44.34 billion Processing over 2.8 billion insurance transaction records annually through one of the world's largest private databases, Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) provides data, analytics, and technology solutions that help insurance companies assess risk, detect fraud, and make better business decisions. Why Does VRSK Worry Us? Muted 1.9% annual revenue growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its business services peers Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 8.7% annually Verisk is trading at $317.33 per share, or 43.9x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than VRSK. Market Cap: $63.17 billion Founded in 1982 by John Walker and growing into one of the industry's behemoths, Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) makes computer-aided design (CAD) software for engineering, construction, and architecture companies. Why Are We Positive On ADSK? Average billings growth of 23.1% over the last year enhances its liquidity and shows there is steady demand for its products Software is difficult to replicate at scale and results in a best-in-class gross margin of 92% Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong trailing 12-month operating margin of 20.3% Autodesk's stock price of $294.80 implies a valuation ratio of 8.9x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it's free. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) Posts Better-Than-Expected Sales In Q1, Provides Encouraging Quarterly Revenue Guidance
Design software company Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) announced better-than-expected revenue in Q1 CY2025, with sales up 15.2% year on year to $1.63 billion. Guidance for next quarter's revenue was better than expected at $1.73 billion at the midpoint, 1.6% above analysts' estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.29 per share was 6.7% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Autodesk? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $1.63 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.61 billion (15.2% year-on-year growth, 1.7% beat) Adjusted EPS: $2.29 vs analyst estimates of $2.15 (6.7% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $511 million vs analyst estimates of $601.8 million (31.3% margin, 15.1% miss) The company slightly lifted its revenue guidance for the full year to $6.96 billion at the midpoint from $6.93 billion Management raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $9.62 at the midpoint, a 1.2% increase Operating Margin: 14.3%, down from 21.1% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 34%, down from 41.4% in the previous quarter Billings: $1.43 billion at quarter end, up 28.6% year on year Market Capitalization: $62.67 billion "Against an uncertain geopolitical, macroeconomic, and policy backdrop, our strong performance in the first quarter of fiscal 26 set us up well for the year," said Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk president and CEO. Founded in 1982 by John Walker and growing into one of the industry's behemoths, Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) makes computer-aided design (CAD) software for engineering, construction, and architecture companies. Reviewing a company's long-term sales performance reveals insights into its quality. Any business can experience short-term success, but top-performing ones enjoy sustained growth for years. Over the last three years, Autodesk grew its sales at a 11.6% compounded annual growth rate. Although this growth is acceptable on an absolute basis, it fell short of our standards for the software sector, which enjoys a number of secular tailwinds. Luckily, there are other things to like about Autodesk. This quarter, Autodesk reported year-on-year revenue growth of 15.2%, and its $1.63 billion of revenue exceeded Wall Street's estimates by 1.7%. Company management is currently guiding for a 14.6% year-on-year increase in sales next quarter. Looking further ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 12% over the next 12 months, similar to its three-year rate. This projection is above average for the sector and indicates its newer products and services will help maintain its historical top-line performance. Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link. Billings is a non-GAAP metric that is often called 'cash revenue' because it shows how much money the company has collected from customers in a certain period. This is different from revenue, which must be recognized in pieces over the length of a contract. Autodesk's billings punched in at $1.43 billion in Q1, and over the last four quarters, its growth was impressive as it averaged 23.1% year-on-year increases. This alternate topline metric grew faster than total sales, meaning the company collects cash upfront and then recognizes the revenue over the length of its contracts - a boost for its liquidity and future revenue prospects. The customer acquisition cost (CAC) payback period measures the months a company needs to recoup the money spent on acquiring a new customer. This metric helps assess how quickly a business can break even on its sales and marketing investments. Autodesk's recent customer acquisition efforts haven't yielded returns as its CAC payback period was negative this quarter, meaning its incremental sales and marketing investments outpaced its revenue. The company's inefficiency indicates it operates in a competitive market and must continue investing to grow. It was great to see Autodesk raise its full-year revenue and EPS guidance. We were also glad its billings, revenue, and EPS outperformed Wall Street's estimates. On the other hand, its EBITDA missed. Still, this print had some key positives. The stock traded up 4.1% to $307.02 immediately after reporting. Indeed, Autodesk had a rock-solid quarterly earnings result, but is this stock a good investment here? When making that decision, it's important to consider its valuation, business qualities, as well as what has happened in the latest quarter. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Gizmodo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Thunderbolts Almost Had Its Own Wild Red Hulk
Screenwriter Eric Pearson revealed another scrapped idea for Marvel Studios' latest release. As the roll out for Thunderbolts has revealed that the rag-tag team of mercenaries are now your New Avengers (or Avengerz, as Red Guardian put it), more is coming to light about how the film was assembled. Co-screenwriter and story writer Eric Pearson has given post-release interviews talking about Taskmaster's original role in the film, as well as the decision not to include Baron Zemo. Another major change just came to light—this time, regarding Wyatt Russell's character, John Walker/U.S. Agent. Speaking to the Wrap. Pearson said the film's line-up before Sentry's inclusion rested on a reveal that Walker was going to turn into a Red Hulk as the film's big bad as a fail-safe put in by Valentina. Pearson shared, 'Part of Valentina's manipulation was that she had tricked him into thinking he needed constant medication but what she was really doing was planting a time bomb in him if she needed to set him off.' That was intended to break the would-be team apart but instead would serve as another team-building challenge, he said. 'Taking Walker, the most antagonistic member of the team, the most abrasive, and then turning him into something that they choose not to kill, but to try and save.' He continued that the idea 'did not feel right' and Walker as the second Red Hulk right after Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World was scrapped. This line of thinking led to including a new character and Pearson suggested Sentry, a character he'd learned about during his time in the Marvel Writers Program. 'I always remember loving the kind of idea of, what if Superman had a version of himself with that was as bad as it was good?' Pearson said of the role Lewis Pullman ended up taking over; it has a similar heel turn that mirrors the inner conflict all the anti-heroes grapple with—'heroic ambition versus self-loathing'—but without a repeat character. Thunderbolts is now in theaters.
Geek Tyrant
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
U.S. Agent Was Originally the Main Villain in THUNDERBOLTS*, Film's Writer Breaks Down The Change — GeekTyrant
Before Thunderbolts* gave us the tragic powerhouse clash with The Sentry and his monstrous alter ego The Void, the film's big villain was supposed to be someone more familiar and much more grounded in the MCU with John Walker, aka U.S. Agent. In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Thunderbolts* screenwriter Eric Pearson opened up about early drafts of the script and revealed a very different third act. Originally, the plan was to push Walker, who was last seen working with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, into full-blown villain territory. Pearson explained: "The original drafts of this had John Walker as the punching villain at the end. The idea was that part of Val's manipulation was that she had told him that his serum was wearing off, and she was doing these medications to keep him going. 'In reality, he was a time bomb; a Hulk kind of thing. There was going to be a bit of a 'Sun's getting real low' moment because from the beginning of this, it was like, 'I want to end our third act fight with a hug.'" Yeah, that fight ends with a hug, just like in the movie that was released, so that emotional throughline was baked in from the beginning, but Pearson soon realized that leaning into the emotional complexity of The Sentry , Marvel's own deeply flawed 'Superman'—offered more depth than just a brawl with Walker. "That version was kind of fun, but ultimately didn't work and didn't feel right tone-wise. I had already kind of layered in the whole Breakfast Club thing, so I was like, 'I want someone that they can't beat in a punching fight and that they have to connect to in an emotional way.'" Enter Bob Reynolds aka the Sentry. Pearson, who participated in the Marvel Writers Program over a decade ago, remembered being struck by the comic's dichotomy between godlike heroism and paralyzing self-doubt. He saw potential in building the movie's climax around that internal struggle. He said: "But back in the Marvel Writers program that I did in 2010 or 2011, I'd read the Sentry comics. In the comics, it's like the golden God of Good vs. Pure Evil. But I was like, 'What if it's heroic ambition and self-esteem versus self-loathing and depression and loneliness?' 'He's basically the entire journey for our heroes rolled into one entity. So, I put him in, and he fit so perfectly. Then it was all about finding and defining the Void space and stuff like that." That shift gave the film a new emotional anchor. The Sentry became less of a 'villain' and more of a tragic mirror, reflecting the fractured state of each team member. Pearson then talked about the comic book storyline and how The Sentry had existed since the Golden Age and that the character erased everyone's memory of him. He epained how that was a "fun comic book idea that's not going to translate into this movie very well." Instead, the film drew from the core themes of duality and broken identity: "We took the memory loss, the duality of his character, and the fact that he was an experiment gone wrong. You want to just take as much to honor the comics, and then fit it into the movie world in the best way." As for John Walker, his comic book arc has always danced between hero, anti-hero, and full-on antagonist. While it would have been intertesting to see him manipulated into a ticking time bomb by Val, especially if that arc ended with a cathartic group hug, it's clear the creative team found something more meaningful in The Sentry's inner war. In the end, Walker lives to fight another day, and The Void? That's a battle the MCU is far from finished with, especially with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon. Would you have liked to see Walker as the big villain? Or did Thunderbolts* stick the landing with Bob's emotional gut-punch?
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What That Thunderbolts* Asterisk Means for Some Marvel TV Characters (Warning: Movie Spoilers)
The following contains spoilers from the Marvel Studios film — post-credits scene included. As revealed at the end of Thunderbolts*, the MCU Phase 5 team-up film now in theaters, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's John Walker aka U.S. Agent — that goofy, knock-off Captain America — is now one of the Avengers. More from TVLine Jeremy Renner Explains Hawkeye Season 2 Hold-Up, Says He Was Offered 'Half the Money' to Return Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Eyes Spring 2026 Premiere - Which Would Avoid Spider-Man 4 Continuity Issues Daredevil: Born Again Directors Preview 'Very, Very, Very Violent' Season 1 Finale Sorta. Announced in September 2022 and originally pegged for a July 2024 release (but pushed back thrice), Thunderbolts* assembles 'an unconventional team of antiheroes' — Yelena Belova (played by Black Widow and Hawkeye's Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (MCU vet Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (Black Widow's David Harbour), Ava Starr/Ghost (Ant-Man 2's Hannah John-Kamen), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Black Widow's Olga Kurylenko) and the aforementioned John Walker/U.S. Agent (Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Wyatt Russell). And Bob (Outer Range's Lewis Pullman). After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by soon-to-be-impeached CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Julia Louis-Dreyfus), this collection of castoffs — self-dubbed 'Thunderbolts,' after young Yelena's pee-wee soccer team — embark on a dangerous mission with (and sometimes against) Bob aka Sentry aka The Void, that forced them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. As the film draws to a close, after the team of antiheroes saves poor, beleaguered New York from yet another catastrophe, Yelena & Co. stumble out onto an outdoor rally stage, where Valentina announces them to the press and all onlookers as 'The New Avengers!' (The start of the closing credits confirms that this is what the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* 'placeholder' title was always about, as the asterisk disappears and the name Thunderbolts morphs into The New Avengers.) What this means is that John Walker — a character that made his live-action debut on one of Disney+'s first Marvel series — has graduated to Avenger status. As has Bucky (also previously seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Yelena (previously seen in Hawkeye) and the others. Provided, that is, that this 'New Avengers' team can withstand a copyright infringement complaint filed by Bucky's bestie Sam Wilson, who is currently assembling a new team of Avengers proper. Alexei is quick to offer one workaround (ending their team name with the letter Z instead of an S), but the legal squabble is quickly set aside when Yelena alerts the team to space crisis/incursion event, and footage of a spaceship (sporting the Fantastic Four logo) entering the atmosphere above New York…. The screen then confirms that 'The New Avengers.. and Bob… Will Return.' Which isn't brand-new news, given the early cast reveal for Avengers: Doomsday, now filming. Want scoop on any Marvel TV show? Shoot an email to , and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Best of TVLine Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More 'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
