Russia's crude oil prices have fallen to their lowest since the Ukraine invasion, dropping 28% over three months due to U.S. sanctions, falling benchmarks, and a widening discount of Russian crude, which is significantly reducing Russia's oil and gas revenues—its main source of income—by nearly 50% in December, reaching the lowest levels since August 2020.
Stellantis reported a 13% increase in Q3 2025 net revenues to €37.2 billion and a 13% rise in shipments to 1.3 million units, driven by growth in North America, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. The company launched six of ten planned new vehicles for 2025, improved sales in the US, and announced a $13 billion investment over four years to expand its US manufacturing footprint, including reopening plants and launching new models. Stellantis maintains its H2 2025 financial guidance, expecting continued growth and strategic investments.
MARA Holdings reported a 64% YoY increase in revenues to $238 million and a 505% rise in net income to $808.2 million in Q2 2025, with Bitcoin holdings growing 170% YoY to nearly 50,000. The company announced these results in a shareholder letter and will hold a webcast to discuss them.
Meta is launching advertising in WhatsApp's Status section to increase revenue, allowing businesses to promote and subscribe to channels, while maintaining end-to-end encryption for messages and calls. The move marks a shift from WhatsApp's original no-ads policy, aiming to monetize the platform's 3 billion users and 200 million business accounts.
UiPath (PATH) reported Q4 earnings of $0.22 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.15 per share, with revenues of $405.25 million, beating estimates. The stock's performance will depend on management's commentary and future earnings expectations. The current Zacks Rank for UiPath is #3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market. Fathom Holdings (FTHM) in the same industry is expected to report a quarterly loss of $0.32 per share, with revenues of $80.99 million.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has seen a 5.3% increase in shares since its last earnings report, outperforming the S&P 500. The company reported fourth-quarter 2023 non-GAAP earnings of 77 cents per share, in line with estimates, with revenues of $6.17 billion. Data center revenues surged 38% year over year, while client segment revenues soared 61.8% year over year. However, gaming segment revenues decreased 16.8% year over year. AMD expects first-quarter 2024 revenues to be $5.4 billion, with a mixed demand environment for the year. Estimates have trended downward, and the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Sony Pictures Entertainment's profits for the third-quarter of fiscal year 2023 surged 57% to $281 million, with revenues also rising 5% to $2.473 billion. The increase was attributed to higher television and digital streaming licensing revenues, home entertainment sales, and the success of theatrical releases like "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Additionally, the company noted significant increases in the Financial Services, Pictures, and Music segments, with a 16% rise in sales for Games & Network Services. Sony also highlighted the success of Crunchyroll and expects the impact of Hollywood strikes to be around $133 million.
Moody's reported lower-than-expected Q4 earnings and revenues, causing a 3% drop in stock value. Despite a 37% increase in bottom line from the previous year, adjusted earnings of $2.19 per share missed estimates. Revenues of $1.48 billion also fell short of expectations. The company's liquidity position was strong, and it expects adjusted earnings for 2024 to be in the range of $10.25-$11.00 per share. Moody's remains well-positioned for growth, but faces challenges from elevated operating expenses and geopolitical concerns.
Alibaba reported third-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings of $2.67 per ADS, missing estimates, with revenues rising 5% year-over-year to $36.7 billion. The increase was driven by strong momentum in international commerce retail and local services, but sluggish growth in the China commerce business was a concern. Operating details showed increased expenses and a decrease in operating income. The company's cash and cash equivalents increased, and it generated $9.1 billion in cash from operations. Alibaba carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), and investors interested in the retail-wholesale sector may consider stocks like Amazon, Fastenal, and Darden Restaurants.
LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate, has announced an increase in its dividend despite a slowdown in the pace of sales growth following years of record revenues. The company's decision reflects confidence in its financial position and long-term prospects, despite facing challenges in the current market environment.
D.R. Horton is set to report its first-quarter fiscal 2024 results, with estimates indicating a 4.4% increase in earnings per share and 5% year-over-year revenue growth. The company's homebuilding revenues are expected to have improved due to higher homes closed, but higher costs may impact margins. The Zacks model predicts an earnings beat for D.R. Horton, which currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. Other companies in the construction sector with favorable combinations for an earnings beat include Meritage Homes Corporation, THOR Industries, Inc., and Trex Company, Inc.
Carnival Corporation is set to report its Q4 fiscal 2023 earnings on December 21, 2023. Analysts expect the company to show year-over-year revenue growth driven by improved booking trends and a strong pricing landscape. However, high costs are expected to impact the company's bottom line. Carnival's adjusted EBITDA for the quarter is projected to be between $800 million and $900 million, with an estimated adjusted loss per share between 18 cents and 10 cents. The Zacks model does not predict an earnings beat for Carnival this time around.
Pure Storage reported revenue growth in its third fiscal quarter, with revenues reaching $762.8 million, up 13% YoY. The company achieved its third profitable quarter in history, driven by strong demand for its portfolio and the success of its storage-as-a-service offering, Evergreen//One. However, high subscription sales growth and a large telco order deliverable in 2025 led to a lower revenue outlook for the next quarter. Pure Storage aims to aggressively penetrate the lower price performance tiers of the disk market with its FlashBlade//E product, targeting the opportunity in enterprise and cloud storage. Despite falling short-term revenue growth, Pure Storage gained 353 new customers in the quarter, bringing its total to nearly 13,000.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is boosting revenues for big US defense contractors as the US government restocks supplies shipped to Ukraine and European countries arm themselves against Moscow's aggressions. Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and RTX have reported better-than-expected results, with existing orders for artillery rounds, Patriot missile interceptors, and armored vehicles expected to underpin their future results. The conflict in Ukraine and Israel's war with Hamas are expected to drive up near-term demand. Other defense companies, such as Northrop Grumman, Saab, and Rheinmetall, are also experiencing increased sales due to strong defense demand. However, supply chain issues and a lack of skilled labor continue to hamper companies' capacity to fill orders.
