AXP

Affirm Holdings, Inc. AFRM posted fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of $4.62 per share. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents by 1,300%. The metric rose from 20 cents a year ago. Revenues of $1.17 billion rose 33.0% year over year and surpassed the consensus mark of $1.11 billion by 5.4%. AFRM’s strong quarterly results were driven by robust Gross Merchandise Volume (“GMV”) growth, higher transactions, strong repeat customer engagement and increased interest income. Rapid growth in Affirm Card adoption and merchant activity also supported the performance. However, elevated operating expenses and higher provision for credit losses partly offset the gains. The bottom line also benefited significantly from a $1.45 billion income tax benefit related to the release of a valuation allowance on domestic deferred tax assets. Affirm Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Affirm Holdings, Inc. Quote As of June 30, 2026, AFRM’s active merchants totaled 570,800, up 50% year over year. GMV increased 36% year over year to $14.1 billion. The figure also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $13.4 billion. The metric gained from strong contributions from direct merchant point-of-sale integrations, wallet partnerships and direct-to-consumer offerings. Total transactions rallied 41.1% year over year to 52.9 million on the back of a significant surge in repeat customer transactions. The metric beat the consensus mark of 47.4 million. Active cardholders more than doubled to 5.2 million, lifting the card attach rate to about 19%. Servicing income of $46.1 million advanced 36% year over year and beat the consensus mark of $45.4 million. Interest income rose 35% year over year to $567.3 million and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $542.3 million. Merchant network revenues improved 26.3% year over year to $302.4 million but missed the consensus mark of $306.1 million. The metric gained from growing GMV. Card network revenues amounted to $85.2 million, up 26.9% year over year, attributable to higher usage of Affirm Card and Affirm virtual cards. The metric beat the consensus mark of $75.9 million. Operating expenses increased 24.5% year over year to $1.02 billion. Provision for credit losses climbed 42.5% to $223.2 million, while technology and data analytics expenses rose 31% to $202.6 million. Higher infrastructure costs and amortization of internally developed software contributed to the increase in technology and data analytics expenses. Operating income improved to $147.3 million from $58.1 million, with operating margin expanding to 12.6% from 6.6%. Adjusted operating income increased 49% to $353.4 million, and adjusted operating margin improved to 30.3% from 27.0%. Affirm exited the fiscal fourth quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.6 billion, which increased from $1.4 billion as of fiscal 2025-end. Total assets of $15.8 billion rose from the fiscal 2025-end level of $11.2 billion. Funding debt totaled $3.3 billion compared with $1.6 billion at the end of fiscal 2025. Total stockholders’ equity was $5.5 billion, up from $3.1 billion at the end of fiscal 2025. AFRM generated $1.2 billion in net cash from operations for the 12 months ended June 30, 2026, compared with $793.9 million for the 12 months ended June 30, 2025. AFRM reported 2026 operating revenues of $4.3 billion, up from $3.2 billion a year ago. Full-year adjusted net income was $5.53 per share, up from 15 cents a year ago. For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, AFRM expects GMV of $13.7-$14.0 billion and revenues of $1.19-$1.22 billion. The company projects revenue less transaction costs of $575-$590 million, an adjusted operating margin of 28.0-30.0% and a GAAP operating margin of 11.5-13.5%. For fiscal 2027, management expects GMV of more than $64 billion. The company expects revenues to remain near 8.49% of GMV, the fiscal 2026 level. Adjusted and GAAP operating margins are projected to exceed 30.5% and 14.5%, respectively. Affirm Holdings currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Other payment space players like Mastercard Incorporated MA, Visa Inc. V) and American Express AXP have also reported their quarterly numbers. Here’s how they have performed: Mastercard reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $5.04, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.7%. The bottom line improved 21.4% year over year. Net revenues advanced 14.1% year over year to $9.3 billion. The top line beat the consensus mark by 2.4%. Mastercard’s quarterly results benefited from strong cross-border volume growth, increased switched transactions and robust demand for value-added services. The upside was partly offset by higher payment network rebates from renewed deals and an escalating operating expense level. Visa delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.32 per share, which rose 11% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. Net revenues were $11.63 billion, rising 14% year over year. Visa’s quarterly results reflected resilient spending trends, higher cross-border volumes and solid network activity, including a 10% year-over-year increase in payments volume on a constant-dollar basis. The upside was partly offset by increased operating expenses. American Express reported second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $4.53, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.7%. The bottom line advanced 11% year over year. Total revenues, net of interest expense, improved 10% year over year to $19.6 billion. AXP’s quarterly results were driven by increased Card Member spending, higher net interest income and improved card fee growth. However, the upside was partly offset by elevated operating expenses. 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 Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Mastercard Incorporated (MA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Visa Inc. (V) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Express Company (AXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Since succeeding Warren Buffett as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) last January, Greg Abel has made some major changes to Berkshire's stock portfolio. In the two quarters since taking the helm of the Oracle of Omaha's holding company, Abel has both increased stock holdings and jettisoned many positions, including a few held for many decades. However, Abel hasn't materially decreased Berkshire's positions in Apple, American Express, Alphabet, Bank of America, and Coca-Cola. During Q2 2026, Berkshire trimmed its BofA stake by 5.9%, while increasing its Alphabet position by 45.2%. Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue » These five blue chip stocks now account for around 60% of its investments in U.S.-listed equities. Yet while this indeed represents high concentration, is that in itself a major risk? Not necessarily. It's unfair to call Berkshire Hathaway's stock portfolio concentrated under Greg Abel's watch. After all, it was Warren Buffett's penchant for long-term, high-conviction investments that led to such high concentration in the first place. Namely, that's the case with American Express and Coca-Cola, two of the longest-held Warren Buffett investments. Berkshire has held these stocks for over 30 years. Buying them at far lower prices than they trade for today, Berkshire's high concentration in them is due to long-term compounding. In his initial letter to shareholders, Greg Abel indicated that Berkshire's portfolio will stay largely concentrated in these names. That said, Abel did leave the door open for Berkshire to "significantly adjust a holding if we see fundamental changes in its long-term economic prospects." That may be the story with BofA, which, as mentioned, is a position Berkshire continued to pare down. Abel's letter also said nothing about increasing a position, as has occurred with Alphabet. Last quarter, the company increased its position by around $17 billion. Although attributed to Abel, don't discount Buffett's role in the increased allocation to Google's parent company. According to published reports, Buffett, who still serves as Berkshire's chairman, is the one who pushed for the increased stake. Berkshire may have much of its stock portfolio in just five investments, but this overstates the extent to which these risks affect Berkshire Hathaway as a whole. However, even if the largest equity position, Apple, worth around $70.5 billion, were to experience a severe drawdown, the net impact would be relatively modest. Here's how: If Apple fell 50%, the value of Berkshire's position would fall by $35.25 billion. That's a steep loss in absolute terms, but compare it to the company's $1 trillion market cap and $750 billion in shareholders' equity. Also, in terms of liquidity, between its $365.5 billion cash position and its operating businesses, which generate around $45 billion annually, it's not as if Berkshire will be "forced" to sell in a cash crunch. Still, there is a larger risk to keep in mind, if not concentration risk: performance risk. Irrespective of whether upping the ante on Alphabet is Buffett's or Abel's idea, Abel will own the outcome. Abel will also be "on the hook" for future investment choices, which, in the long run, will need to measure up to Buffett's track record. Before you buy stock in Berkshire Hathaway, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Berkshire Hathaway wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut are built for long-term growth and could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $439,308!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,286,826!* That performance is why people listen. With a track record of beating the S&P 500 by nearly 5x, Stock Advisor offers a distinct advantage. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built for the long haul. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 27, 2026. Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Thomas Niel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, American Express, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Greg Abel Has Kept 60% of Berkshire's $359 Billion Stock Portfolio in Just 5 Companies, Even After Eliminating 16 Other Positions in His First Quarter. Is That Concentration a Risk for Shareholders? was originally published by The Motley Fool

Leading buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution provider Affirm Holdings, Inc. AFRM is set to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 27, 2026, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s bottom line is currently pegged at earnings of 33 cents per share on revenues of $1.11 billion. The fiscal fourth-quarter earnings estimate has witnessed two downward revisions over the past 60 days against no movement in the opposite direction. However, the bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year jump of 65%. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 26.4%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research For full-year fiscal 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Affirm’s revenues is pegged at $4.21 billion, implying a rise of 30.5% year over year. The consensus mark for the current fiscal year’s EPS is pegged at $1.24, implying a massive improvement from 15 cents a year ago. Affirm beat the consensus estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average surprise being 74.9%. Affirm Holdings, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Affirm Holdings, Inc. Quote However, our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for the company this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That’s not the case here. AFRM currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Merchant network revenues are likely to have benefited from an expanding Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV). The active merchants figure is expected to have witnessed a significant boost in the fiscal fourth quarter due to the company’s ability to strike deals with different businesses. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for merchant network revenues is pegged at $306.1 million, indicating a 27.8% rise from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus mark for GMV for the fiscal fourth quarter implies 29.3% growth from the prior-year quarter’s number. Management anticipates the metric to be in the range of $13.15-$13.45 billion. For full-year fiscal 2026, it expects GMV to reach $49.265-$49.565 billion. An increase in the number of transactions conducted through the Affirm platform is likely to have been supported by higher active merchants and consumers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for active consumers indicates 20.2% year-over-year growth. The consensus mark for transactions per active consumer suggests a 13.3% rise from the year-ago period. An increase in the usage of Affirm’s virtual cards is expected to have driven card network revenues. The consensus mark for card network revenues indicates a 13% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s number. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for interest income is pegged at $542.1 million, which implies a 29.4% year-over-year rise. The consensus mark for servicing income is pegged at $45.4 million, which indicates a 33.9% jump from the year-ago quarter. However, the quarterly results are likely to have witnessed higher transaction costs. Yet, the company expects the adjusted operating margin to be within 27.5-29.5%. Companies like American Express Company AXP, Synchrony Financial SYF and Visa Inc. V have already announced results for the June quarter. Here’s how they have performed: American Express reported second-quarter 2026 EPS of $4.53, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.7%. The bottom line advanced 11% year over year. The strong quarterly results were driven by increased Card Member spending, higher net interest income and improved card fee growth. However, the upside was partly offset by AXP’s elevated operating expenses. Synchrony Financial reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.59, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 24.5%, and the bottom line increased 3.6% year over year. The quarterly results were driven by record purchase volume, accelerated growth in ending loan receivables despite elevated payment behavior, continued credit strength and an expansion in net interest margin. However, SYF’s higher operating expenses and an increase in the provision for credit losses partly offset these positives. Visa delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.32 per share, up 11% year over year and beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. The strong quarterly results reflected resilient spending trends, higher cross-border volumes and solid network activity, including a 10% year-over-year increase in payments volume on a constant-dollar basis. However, the upside was partly offset by Visa’s increased operating expenses. 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 Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Visa Inc. (V) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Express Company (AXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Synchrony Financial (SYF) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Picard Medical Inc. (AMEX:PMI) shares surged nearly 43.9% in pre-market trading after the company reported second-quarter 2026 revenue significantly ahead of Wall Street expectations, triggering renewed investor interest following a period of weakness in the stock. Revenue for the quarter reached approximately $2.95 million, almost twice the analyst consensus estimate of around $1.55 million. The stronger-than-anticipated sales performance provided the main catalyst for the sharp move after the results were released the previous evening. The reaction comes after Picard Medical shares had been trading close to multi-month lows, making the sizeable revenue surprise particularly notable for investors watching the company’s operational progress. While sales comfortably surpassed forecasts, the company’s bottom-line performance was less encouraging. Picard Medical reported a quarterly loss of $3.05 per share, compared with analysts’ expectations for a loss of approximately $1.50 per share. The wider deficit highlighted the continuing profitability challenges facing the business despite its stronger revenue performance. Alongside its earnings announcement, Picard Medical released an updated investor presentation under Regulation FD, continuing its efforts to engage with capital markets at an important stage for the company. The presentation also comes as Picard Medical works through its NYSE American listing compliance process. The exchange accepted the company’s compliance plan in late July, providing investors with additional clarity over its efforts to address outstanding listing requirements. Broader U.S. equity markets provided little support for the sharp move in Picard Medical shares. The S&P 500 was down 0.1%, while the Nasdaq declined 0.6% and the Dow was broadly unchanged. The contrasting performance indicates that the rally in PMI was primarily linked to the company’s earnings announcement rather than a wider market or healthcare-sector advance. There were also no identified sympathy moves among comparable small-cap medical device companies that could explain the scale of the pre-market increase. Picard Medical’s strong revenue surprise arrived with the stock trading relatively close to its 52-week low of $2.65, helping create conditions for an outsized response to positive news. The combination of better-than-expected sales, renewed investor communications and greater visibility around the company’s exchange compliance efforts appears to have encouraged speculative interest ahead of the market open. Such moves can be particularly pronounced among thinly traded and highly volatile micro-cap stocks, where unexpected positive developments may attract momentum buyers while simultaneously putting pressure on bearish positions. Despite the strong pre-market reaction, the substantially wider-than-forecast quarterly loss remains an important consideration as investors assess whether Picard Medical can translate improving revenue into stronger financial performance over time. Picard Medical stock price

Synchrony Financial’s SYF record purchase volume is an important growth driver for the second half of 2026. It reached an all-time high of $49.8 billion in the second quarter, up 8% year over year, with growth across all five sales platforms. This growth accelerated to 11% in June, showing that spending was gaining strength toward the end of the quarter. This trend suggests that growth should continue in the second half as well. The quality of this growth is encouraging. Co-branded card purchase volume jumped 23%, accounting for 52% of total purchase volume. Out-of-partner discretionary spending also grew at a double-digit rate despite elevated fuel prices. This shows that customers are not just opening accounts, they are using cards more actively. Synchrony is also adding to this momentum. It added or renewed more than 15 partners in the second quarter of 2026, while new programs and product upgrades are helping drive customer engagement. The MyLowe’s Pro Rewards acquisition and refreshed DICK’S Sporting Goods program should provide more opportunities to increase card usage. This is important because higher purchase volume can lead to higher loan receivables and net interest income. In the second quarter of 2026, loan receivables grew only 2% as elevated payment rates limited the benefit of stronger spending. Management expects stronger purchase volume to overcome this pressure in the second half. If spending stays strong, SYF could see higher loan receivables and a further lift to earnings in the near term. SYF’s peers in the Finance space, including American Express Company AXP and Capital One Financial Corporation COF, also benefited from strong card spending in the recent quarter. American Express benefited from strong card spending, with billed business rising 9% year over year to $455.8 billion in second-quarter 2026. Higher spending helped drive a 10% increase in revenues and an 8% rise in profit, while AXP raised its 2026 revenue-growth outlook to 10%. Capital One also benefited from strong card spending in second-quarter 2026, with purchase volume rising 15% year over year to $249.2 billion. COF’s solid card activity, along with strong credit performance, is supporting the business and could help sustain results in the coming quarters. Shares of SYF have risen 9.1% over the past year against the industry’s 24.8% decline. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, SYF trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 7.96X, down from the industry average of 17X. SYF carries a Value Score of A. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SYF’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $9.37 per share, implying a 0.5% decline from the year-ago period’s level. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research SYF currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 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 Synchrony Financial (SYF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Express Company (AXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Reed’s Inc. (AMEX:REED) shares gained 6.88% in premarket trading on Wednesday despite the beverage company reporting second-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings below Wall Street expectations, as investors focused on improving margins and lower operating costs. Revenue fell 21% year on year to $7.5 million from $9.5 million, missing the analyst consensus estimate of $9.62 million. The company reported an adjusted loss of $0.36 per share, wider than the $0.17 loss expected by analysts. Despite weaker sales, Reed’s delivered a substantial improvement in gross margin, which increased to 24% from 8% in the corresponding period last year. The improvement was primarily driven by a significant reduction in inventory write-offs, which fell to $0.1 million from $1.6 million a year earlier. Selling, general and administrative expenses also decreased 6% to $4.7 million, helping the company reduce its quarterly net loss by 29% to $4.3 million from $6.0 million in the prior-year period. “We are seeing early traction from the corrective actions we took earlier this year, with sequential improvement in net sales, gross margin and overall operating performance,” said Neal Cohane, Reed’s interim CEO. Cohane said the company has focused on reconnecting with important retail and distribution partners, recovering shelf space and restoring its traditional glass bottle packaging. Reed’s reported some signs of improving momentum compared with the beginning of the year, with net sales rising 5% sequentially from the first quarter of 2026. Delivery and handling expenses declined to $2.54 per case from $2.95 per case a year earlier, reflecting greater efficiency across the company’s logistics operations. Inventory was reduced to $7.0 million during the quarter, helping Reed’s improve its cash conversion cycle. Cash used in operating activities declined to $2.2 million from $5.0 million in the corresponding period last year, providing another indication of improving cost control. Reed’s held $2.4 million in cash as of June 30, 2026, down from $10.4 million at the end of 2025. Total debt stood at $9.2 million. The company said it is evaluating financing alternatives to provide additional support for the business as it continues implementing its operational improvement strategy. The positive premarket reaction suggested investors were placing greater emphasis on stronger margins, reduced expenses and improving cash usage than on the weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue and earnings figures. Reed’s stock price

Silvercorp Metals Inc. (AMEX:SVM) reported fiscal first-quarter 2027 results on Tuesday that fell short of analyst expectations for both earnings and revenue, despite a sharp year-on-year increase in sales supported by substantially higher silver prices. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.21, missing the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.06. Revenue reached $138.7 million, below the $149.7 million expected by analysts but 70% higher than $81.3 million in the same quarter last year. The revenue increase was primarily driven by a 135% rise in Silvercorp’s average realised silver price, which reached $69.38 per ounce. Silvercorp produced approximately 1.5 million ounces of silver and 2,536 ounces of gold during the three months ended June 30, 2026. Adjusted earnings attributable to equity shareholders reached $53.9 million, or $0.24 per share, compared with $21.0 million, or $0.10 per share, in the prior-year period. Operating cash flow also strengthened, increasing to $61.7 million from $48.3 million a year earlier. The year-on-year improvements underline the benefit of higher realised metals prices, even though the headline results failed to reach analyst forecasts. Higher costs provided a more challenging element of the fiscal first-quarter performance. All-in sustaining cost per ounce of silver increased 36% to $18.38 from $13.49 in the prior-year quarter. Silvercorp attributed the increase primarily to a 72% rise in government taxes associated with higher revenue, as well as lower metals production and sales. Cash cost per ounce of silver, after by-product credits, increased to $1.33 from $1.11. The increase in all-in sustaining costs means the impact of stronger silver pricing needs to be considered alongside rising expenses when assessing the improvement in the company’s financial performance. The most significant near-term operational issue is the temporary suspension of Silvercorp’s Chinese operations. “Starting mid June, we voluntarily suspended operations in China to conduct comprehensive self-reviews and complete the ’Six Major Safety Systems’ underground upgrades in full compliance with new Chinese government regulations,” the company stated in its release. Silvercorp expects the safety improvement programme to reduce production by between 40% and 50% during the second quarter of fiscal 2027. That expected decline creates a clear near-term operational headwind, putting additional focus on the timing and completion of the required upgrades. Silvercorp finished the quarter with $387.1 million in cash and short-term investments, compared with $422.3 million as of March 31, 2026. For investors, the quarter presents a mixed picture. Revenue grew 70%, adjusted earnings attributable to shareholders more than doubled and operating cash flow improved, helped by significantly stronger silver pricing. However, the earnings and revenue misses, higher all-in sustaining costs and expected 40% to 50% reduction in second-quarter production shift attention toward execution of the China safety upgrades and the company’s ability to restore normal production levels. Silvercorp Metals stock price

PRA Group, Inc. PRAA delivered second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $1.51, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 52 cents. The bottom line increased 39.8% year over year. Total revenues were $372.2 million, beating the consensus mark of $313 million and rising 29.4% year over year. The strong quarterly results benefited from stronger cash generation across geographies, aided by continued strength in the U.S. legal and digital collections channel and solid performance in Europe. Strong portfolio income also contributed to the upside, partly offset by an elevated expense level. PRA Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | PRA Group, Inc. Quote PRAA’s net income of $58.9 million increased 28.9% year over year. Other revenues came in at $7.5 million, which soared 115.2% year over year. PRAA’s cash collections increased to $558.5 million, up 14% from the prior-year quarter, supported by continued momentum in U.S. legal and digital collections as well as strength in Europe. The metric came in lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $561.9 million. The cash efficiency ratio was 61%. By region, U.S. Core cash collections totaled $269.7 million, while Europe Core collections were $200.4 million. The company also generated $49.4 million of collections from other markets, reflecting its diversified footprint. PRA Group’s portfolio income increased 7% year over year to $267.8 million, which management attributed to strong recent purchases at improved returns. Changes in expected recoveries contributed meaningfully as well, totaling $96.9 million in the quarter. Total portfolio revenues rose to $364.7 million compared with $284.2 million a year ago. PRAA’s operating expenses rose $16.3 million year over year to $218.9 million. The largest driver was a rise in legal collection costs, which management tied to investments intended to support future cash collections growth. Offsetting some pressure, compensation and benefits declined $5 million, driven by reductions in workforce and implementation of other cost actions. Communication expense also decreased $2 million as the company used more cost-efficient collection strategies. PRA Group purchased $296.6 million of nonperforming loan portfolios in the quarter, down 14.4% year over year, with purchases spanning the United States, Europe and other markets. Management emphasized an approach focused on higher net returns while balancing investments and leverage. Estimated remaining collections were $8.9 billion at quarter-end, up 7% year over year. The company also disclosed forward flow commitments of $219 million over the next 12 months, led by Europe and the United States. PRA Group exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $132.4 million, which rose 26.8% from the figure at 2025-end. Total assets of $5.2 billion increased 2.7% from the 2025-end level. Borrowings were $3.8 billion, up 1.7% from the figure as of Dec. 31, 2025. Total equity of $1.1 billion grew 7% from the figure at the end of 2025. PRAA ended the quarter with total availability under its credit facilities of $998 million, including $733 million tied to current ERC (and subject to covenants) plus $265 million of additional availability subject to borrowing base and debt covenants. Management reiterated its intent to keep investing with discipline while targeting net leverage in the mid-2x EBITDA range over the next few years. The company also repurchased $10 million of shares during the quarter as part of its capital allocation toolkit. PRAA currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Here are some stocks from the broader finance space that have also reported their quarterly results: Synchrony Financial SYF, Virtu Financial, Inc. VIRT and American Express Company AXP. Here's how they have performed: Synchrony reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.59, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 24.5%. The bottom line increased 3.6% year over year. Net interest income increased 1.9% year over year to $4.6 billion. SYF’s quarterly results were driven by record purchase volume, accelerated growth in ending loan receivables despite elevated payment behavior, continued credit strength and an expansion in net interest margin. However, higher operating expenses and an increase in the provision for credit losses partly offset these positives. Virtu Financial reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.82, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.3%. The bottom line increased 19% year over year. Adjusted Net Trading Income rose 26.4% year over year to $717.9 million. VIRT’s quarterly results were driven by higher commissions and technology services revenues, increased interest and dividend income, and solid Market Making performance. However, higher operating expenses partially offset these gains. American Express reported second-quarter 2026 earnings per share (EPS) of $4.53, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.7%. The bottom line advanced 11% year over year. Total revenues, net of interest expense, improved 10% year over year to $19.6 billion. AXP’s quarterly results were driven by increased Card Member spending, higher net interest income and improved card fee growth. However, the upside was partly offset by elevated operating expenses. 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 PRA Group, Inc. (PRAA) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Express Company (AXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Synchrony Financial (SYF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Virtu Financial, Inc. (VIRT) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Interested in TripAdvisor, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. TripAdvisor plans to sell TheFork to American Express for $700 million, expecting approximately $680 million in net proceeds. Management may use the funds for debt reduction and share repurchases while continuing to focus the company on experiences. Second-quarter continuing-operations revenue reached $442 million, with experiences bookings up 5% and Viator bookings up 10%, but SEO-related traffic pressure limited growth. Hotels and other revenue fell 21% to $163 million as lower shopper volume outweighed strong hotel pricing. TripAdvisor issued a cautious third-quarter outlook, forecasting continuing-operations revenue to decline 7% to 10%. The company cited uneven travel demand, geopolitical and weather disruptions, lower average booking values and ongoing search headwinds. 3 ETFs to Avoid as Oil Shock Hits Markets TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) reported second-quarter results in line with its expectations as growth in its experiences business was offset by persistent search-related pressure in legacy offerings and uneven travel demand. The company also said it expects to complete the sale of restaurant reservation platform TheFork to American Express before the end of 2026. President and CEO Matt Goldberg said the proposed $700 million transaction, for which a definitive agreement was signed Aug. 2, would further focus the company on experiences. TripAdvisor expects approximately $680 million in net proceeds and said the funds would provide flexibility for capital allocation, with debt reduction and share repurchases among the potential priorities. → Meta’s Earnings Drop Shows Wall Street Wants More Than Ad Growth Bounce Alert: 3 Large Caps With RSIs Too Good To Ignore “The transaction unlocks the value we’ve created at TheFork and is another step in focusing the company on experiences,” Goldberg said. He added that the company’s broader portfolio review remains ongoing as management evaluates ways to simplify the organization and improve shareholder value. TheFork is now classified as discontinued operations because of the planned sale. TripAdvisor’s continuing operations, consisting of its experiences and hotels and other segments, generated $442 million in second-quarter revenue and $76 million in adjusted EBITDA. TheFork generated $61 million of revenue and $11 million of adjusted EBITDA during the quarter. → 4 Oil and Gas ETF Plays as Prices Stay Sky-High Booking stock is the discounted growth story in travel stocks Chief Financial Officer Mike Noonan said the company’s reported results, including TheFork, were in line with revenue expectations and above expectations for adjusted EBITDA. TripAdvisor’s experiences segment recorded 5% growth in experiences booked, while gross booking value rose 3% to about $1.4 billion. Revenue in the segment increased 3%, or approximately 2% on a constant-currency basis. → Sandisk Just Delivered a Blowout Quarter—Here's Why the Stock Is Falling Viator, the company’s largest owned-and-operated point of sale, grew bookings 10% during the quarter. However, sustained SEO headwinds at the TripAdvisor point of sale weighed on overall segment performance. Noonan estimated that the SEO pressure represented approximately five percentage points of headwind to experiences booking and gross booking value growth. Experiences adjusted EBITDA was $31 million, or 11% of segment revenue, down 290 basis points from the prior year. The company attributed the margin decline primarily to a shift from free to paid customer acquisition channels, partly offset by lower personnel and other costs. Noonan described demand trends as uneven during the quarter. U.S. domestic bookings improved from April lows, including a recovery in Hawaii bookings, while travel from the U.S. to Europe softened and remained below levels seen earlier in the year. The company cited geopolitical uncertainty and extreme heat in May and June as factors affecting European travel. Higher cancellation rates, driven by weather and travel disruptions in the U.S. and Europe, also weighed on experiences revenue relative to bookings and gross booking value. TripAdvisor also saw lower average booking values as it tested discounting and experienced a higher mix of lower-priced items. During the question-and-answer session, Noonan said the shift toward lower-priced tours and attractions appeared to be a macroeconomic signal that emerged near the end of the first quarter and became more pronounced in the second quarter. Goldberg said the company continues to see favorable underlying indicators, including growth among retained and reactivated users, improving repeat rates and conversion gains. Management said it is investing in its marketplace “flywheel” through demand generation, product conversion improvements and supply expansion. TripAdvisor said it is diversifying marketing beyond paid search into social and other mid-funnel channels. The company is expanding rewards and incentives to support acquisition, conversion and repeat engagement. Product investments have focused on personalization, review presentation and availability information to make booking decisions easier. Supply efforts are targeting higher-quality inventory in secondary and tertiary destinations, including attractions and events. Revenue in the hotels and other segment fell 21% to $163 million, in line with the company’s expectations. Strong hotel pricing was more than offset by lower hotel shopper volume, according to Noonan. Media and advertising revenue declined 12% to $31 million as traffic headwinds outweighed off-platform revenue growth. The segment produced $46 million of adjusted EBITDA, representing a 28% margin. The margin declined by roughly 100 basis points, although adjusted EBITDA was better than management expected because personnel and other fixed costs were lower than anticipated. Goldberg said the hotels and other business remains profitable but faces structural changes in its primary SEO channel. TripAdvisor has reduced fixed costs in that segment by approximately 16% year to date and plans to continue evaluating further streamlining opportunities. For the third quarter, TripAdvisor expects experiences booked to increase about 5% to 7%, representing a flat to modest improvement from the second quarter. However, the company forecast experiences revenue to range from a 2% decline to 1% growth, including an approximately one-percentage-point currency headwind. Management expects third-quarter experiences adjusted EBITDA margin of 14% to 17%, reflecting revenue pressure and continued movement toward paid channels, particularly at the TripAdvisor point of sale. In hotels and other, TripAdvisor forecast revenue declines of approximately 20% to 23% and adjusted EBITDA margins of 22% to 25%. Across continuing operations, the company expects revenue to decline 7% to 10% in the third quarter, with adjusted EBITDA margin of 17% to 20%. The company adopted what Noonan called a more prudent outlook for the second half of 2026. It expects modest improvement in revenue growth across both segments in the fourth quarter if one-time travel disruptions do not recur, while further acceleration will depend on a more normalized macroeconomic environment. TripAdvisor ended the quarter with approximately $843 million in cash and cash equivalents. It repaid approximately $345 million of convertible notes on April 1, reducing both cash and total debt. The company had $110 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization but did not buy shares during the quarter because of the ongoing portfolio review and TheFork sale process. TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) is a leading online travel company that operates a digital platform for travel information, reviews and booking services. The company's flagship website and mobile apps allow users to access and contribute travel-related content—ranging from hotel and restaurant reviews to ratings for tours, attractions and vacation rentals—helping consumers plan and book trips around the world. The core of TripAdvisor's offering is its community-driven review system, which aggregates user-generated feedback alongside editorial content and professional photography. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "TripAdvisor Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.

All in all, last quarter was another good one for credit card outfit American Express (NYSE: AXP). Total revenue grew 10% year over year to $19.6 billion, pushing per-share income up from $4.08 a year earlier to $4.53 for the three months ending in June. The company even raised its 2026 revenue guidance to 10% above last year's top line of just over $72.2 billion, up from the predicted range of 9% to 10% given with this year's first-quarter results. Curiously, however, American Express didn't raise its full-year earnings expectations in step with its upward-revised revenue guidance. It still anticipates reporting per-share earnings of only $17.30 to $17.90 for 2026. What gives? Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue » The company actually dropped a small hint during its second-quarter earnings conference call. If you were listening for it, CFO Christophe Le Caillec plainly connected the dots by commenting during the second-quarter earnings call, "As we increase investments in new customer acquisition and technology development, we are maintaining our full-year EPS guidance of $17.30-$17.90." Le Caillec added during the call that spending on marketing could be up 10% in the second half of 2026. CEO Steve Squeri also highlighted the planned acquisition of online restaurant reservation and management platform TheFork as a potential driver of long-term growth as an example of these intended investments. He added for good measure, "There is no shortage of technology investments or enhancements or refreshes that need to occur." And for what it's worth, we're already seeing glimpses of this profit-crimping spending. Last quarter's card-member services costs grew 50% year over year to $1.95 billion, while outlays on data processing and equipment grew 13%, to over $800 million. As a shareholder of any company, it can be a bit concerning to see that organization ramp up its spending plans so much that revenue growth isn't paired with comparable profit growth. American Express's investors certainly panicked on this news, sending AXP shares down more than 4% the very same day the news was announced. Just don't lose perspective on the matter. American Express has a fantastic long-term track record of producing meaningful growth from these sorts of investments. With the exception of pandemic-plagued 2020, not once in the past 10 years has Amex failed to grow its annualized top line. In fact, its revenue has more than doubled during this stretch. So have its profits, even if more erratically. So, don't sweat the seemingly disappointing guidance surprise too much. It's a short-term annoyance with a much longer-term payoff. It's also possible that American Express's management team is just making sure it doesn't overpromise results it won't end up being unable to deliver. There's still a good chance it will outperform its own profit guidance, just as it's topped analysts' earnings estimates in nine of the past 10 quarters. Before you buy stock in American Express, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and American Express wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut are built for long-term growth and could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $386,727!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,232,139!* That performance is why people listen. With a track record of beating the S&P 500 by 4x, Stock Advisor offers a distinct advantage. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built for the long haul. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 1, 2026. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends American Express. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. American Express Raised Its Revenue Guidance and Left Its Earnings Guidance Alone. Here's Where the Extra Money Is Going. was originally published by The Motley Fool