Comcast Corporation operates as a media and technology company worldwide. It operates through Residential Connectivity & Platforms, Business Services Connectivity, Media, Studios, and Theme Parks segments. The Residential Connectivity & Platforms segment provides residential broadband and wireless connectivity services, residential and business video services, sky-branded entertainment television networks, and advertising. The Business Services Connectivity segment offers connectivity services for small business locations, which include broadband, wireline voice, and wireless services, as well as solutions for medium-sized customers and larger enterprises; and small business connectivity services in the United Kingdom. The Media segment operates NBCUniversal's television and streaming business, including national and regional cable networks; the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks and owned local broadcast television stations; and Peacock, a direct-to-consumer streaming services. It also operates international television networks comprising the Sky Sports networks, as well as other digital properties. The Studios segment operates NBCUniversal and Sky film and television studio production and distribution operations. The Theme Parks segment operates Universal theme parks in Orlando, Florida; Hollywood, California; Osaka, Japan; and Beijing, China. The company also offers a consolidated streaming platforms under the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Xumo. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Comcast appears to be a mature business with strong profitability and very low valuation multiples, but with notable balance sheet and liquidity risks. P/E of 4.61, P/S of 0.69, P/B of 0.95, and P/FCF of 4.23 are significantly below the industry median, which usually indicates undervaluation or a market pricing in weak growth. At the same time, the multiples have generally declined compared with earlier periods in 2026, especially P/S, P/B, and P/FCF, supporting the case for a cheaper valuation. Profitability remains strong: ROE of 19.78%, ROA of 6.97%, and ROI of 10.01% are above industry benchmarks, while a net margin of 15.0% and an operating margin of 15.28% confirm the company’s ability to generate profit. However, the gross margin of 35.38% is below the industry median and has declined noticeably versus previous quarters, which limits re-rating potential. Revenue and earnings remain large and generally stable, but the trend does not look to be accelerating: revenue is holding around 30–32 billion, while net income and operating income fluctuate without a clear sign of acceleration. Debt burden remains an important constraint: debt/equity of 1.01 is above the median, long-term debt is nearly 89.2 billion, and current liquidity is weak, with a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.00. This means the market is justified in demanding a discount to valuation even with strong profitability. The dividend yield in the latest data also looks unstable and does not provide a strong additional argument for a higher valuation. Overall, the fundamentals support a moderately positive view of the stock as inexpensive on earnings and cash flow, but constrained by debt, weak liquidity, and imperfect margins. Therefore, only a small positive adjustment to the forecast is warranted, rather than an aggressive upward revision.

Comcast Corporation

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Слабый индекс, значительно упал. Медведи сохранили, но резко ослабили уверенность в своих позициях.

Weak index, significantly down. The bears retained but sharply weakened their confidence in their positions.

Средний индекс, значительно вырос. Рынок на стороне быков.

Medium index, significantly up. The market is on the bulls' side.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает медведей.

Strong index, flat. The market does not support the bears.

Сильный индекс, значительно вырос. Приток средств в лонги на высоком уровне.

Strong index, significantly up. Inflow of funds into longs at a high level.

Сильный индекс, незначительно вырос. Отток средств из шортов на высоком уровне.

Strong index, slightly up. Outflow of funds from shorts at a high level.

CMCSA appears undervalued on valuation multiples and profitability, but its high debt burden and weak liquidity limit the potential for a re-rating.

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (Symbol: XLC) where we have detected an approximate $307.1 million dollar outflow -- that's a 1.4% decrease week over week (from 206,550,000 to 203,750,000). Among the largest underlying components of XLC, in trading today Electronic Arts, Inc. (Symbol: EA) is trading flat, Live Nation Entertainment Inc (Symbol: LYV) is off about 0.7%, and Comcast Corp (Symbol: CMCSA) is higher by about 0.9%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the XLC Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of XLC, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, XLC's low point in its 52 week range is $105.03 per share, with $120.405 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $109.16. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
Further XLC Research:
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy ETF Outflows: XLC, EA, LYV, CMCSA

Comcast CMCSA reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.04, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7 cents and declined 16.7% year over year.
Revenues of $29.94 billion beat the consensus mark by 2.33% and declined 1.2% year over year, though pro forma revenues, which adjust for the Versant separation and the sale of Sky's German operations, increased 4.7%. (Read More: Comcast's Q2 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Revenues Decrease Y/Y)
The company ended the quarter with 10.2 million domestic wireless lines, up from 8.5 million in the prior year period. However, total domestic broadband customers declined to 28.5 million from 29 million. Adjusted EBITDA declined 13.4% to $8.9 billion, or 5.3% on a pro forma basis.
Comcast Corporation Revenue (TTM)
Wireless and Peacock Strength Drive Segment Beats
Domestic wireless line net additions of 448,000 marked the company's best quarterly result on record and beat the consensus estimate by 11.64%. Domestic broadband customer net losses of 167,000 came in worse than expected, missing the consensus mark by 3.43%, while domestic video customer net losses of 280,000 also missed estimates by 2.28%.
At Media, Peacock achieved quarterly profitability for the first time, generating EBITDA of $189 million compared with a loss of $101 million in the prior year period, on the back of the NBA playoffs, the FIFA World Cup and Love Island USA. Media Adjusted EBITDA of $708 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 34.63%.
Studios also outperformed, with Adjusted EBITDA of $202 million beating the consensus mark by 18.07%, supported by strong theatrical performance across the slate.
Connectivity & Platforms Beats While Theme Parks Miss
Total Connectivity & Platforms Adjusted EBITDA of $7.96 billion declined year over year but beat the consensus estimate by 0.69%. Within the segment, Residential Connectivity & Platforms Adjusted EBITDA of $6.45 billion beat estimates by 0.25%, while Business Services Connectivity Adjusted EBITDA of $1.52 billion beat by 2.34%, aided by growth in enterprise solutions offerings.
Theme Parks Adjusted EBITDA of $609 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.72%, pressured by softening attendance in Orlando amid higher travel costs and weaker consumer sentiment, as well as continued China-related travel restrictions affecting the Osaka park.
Total Content & Experiences Adjusted EBITDA of $1.33 billion beat the consensus mark by 13.48%, as strength in Media and Studios more than offset the Theme Parks shortfall.
Broadband and Advertising Revenue Top Estimates
Domestic broadband revenues declined 5.5% to $6.28 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.45%, as lower average rates and a smaller customer base weighed on the top line despite the beat.
Media domestic advertising revenue rose 55% to $2.16 billion, beating the consensus mark by 12.24%, driven in part by incremental FIFA World Cup advertising along with stronger NBA and Peacock advertising demand.
Within Content & Experiences, Studios content licensing revenues declined slightly to $1.80 billion, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.04%, as lower film studio licensing activity offset gains at the television studios.
Studios’ theatrical revenues, however, surged to $972 million from $284 million a year earlier, beating the consensus mark by 199.46%, powered by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Obsession and the international distribution of Michael.
Comcast generated free cash flow of $4.6 billion in the quarter and returned $2.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Comcast currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector are Cimpress CMPR, The Marcus MCS and News Corporation NWSA, each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Shares of Cimpress have returned 46.2% in the year-to-date period. Cimpress is slated to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on July 29.
Shares of The Marcus have returned 53.4% in the year-to-date period. The Marcus is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.
Shares of News Corporation have returned 0.8% in the year-to-date period. News Corporation is slated to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 05.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

CMCSA Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Wireless and Peacock Strength

Comcast Corporation CMCSA used its second-quarterearnings callto highlight progress in broadband repositioning, wireless expansion and the planned separation of NBCUniversal and Sky. Management emphasized execution milestones while acknowledging near-term pressure from investments.
The discussion centered on building long-term growth engines as the company reshapes its operating structure and customer strategy.
CMCSA Advances Broadband Strategy
Management said that the connectivity business is moving through a deliberate go-to-market transition focused on simpler pricing, improved customer experience and stronger wireless attachment. CEO Brian Roberts and CFO Jason Armstrong highlighted that these investments are weighing on near-term results while positioning the business for future growth.
CMCSA reported adjusted EPS of $1.04 for the quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.97. Revenues were $29.94 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $29.18 billion.
Comcast Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
The company said that domestic broadband customer losses improved year over year, with losses of 167,000 compared with 201,000 in the prior-year quarter. Broadband ARPU declined 3.8% as pricing actions and wireless promotions affected near-term revenue trends.
Comcast Builds Wireless Momentum
Comcast highlighted wireless as a key growth opportunity, with total domestic wireless lines reaching 10.2 million. The company added 448,000 wireless lines in the quarter, its best quarterly result on record.
Steven Croney, CEO of Connectivity & Platforms, said that free wireless offers are helping increase awareness and customer adoption, while premium unlimited plans accounted for roughly 30% of postpaid phone connects.
Management stated that early free-line conversion cohorts are tracking in line with expectations, with a significant majority converting into paid relationships. The company expects monetization of these customers to support convergence revenue growth over time.
CMCSA Sees Media Growth Opportunities
The Media segment delivered a major milestone as Peacock reached quarterly profitability for the first time. Peacock generated $189 million in EBITDA, while paid subscribers increased by 2 million during the quarter to 48 million.
Management attributed Peacock momentum to sports, entertainment programming and major events, including the NBA playoffs, FIFA World Cup and Love Island. Media revenues increased 25.3% year over year, while EBITDA rose 3.7%.
Michael Cavanagh, co-CEO of Comcast, said the NBCUniversal and Sky businesses have the scale and assets needed to operate as a focused independent media company following the planned separation.
Comcast Balances Growth Investments
The company continued investing in infrastructure and customer capabilities. Capital expenditures increased to $2.9 billion, including higher spending within Connectivity & Platforms on scalable infrastructure and customer equipment.
Business Services remained a relative strength, with revenues increasing 3.7% to $2.7 billion and EBITDA rising 5% to $1.5 billion. Management pointed to enterprise solutions as a driver of continued momentum.
Comcast generated $4.6 billion in free cash flow and returned $2.1 billion to shareholders during the quarter. The company paused share repurchases as it works through the separation process.
CMCSA Addresses Competitive Pressure
During Q&A, a UBS analyst asked about broadband competition from fiber, fixed wireless and emerging satellite alternatives. Management said that competition remains intense but emphasized network quality, WiFi capabilities and converged offerings as key advantages.
A Wells Fargo analyst questioned the timing of improvement in Connectivity & Platforms profitability. Armstrong said that pressure from pricing changes, wireless investments and customer experience spending should begin easing as the company laps the initial investment period.
Management also discussed AI-driven demand for connectivity, with Roberts highlighting rising upstream traffic and plans for multi-gig symmetrical networks.
Comcast Sets Focus Ahead
Comcast’s leadership emphasized execution around two future businesses: a connectivity-focused company built around broadband and wireless, and a media company centered on NBCUniversal and Sky assets.
The company’s near-term focus remains on customer conversion, wireless monetization, operational improvements and completing the separation process while maintaining financial flexibility.
Zacks Signals
CMCSA currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). The Zacks Rank reflects earnings estimate revision trends and is designed to help identify stocks with stronger or weaker near-term performance potential.
The stock has a Value Score of A, a Growth Score of D, a Momentum Score of F and a VGM Score of C. The Zacks Style Score evaluates value, growth and momentum characteristics, with higher grades indicating stronger attributes within each style category.
The Zacks Rank can change as analysts update earnings estimates following new company information, including quarterly results.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

CMCSA Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Broadband Pivot and Wireless Growth

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Comcast (CMCSA) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Key Points
This came in one of the service's last quarters as part of Comcast, as it'll be shifting into a spinoff company.
The core of that spinoff, NBCUniversal, will be Comcast's current media and theme park assets.
Thursday will go down in history as a major day in the history of the businesses that comprise Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA). Not only did the entertainment company’s high-profile Peacock streaming service log its first profitable quarter (at least by one metric), it also announced plans to effectively split itself in two.
There was a lot to digest in Comcast’s Thursday developments. So let’s not waste any time and dive right into them.
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Image source: Getty Images.
One business flew well higher
The Peacock news was tucked inside Comcast’s second-quarter results, which were published well before market open that day.
For the period, total revenue slid by a little over 1% year over year to $29.4 billion, while net income not under generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP, or adjusted), declined notably more steeply. It tumbled by 20% to $3.7 billion, or $1.04 per share.
Despite the decreases, Comcast’s key figures exceeded the average analyst estimates. The pundit consensus for revenue was under $29.3 billion, while that for adjusted net profit was $0.96 per share.
The larger of the company’s two primary reporting units, connectivity and platforms (essentially the broadband and cable infrastructure operations), saw its revenue dip by 3% to just under $19.8 billion. The division’s profitability also sank, with its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) withering by almost 6% to just under $8 billion.
Comcast attributed this to weakness in the residential segment, which was responsible for almost 87% of the unit’s revenue. The far smaller business segment saw a 3.7% rise, but this wasn’t enough to offset residential’s 4.3% slump.
Content and experiences, the business that will form the core and bulk of the NBCUniversal spinoff, was a movie with quite a different ending. It managed to crank its revenue 23% higher to $10.7 billion, while its adjusted EBITDA improved by 7% over the year-ago quarter to $1.3 billion.
Numerous pieces of Comcast content scored with audiences during the quarter. Millions of people were glued to their TVs or smart devices watching the FIFA World Cup and the high-profile reality show Love Island USA, for example. Also, ticket sales were brisk for silver screen offerings like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and, especially, the low-budget sleeper horror hit Obsession.
Peacock deserves special mention here for that inaugural profitability milestone. Specifically, revenue and adjusted EBITDA “related” to the streaming service clocked in at $1.9 billion and $189 million, respectively. Those numbers were vast improvements over the $1.2 billion and $101 million of the second quarter of 2025.
Finally, Comcast’s eliminations of transactions within and between its business units totaled slightly over $1 billion during the period.
Leaving the nest
The more important news item from Comcast is that it’s spinning off those growing media assets — plus the division’s theme parks and the U.K.-based media and telecom business Sky — to form the basis of NBCUniversal (Comcast will continue with most of the residential connectivity and platforms unit). Current Comcast shareholders will retain their Comcast stock and receive a tax-free distribution of NBCUniversal equity.
The exact number of shares hasn’t been made public yet. Comcast said it expects the spinoff to be completed in about one year.
Does any of this sound familiar? It should, because this isn’t Comcast’s first major business divestment in recent times. Early this year, it separated its legacy cable channels into a new standalone business, Versant Media Group (NASDAQ:VSNT).
In the press release trumpeting the coming spinoff, Comcast quoted co-CEO Mike Cavanagh as saying that the legacy company “will continue to build on its leadership in connectivity, while NBCUniversal, together with Sky, will have the scale, brands, content, and financial resources to compete as a premier global media and entertainment company.”
Cavanagh, incidentally, is to be the sole CEO of NBCUniversal. CFO Michael Angelakis will serve as CEO of the slimmed-down Comcast. He was formerly the company’s CFO.
A tale of 2 businesses
What are we to make of all this? As with Versant, splitting Comcast’s business makes sense. Connectivity is a mature, relatively stable, cash-generating business, while media is a more volatile growth play. Having both under the same corporate structure risks failing to realize the full potential of either.
I think NBCUniversal, especially with Peacock’s impressive flight into profitability, will be an attractive stock straight out of the nest. After the split, legacy Comcast will likely pay most of the company’s present high-yield dividend (which pays out at 5.6%). So ideally, it’ll be a low-risk income stock.
There was much to like in Comcast’s second quarter, enough to consider holding on to both the new Comcast and NBCUniversal when the spinoff comes. I’m intrigued to see how the major upcoming development in the entertainment giant’s story unfolds.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Comcast-owned Peacock Achieves Profitability for the First Time Ever. Here’s What Investors Need to Know Ahead of Comcast’s NBCUniversal Spin-Off.

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Thursday fell -1.49%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) fell -1.11%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) fell -2.26%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) fell -1.50%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) fell -2.23%.
Stock indexes fell sharply amid a double whammy of soaring oil prices and a decline of -7% in Alphabet following its earnings report released after Wednesday's close. Alphabet raised its capital spending forecast for this year to $205 billion from $190 billion, spending more than double its 2025 capital spending and raising concern that the company will struggle to earn a sufficient return on its outsized AI investment. Tesla fell by an even larger -14% after its earnings report late Wednesday, which also showed a surge in capital spending and raised questions about Elon Musk’s intention to refocus Tesla on AI and robots.
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Sep WTI crude oil prices (CLU26) soared by more than +6% on Thursday after the Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile and drone attack on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, expanding the oil disruptions beyond the Strait of Hormuz and threatening oil shipments in the Red Sea. Sep Brent crude oil prices (CBU26) rose above $100 per barrel for the first time since May. President Trump responded by saying he holds Iran responsible for the Houthi attacks and telling Axios in an interview on Thursday that he is considering a "massive attack" that would be "bigger than ever before" and is "close to making a decision on it."
The Houthis have vowed to blockade shipping linked to Saudi Arabia and warned shipowners against calling at the nation's ports. The move threatens Saudi oil exports from Yanbu, a Red Sea hub that the Saudi's are using to ship crude since the war brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a near halt. Meanwhile, the US and Iran exchanged attacks for the 12th straight day, and the US maintained its blockade of Iranian oil shipments in the Persian Gulf.
US weekly initial unemployment claims in the week ended July 18 fell by -22,000 to 187,000, which showed a stronger labor market than expectations for a slight increase to +210,000. Continuing claims fell by -2,000 to 1.796 million, showing a stronger labor market than expectations for a rise to 1.809 million.
The Chicago Fed’s June National Activity Index rose to -0.02, which was weaker than the expected rise to zero from May’s revised -0.19.
The Kansas City Fed’s July manufacturing activity index fell by -2 points to 9, which was weaker than expectations for a 1-point increase to 12.
The outlook for strong Q2 earnings, which began in earnest this week, is a bullish factor for stocks. Forecasts compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence suggest Q2 earnings may increase by +23%, close to Q1’s blowout earnings of +30%, which was more than double the +12% analysts had expected. AI spending is expected to account for most of earnings, with AI infrastructure stocks set to contribute nearly 60% of the S&P 500's earnings-per-share growth in Q2. So far, earnings results have been positive, with 89% of S&P 500 companies that reported Q2 earnings beating estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The markets are discounting a 36% chance of a +25 bp rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on July 28-29.
Overseas stock markets on Thursday closed mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 on Thursday closed down -1.69%. China's Shanghai Composite closed up +0.25%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed up +0.46%.
Interest Rates
September 10-year T-notes (ZNU6) on Thursday fell -9.5 ticks, and the 10-year T-note yield rose +4.5 bp to 4.699%. Sep T-notes tumbled to a 1.5-year nearest-futures low, and the 10-year T-note yield rose to a new 1.5-year high. T-notes fell on Thursday’s sharp +6% rise in WTI crude oil prices, which threatened to worsen inflation, although the 10-year breakeven inflation expectations managed to fall -1.7 bp to 2.265%.
T-note prices were also undercut by the US unemployment claims report, which showed a stronger-than-expected labor market. T-note prices were also undercut by lackluster demand for the Treasury’s sale of $21 billion of 10-year TIPS, which produced an auction yield that was 2 bp higher than expected.
European government bond yields rose. The 10-year German bund yield rose +3.2 bp to 3.203%, and edged to a new 15-year high. The 10-year UK gilt yield rose +6.8 bp to 5.102%, and posted a new 2-month high.
The ECB at its policy meeting on Thursday left its key deposit rate unchanged at 2.25%, in line with market expectations. The ECB said it left rates unchanged, awaiting further data to determine whether additional rate hikes are necessary to address the inflation outlook. However, ECB President Christine Lagarde said, "Risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside." The markets are discounting a 92% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at its next policy meeting on September 10.
US Stock Movers
The sharp declines of -7% in Alphabet (GOOGL)and -14% in Tesla (TSLA) dragged down other mega-cap tech stocks. The rest of the Magnificent 7 are all closed lower, with Amazon (AMZN) closing down more than -4% and Meta Platforms (META) closing down by more than -3%.
Software stocks were under pressure, with Atlassian (TEAM) falling more than -6% and Oracle (ORCL) falling more than -4%. Salesforce (CRM), ServiceNow (NOW), and Workday (WDAY) all closed down by more than -3%.
Chipmakers closed lower nearly across the board, led by declines of more than -4% in Microchip Technology (MCHP) and more than -3% in Texas Instruments (TXN). Globalfoundaries (GFS), Qualcomm (QCOM), Align Technology (ALGN), ON Semiconductor (ON), Intel (INTC), and AMD (AMD) all closed down by more than -2%.
Energy stocks and service providers generally traded higher on the surge in oil prices. ExxonMobil (XOM), Diamondback Energy (FANG), and ConocoPhillips (COP) all closed up by more than +1%.
American Airlines (AAL) fell by more than -8% after the airline reduced its annual guidance and said it may show a loss in Q3 due to persistently high fuel prices.
T-Mobile (TMUS) fell by more than -10% after a disappointing earnings report.
Comcast (CMCSA) fell by more than -6% after its Q2 earnings report showed a loss in broadband subscribers, although the company noted an improved outlook for its Peacock streaming platform.
Earnings Reports(7/24/2026)
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Co (BAH), Liberty Global Ltd (LBTYA), Verizon Communications Inc (VZ), First Hawaiian Inc (FHB), HCA Healthcare Inc (HCA), Gentex Corp (GNTX), American Express Co (AXP), Ensign Group Inc/The (ENSG), Charter Communications Inc (CHTR), SLB Ltd (SLB), NextEra Energy Inc (NEE), Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (LW).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Stocks Fall Sharply as Crude Oil Prices Soar and Alphabet Sparks AI Spending Concerns

The IBM board of directors approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.69 per common share, to stockholders of record on August 10, 2026. With payment of the September 10, 2026 dividend, IBM will have paid consecutive quarterly dividends every year since 1916.
The Lockheed Martin board of directors has authorized a third quarter 2026 dividend of $3.45 per share. The dividend is payable on September 25, 2026, to holders of record as of the close of business on September 1, 2026. Lockheed Martin continues to invest in programs that are driving our backlog, while maintaining our historical practice of disciplined and dynamic capital allocation.
SiriusXM today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.27 per share of common stock. This regular quarterly dividend is payable in cash on August 26, 2026, to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 10, 2026.
The Board of Directors of The Cigna Group today declared a cash dividend of $1.56 per share of its common stock, payable on September 23, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 8, 2026.
BlackRock today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $5.73 per share of common stock, payable September 22, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 8, 2026.
Comcast announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.33 a share on the company's common stock. The quarterly dividend is payable on October 28, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 7, 2026.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Daily Dividend Report: IBM,LMT,SIRI,CI,BLK,CMCSA

Key Points
Goldman Sachs was the lead underwriter for the SpaceX IPO and was involved in several high-profile restructuring deals in the second quarter.
It reported a 55% increase in investment banking fees and sees this as the beginning of the AI cycle.
Historically, high IPO activity has happened at the peak of a bull market.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) has gone through better and worse times over its storied, 157-year history, and these are definitely better times. Among a large array of capital markets activity in the second quarter, the most prominent was its role as the lead underwriter on the Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) initial public offering (IPO).
Goldman Sachs stock hit a record last week, topping $1,150, and there's still momentum building as the investment bank services its long backlog of client demand. But is there anything left for new investors?
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Driven by a strong bull market
Goldman Sachs is the largest investment bank in the world, and it thrives in strong bull markets. The S&P 500 hit new highs in the second quarter, during which it gained 14.6%, and that drives business for investment banks. CEO David Solomon noted that the artificial intelligence (AI) cycle is creating large capital markets needs, and clients are coming to Goldman Sachs for services like financing and risk management.
The bank has several divisions, and there's a flywheel effect as financing advice turns into capital raises and capital raises in turn become opportunities for the wealth management division. Altogether, it's a wheel that keeps turning and reaping results in all sorts of ways.
This led to record performance in the second quarter, including record revenue of $20.3 billion, record fees, record assets under management of more than $4 trillion, and record earnings per share of $20.98. Global banking and markets revenue increased 53% year over year, driven by a 55% increase in investing banking fees, while total revenue was up 39%.
Not just SpaceX
While the SpaceX IPO was certainly an important part of the second-quarter blowout, there were several other prominent pieces. It also structured a secondary offering for Alphabet, advised NextEra Energy's acquisition of Dominion Energy, and advised Comcast's spinoff of NBCUniversal. Solomon noted a "significant" increase in corporate dealmaking, and large-cap corporate mergers and acquisitions volume increased 90% year over year through the first half of 2026, while its backlog is the highest in five years and the second-highest ever.
The question is what comes next. While Solomon pointed out that it's clear that these are the early innings in the AI buildout, history shows that high IPO activity often comes at the end of a bull cycle. Goldman Sachs stock trades at just under 17 times trailing-12-month earnings, which is a premium to recent averages. This might be the peak of the deal-making cycle, and investors should consider that, as well as Goldman Sachs is performing, this might not be the optimal time to buy the stock.
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Jennifer Saibil has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Goldman Sachs Group, and NextEra Energy. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

David Solomon's Goldman Sachs Just Posted a Record $20.98 in Quarterly Earnings Per Share. Here's What Powered It.

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -1.34%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -1.07%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -2.06%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26) are down -1.43%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU26) are down -2.25%.
Stock indexes are trading sharply lower today amid a double whammy of higher oil prices and a decline of more than -7% in Alphabet following its earnings report after Wednesday's close. Alphabet raised its capital spending forecast for this year to $205 billion from $190 billion, spending more than double its 2025 capital spending and raising concern that the company will struggle to earn a sufficient return on its outsized AI investment. Tesla is down more than -13% today after its earnings report late Wednesday also showed a surge in capital spending.
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Meanwhile, WTI crude oil prices (CLU26) are up more than +6% today after the Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile and drone attack on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, expanding the oil disruptions beyond the Strait of Hormuz and threatening oil shipments in the Red Sea. Sep Brent crude oil prices (CBU26) are trading above $100 per barrel. The Houthis have vowed to blockade shipping linked to Saudi Arabia and warned shipowners against calling at the nation's ports. The move threatens Saudi oil exports from Yanbu, a Red Sea hub that the Saudi's are using to ship crude since the war brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a near halt. President Trump said Tuesday that if there is a blockade in the Red Sea, the US “will take care of it.” Meanwhile, the US and Iran exchanged attacks for the 12th straight day, and the US maintained its blockade of Iranian oil shipments in the Persian Gulf.
US weekly initial unemployment claims in the week ended July 18 fell by -22,000 to 187,000, which showed a stronger labor market than expectations for a slight increase to +210,000. Continuing claims fell by -2,000 to 1.796 million, showing a stronger labor market than expectations for a rise to 1.809 million.
The Chicago Fed’s June National Activity Index rose to -0.02, which was weaker than the expected rise to zero from May’s revised -0.19.
The Kansas City Fed’s July manufacturing activity index fell by -2 points to 9, which was weaker than expectations for a 1-point increase to 12.
The outlook for strong Q2 earnings, which began in earnest this week, is a bullish factor for stocks. Forecasts compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence suggest Q2 earnings may increase by +23%, close to Q1’s blowout earnings of +30%, which was more than double the +12% analysts had expected. AI spending is expected to account for most of earnings, with AI infrastructure stocks set to contribute nearly 60% of the S&P 500's earnings-per-share growth in Q2. So far, earnings results have been positive as 89% of the S&P 500 companies that reported Q2 earnings results have beaten estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The markets are discounting a 36% chance of a +25 bp rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on July 28-29.
Overseas stock markets are mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 is down -1.14%. China's Shanghai Composite on Thursday closed up +0.25%. Japan's Nikkei-225 Stock Average closed up +0.46%.
Interest Rates
September 10-year T-notes (ZNU6) today are down -11 ticks, and the 10-year T-note yield rose +5.5 bp to 4.710%. Sep T-notes today tumbled to a 1.5-year nearest-futures low, and the 10-year T-note yield rose to a new 1.5-year high. T-notes are trading lower on today’s sharp +6% rise in WTI crude oil prices, which pushed the 10-year breakeven inflation expectations rate up +2.3 bp to a 5-week high of 2.284%. T-note prices were also undercut by today’s US unemployment claims report, which showed a stronger-than-expected labor market. The Treasury will sell $21 billion of 10-year TIPS later today.
European government bond yields are trading higher. The 10-year German bund yield is up +2.8 bp to 3.199%, edging to a new 15-year high. The 10-year UK gilt yield is up +6.0 bp at 5.094%, posting a new 2-month high.
The ECB today left its key deposit rate unchanged at 2.25%, in line with market expectations. The ECB said it left rates unchanged, awaiting further data to determine whether additional rate hikes are necessary to address the inflation outlook. However, ECB President Christine Lagarde said, "Risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside." The markets are discounting a 93% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at its next policy meeting on September 10.
US Stock Movers
The sharp declines in Alphabet (GOOGL)and Tesla (TSLA)after their earnings reports late Wednesday are dragging down other mega-cap tech stocks. The rest of the Magnificent 7 are all trading lower, led by a decline of more than -5% in Amazon (AMZN) and a decline of more than -3% in Meta Platforms (META).
Software stocks are under pressure today, led by declines of more -4% in Atlassian (TEAM), Salesforce (CRM), and Oracle (ORCL).
Chipmakers are lower almost across the board, led by declines of more than -5% in Microchip Technology (MCHP), more than -4% in ON Semiconductor (ON), and more than -3% in Texas Instruments (TXN) and Qualcomm (QCOM).
Energy stocks and service providers are trading higher on today’s surge in oil prices. ConocoPhillips (COP), Diamondback Energy (FANG), Exxon (XOM), Chevron (CVX), and Devon Energy (DVN) are all trading up more than +2%.
American Airlines (AAL) is down more than -7% after the company reduced its annual guidance and said it may show a loss in Q3 due to persistently high fuel prices.
T-Mobile (TMUS) is down about -6% after a disappointing earnings report.
Comcast (CMCSA) is down more than -2% after its Q2 earnings report showed a loss in broadband subscribers, although the company noted an improved outlook for its Peacock streaming platform.
Earnings Reports(7/23/2026)
Albertsons Cos Inc (ACI), Allegion plc (ALLE), American Airlines Group Inc (AAL), Ameriprise Financial Inc (AMP), Appfolio Inc (APPF), Blackstone Inc (BX), Boyd Gaming Corp (BYD), Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (CLF), Columbia Banking System Inc (COLB), Comcast Corp (CMCSA), Comfort Systems USA Inc (FIX), Deckers Outdoor Corp (DECK), Digital Realty Trust Inc (DLR), Dover Corp (DOV), Dow Inc (DOW), Edwards Lifesciences Corp (EW), First Citizens BancShares Inc/ (FCNCA), Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX), Honeywell International Inc (HON), Huntington Bancshares Inc/OH (HBAN), Intel Corp (INTC), Kinsale Capital Group Inc (KNSL), Lazard Inc (LAZ), Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT), Nasdaq Inc (NDAQ), Newmont Corp (NEM), Norfolk Southern Corp (NSC), NVR Inc (NVR), Old Republic International Cor (ORI), Ovintiv Inc (OVV), PG&E Corp (PCG), Pool Corp (POOL), Popular Inc (BPOP), Quest Diagnostics Inc (DGX), Rexford Industrial Realty Inc (REXR), RingCentral Inc (RNG), Robert Half Inc (RHI), Roper Technologies Inc (ROP), RTX Corp (RTX), Ryder System Inc (R), SLM Corp (SLM), Snap-on Inc (SNA), SOUTHSTATE BANK CORP (SSB), SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc (SSNC), Summit Therapeutics Inc (SMMT), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (TMO), T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS), Tractor Supply Co (TSCO), Union Pacific Corp (UNP), VeriSign Inc (VRSN), Viking Therapeutics Inc (VKTX), West Pharmaceutical Services Inc (WST).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Comcast CMCSA delivered adjusted earnings of $1.04 per share in the second quarter of 2026, down 16.7% from the year-ago period but ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 97 cents by 7.2%.
Consolidated revenues decreased 1.2% year over year to $29.94 billion but topped the consensus mark of $29.18 billion by 2.6%. On a pro forma basis, reflecting the Versant separation completed on Jan. 2, 2026, and the sale of Sky operations in Germany completed on May 31, 2026, revenues increased 4.7% year over year.
The quarter was shaped by continued traction in the company's go-to-market reset in Connectivity & Platforms, highlighted by the best wireless quarter on record alongside Peacock reaching quarterly profitability for the first time. Comcast also announced its intention to separate NBCUniversal and Sky into two publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off.
Comcast Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
CMCSA Connectivity Pivot Shows Early Traction
Connectivity & Platforms revenues (66.1% of revenues) decreased 3% year over year to $19.8 billion in the reported quarter as pressure in Residential Connectivity & Platforms outweighed continued gains in Business Services Connectivity.
Under the segment, Residential Connectivity & Platforms revenues decreased 4% year over year to $17.12 billion. Business Services Connectivity revenues increased 3.7% year over year to $2.67 billion.
Total Residential Connectivity & Platforms customer relationships decreased 230,000 to 47.7 million, reflecting decreases in both domestic and international customer relationships. Total domestic broadband residential customer net losses were 167,000. Total domestic wireless line net additions were 448,000, marking the company's best quarterly result on record, with total wireless lines rising to 10.2 million. Total domestic video customer net losses were 280,000.
Content & Experiences revenues (35.8% of revenues) increased 22.9% year over year to $10.73 billion, driven primarily by Media and Studios.
Under the segment, Media revenues increased 25.3% year over year to $5.69 billion, including $440 million of incremental revenues from the FIFA World Cup. Peacock reached quarterly profitability for the first time with EBITDA of $189 million, increasing $290 million year over year, while paid subscribers rose by 2 million net additions in the quarter to 48 million, driven by the NBA Playoffs, the FIFA World Cup and Love Island USA.
Studios revenues increased 25% year over year to $3.04 billion, driven by higher theatrical revenues from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Obsession and the international distribution of Michael. Theme Parks revenues increased 2.7% year over year to $2.41 billion, reflecting higher revenues at Orlando theme parks, partially offset by lower revenues at international parks.
CMCSA’s Operating Details
Costs and expenses in the second quarter of 2026 increased 1.9% year over year to $24.78 billion.
Programming and production costs increased 10.7% from the year-ago quarter to $8.39 billion. Marketing and promotion expenses increased 4.2% year over year to $2.26 billion while other operating and administrative expenses rose 0.2% to $10.45 billion.
Adjusted EBITDA decreased 13.4% year over year to $8.9 billion. On a pro forma basis, reflecting the Versant separation and the Sky Germany sale, adjusted EBITDA declined 5.3% year over year.
Total Connectivity & Platforms adjusted EBITDA declined 5.7% year over year to $7.96 billion. Residential Connectivity & Platforms adjusted EBITDA decreased 8% year over year to $6.45 billion, reflecting investment in the new go-to-market strategy. Business Services Connectivity adjusted EBITDA increased 5% year over year to $1.52 billion, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 56.7%.
Content & Experiences adjusted EBITDA increased 7.1% year over year to $1.33 billion. Media adjusted EBITDA increased 3.7% year over year to $708 million. Studios adjusted EBITDA increased to $202 million from $61 million, driven by strong theatrical performance. Theme Parks’ adjusted EBITDA decreased 5.1% year over year to $609 million.
CMCSA's Cash Flow & Liquidity
As of June 30, 2026, cash and cash equivalents totaled $7.66 billion, which decreased from $9.47 billion as of March 31, 2026.
As of June 30, 2026, consolidated total debt was $90.38 billion, which decreased from $94.61 billion as of March 31, 2026.
Free cash flow was $4.6 billion in the reported quarter, which increased from $4.5 billion in the prior year quarter.
In the second quarter of 2026, Comcast generated $8.09 billion in cash from operations, which increased from $7.82 billion reported in the prior year quarter.
Comcast paid dividends totaling $1.2 billion and repurchased 33.8 million of its shares for $900 million, resulting in a total return of capital to shareholders of $2.1 billion. On June 29 2026, the company announced it would pause its share repurchase program as it works through the separation of its businesses into two independent publicly traded companies.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
CMCSA currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector are Cimpress CMPR, The Marcus MCS and News Corporation NWSA, each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Shares of Cimpress have returned 45.6% in the year-to-date period. Cimpress is slated to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on July 29.
Shares of The Marcus have returned 53.5% in the year-to-date period. The Marcus is slated to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30.
Shares of News Corporation have returned 2.8% in the year-to-date period. News Corporation is slated to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Aug. 5.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Comcast Corporation

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