Meta Platforms, Inc. engages in the development of products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality headsets, and wearables worldwide. It operates in two segments, Family of Apps and Reality Labs. The Family of Apps segment offers Facebook, which enables people to share, discuss, discover, and connect with interests; Instagram, a community for sharing photos, videos, and private messages, as well as feed, stories, reels, video, live, and shops; Messenger, a messaging application for people to connect with friends, family, communities, and businesses across platforms and devices through text, audio, and video calls; and WhatsApp, a messaging application that is used by people and businesses to communicate and transact privately. The Reality Labs segment provides augmented and virtual reality related products comprising consumer hardware, software, and content that help people feel connected, anytime, and anywhere. The company was formerly known as Facebook, Inc. and changed its name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in October 2021. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California

Meta remains one of the highest-quality companies in the sector, but its current valuation is already noticeably ahead of its fundamental momentum. At a P/E of 22.29, the stock trades above the industry median, while P/S of 7.33, P/B of 6.38, and P/FCF of 32.61 look especially demanding in terms of future growth. This does not look like a deep overvaluation for a leader with high profitability, but the margin of safety on the multiples is limited. Its main strength is very high profitability: gross margin of 81.94%, operating margin of 41.44%, and net margin of 32.84% confirm the business’s strong monetization. Returns on capital are also outstanding: ROE of 33.22%, ROA of 20.76%, and ROI of 27.54% are significantly above industry benchmarks. At the same time, leverage is moderate: debt/equity of 0.24 and a current ratio of 2.35 look comfortable, while cash on hand of $81.18 billion supports financial flexibility. The weak point is the quick ratio at 0.00, which formally points to low immediate liquidity, although for Meta this is partly offset by its large cash reserve and strong operating cash flow. Revenue for the year increased to $56.31 billion, and EBITDA and net income remain very high, confirming the scale and resilience of the business. However, the trend is not completely linear: some profit and operating income metrics have fluctuated quarter to quarter, and long-term debt has increased noticeably compared with earlier periods. The dividend yield of 0.09% has virtually no impact on the investment case and is not a support factor for the valuation. Overall, the fundamentals point to a strong company with a high-quality business, but the current multiples already reflect a significant portion of these advantages. Therefore, the target forecast should be slightly lowered, maintaining a conservative approach and taking into account the limited upside from current levels.

Meta Platforms, Inc.

Средний индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Medium index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Медведи в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bears are confused.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

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

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок на стороне медведей.

Strong index, flat. The market is on the bears' side.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Отток средств из лонгов на высоком уровне.

Strong index, flat. Outflow of funds from longs at a high level.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Приток средств в шорты на высоком уровне.

Strong index, flat. Inflow of funds into shorts at a high level.

Meta demonstrates outstanding profitability and a strong balance sheet, but its valuation on a P/E, P/S, P/B, and P/FCF basis already looks demanding, so the forecast has been...

Key Points
Meta's second-quarter revenue rose 28% year over year to $60.8 billion.
Capital expenditures consumed nearly all of the quarter's $31.9 billion in operating cash flow.
Management raised the low end of its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $130 billion.
Social media giant Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) reported second-quarter results after the market closed Wednesday, and shares fell about 6% in after-hours trading as of this writing.
Revenue rose 28% year over year to $60.8 billion, and the advertising business behind it grew on both volume and pricing. The concern, however, sits further down the cash flow statement. Meta generated $31.9 billion in cash from operations during the quarter -- and kept just $784 million of it as free cash flow.
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Nearly everything else went into the company's build-out of AI (artificial intelligence) infrastructure.
Here's a closer look at where the money went, and what it means for shareholders.
Where the cash went
Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditures, and Meta's capital expenditures for the quarter came to about $31.1 billion. That breaks down as $30.1 billion in purchases of property and equipment plus $962 million in principal payments on finance leases. Subtract all of it from $31.9 billion of operating cash flow, and $784 million is what remains. For perspective, Meta's free cash flow in the year-ago quarter was $8.5 billion.
And the spending is stepping up fast. Meta's capital expenditures were $19.8 billion in the first quarter, up more than 50% from the prior quarter.
Cash from operations, meanwhile, barely moved, coming in at $32.2 billion in Q1 and $31.9 billion in Q2. The operating side held steady. The spending is what changed, taking free cash flow from $12.4 billion in the first quarter to less than $1 billion in the second.
So what is the money buying? Data centers, mostly. When management raised its capital expenditure outlook in April (to a range of $125 billion to $145 billion, from $115 billion to $135 billion), it attributed the increase to "higher component pricing this year and, to a lesser extent, additional data center costs to support future year capacity." In other words, part of the bill isn't even new capacity. It's inflation in the parts that go into it.
Wednesday's report pushed the number higher again. Meta now expects 2026 capital expenditures of $130 billion to $145 billion, raising the low end of the range by $5 billion. That's the second time the range has moved up this year.
I'd argue the guidance matters more than the quarter itself. Meta has spent about $50.9 billion through June, so even the bottom of the new range implies roughly $40 billion of spending per quarter for the rest of the year. That's more than the company just spent in Q2, and more than a full quarter of its operating cash flow. If cash from operations holds near recent levels, free cash flow could turn negative in the second half.
Of course, the income statement felt some strain, too. Net income fell 14% year over year to $15.8 billion, and earnings per share declined 13% to $6.18. Additionally, management nudged its full-year expense outlook higher to $165 billion to $169 billion, with $2.4 billion of legal charges accounting for the increase.
Is the stock a buy after this drop?
For all the spending, the business it's meant to feed looks healthy. Ad impressions rose 14% year over year in the second quarter, and the average price per ad climbed 12%. And Meta's apps reached 3.60 billion daily active people in June, up 3% from a year ago.
With that said, revenue growth did decelerate, from 33% in the first quarter to 28%. But for a company generating more than $60 billion in quarterly revenue, 28% is a remarkable pace.
The balance sheet holds up its end as well. Meta ended June with $90.3 billion in cash and marketable securities -- a war chest that removes any doubt about whether the company can afford its build-out. What the market doubts is the return on it.
That doubt won't be settled this year. What investors can evaluate now is the price. After the after-hours drop, shares trade at about 20 times earnings (below the S&P 500's multiple of about 28), which is arguably a modest price for a business growing revenue 28% year over year.
Overall, I like the stock here. A business compounding at this rate rarely trades below the market's multiple, and the cash pile means the spending doesn't threaten the balance sheet. Sure, free cash flow may sit near zero for a few quarters, and it could even go negative. But I can live with that while the advertising numbers hold up this well. Of course, if revenue growth cools sharply while the spending range climbs again, I'd revisit.
Should you buy stock in Meta Platforms right now?
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Daniel Sparks and his clients do not have positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. 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.

Meta Generated $31.9 Billion in Operating Cash Flow Last Quarter and Kept Only $784 Million of It. Here's Where the Rest Went.

Key Points
Microsoft reported better-than-expected earnings on Wednesday after market close.
The company's Azure cloud platform saw massive revenue growth, similar to its rivals AWS and Google Cloud.
The company also kept its capex forecast unchanged, which caused its stock to rise in after-hours trading.
After the market closed on Wednesday, tech giant and AI hyperscaler Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported better-than-expected Q4 2026 earnings for the period ending June 30.
Revenue and operating income were both up 18% year-over-year (YoY) to $90 billion and $40.6 billion, respectively. Revenue beat the consensus expectation of $87.6 billion.
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Given this impressive performance, is Microsoft’s stock a buy?
Image source: Getty Images.
A big beat with a small asterisk
Although revenue and operating income both rose, it was the marquee earnings per share (EPS) number that really smashed expectations, coming in at an adjusted $4.74/share, compared to the consensus of $4.24/share, a 31% improvement over the prior-year quarter.
However, $0.27/share of those earnings was attributable to special items, including a $3.2 billion gain from the company’s investment in the AI company Anthropic. Still, even if we strip out those items, Microsoft’s EPS would be $4.47/share, up 15.8% YoY and still beating the consensus.
In general, as Microsoft CFO Amy Hood put it, it was “a strong quarter to close out the fiscal year.”
But there were a few particularly noteworthy items that deserve special attention from investors.
Cloud comes in clutch
Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure has long been the second-most-used cloud computing platform in the world, behind Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) AWS but ahead of Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Cloud Services. In recent quarters, Google Cloud Services has seen explosive growth in both revenue and profits, which the company attributes to its implementation of AI. AWS has also reported higher top- and bottom-line growth among users using its AI features.
That trend applied to Microsoft as well, with revenue from Azure and other cloud services increasing 43% YoY. Although Microsoft didn’t break out the actual dollar amount, the overall Intelligent Cloud segment, which includes Azure, saw revenue increase 32% to $39.3 billion.
Holding the line on spending
Shares of Microsoft rival Alphabet took a hit after its recent Q2earnings call in which it increased its capital expenditures (capex) forecast for the year, largely due to increased spending on AI infrastructure. The Google parent’s capex was already up significantly from the prior year, and investors were starting to question whether the ultimate payoff would justify the massive upfront expense.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) encountered a similar situation as it narrowed its 2026 capex guidance toward the higher end of its previously announced range, causing its shares to take a post-earnings hit as well.
But Microsoft bucked the trend. True, its quarterly capex of $35.8 billion was more than double the year-ago quarter’s capex of $17.1 billion. But the company announced it was keeping its forecast for total calendar year 2026 capex unchanged at $175 billion following an accounting change. Investors rewarded the stock by sending shares up 8% in after-hours trading.
Even with that 8% increase, Microsoft shares are still down more than 15% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 and cloud rivals Alphabet and Amazon. Meanwhile, its forward price-to-earnings ratio has dropped from 30 to a more reasonable 20.
With Azure showing impressive revenue growth and management keeping a lid on AI spending (at least for now), Microsoft looks like a buy.
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John Bromels has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. 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.

Is Microsoft a Buy After Its Latest Earnings Report?

For the quarter ended June 2026, Meta Platforms (META) reported revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $6.18, compared to $7.14 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $60.21 billion, representing a surprise of +0.98%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -12.96%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $7.10.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Meta Platforms performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Family daily active people (DAP): $3.60 billion compared to the $3.61 billion average estimate based on four analysts.
Headcount: 75,472 versus 75,407 estimated by three analysts on average.
Advertising Revenue- US & Canada: $26.34 billion compared to the $26.03 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +31.4% year over year.
Advertising Revenue- Rest of the World: $8.09 billion compared to the $8.16 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +34.8% year over year.
Geographical Revenue by User- US & Canada: $26.82 billion compared to the $25.57 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +31.6% year over year.
Advertising Revenue- Europe: $14.09 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $14.47 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +23.9%.
Geographical Revenue by User- Asia-Pacific: $11.16 billion versus $11.68 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +19.2% change.
Geographical Revenue by User- Rest of World: $8.53 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $8.55 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +36.5%.
Revenue- Family of Apps (FoA): $60.37 billion versus $59.6 billion estimated by eight analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +28.1% change.
Revenue- Advertising: $59.36 billion compared to the $59.03 billion average estimate based on eight analysts. The reported number represents a change of +27.5% year over year.
Revenue- Other: $1.01 billion versus $860.24 million estimated by seven analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +72.7% change.
Revenue- Reality Labs: $431 million compared to the $441.53 million average estimate based on seven analysts. The reported number represents a change of +16.5% year over year.
Shares of Meta Platforms have returned +5.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.9% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Meta Platforms (META) Q2 Earnings

Wednesday, July 29th, 2026
A very eventful Hump Day has transpired in today’s trading session, particularly upon the press conference following the Fed monetary policy decision today, which kept interest rates steady once again. Earnings reports for the Mag 7 and more followed the closing bell, with drastically mixed results.
FOMC Decides to Hold Rates at +3.50-3.75%
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has once again voted to keep the ongoing +3.50-3.75% Fed funds rate in place, for now the fifth-straight meeting. The statement issued by the Fed was once again short on words and devoid of guidance, although it did include three dissents — Cleveland’s Beth Hammack, Minneapolis’ Neel Kashkari and Dallas’ Lorie Logan all voted for a 25 basis-point (bps) hike. These are the same Fed members who voted to remove the “downward bias” language from the final FOMC statement under ex-Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s tenure.
That said, there were some real keys to what the Fed considers important: its “2 percent goal” (notice no decimal placement) was cited directly. “There is no soft inflation target… (nor) a soft implicit target,” is how the Fed Chair characterized this in his presser, which gives credence to the idea that the +2.0% interest rate target under Powell remains intact. The culprit, then, for this higher-than-optimal inflation came from “supply shocks that have driven price increases” — meaning, perhaps especially, oil price increases based on the war in Iran, which is as close as the Fed came to saying that present inflation is “transitory.”
Warsh was not big on giving keen insights into the decisions on the Fed’s current monetary policy as he speaks to the Wall Street press pool. In fact, he proved quite adept and speaking at length without betraying any new information not seen in the brief statement. Bond markets were not pleased with his performance, however: the 10-year yield ramped up from +4.63% earlier in the day to +4.69% as of the end of trading. The 2-year slid a tad to +4.26%, marking the first time in several session the yield curve has been more than 40 bps.
Likely, Warsh’s majority decision demonstrates a hopefulness about a timely end to the aggressions in and around Iran, which affect oil prices every time the Strait of Hormuz chokes off its normal traffic levels. (It would have been nice to get some confirmation on this from Warsh himself.) There seems to be little appetite for dampening economic output while the events in Iran remain up in the air.
Earnings Reports After the Bell: META, MSFT, QCOM & More
Meta Platforms META shares are down another -7% in the after-market today, following mixed fiscal Q2 results. Earnings took a couple big one-time hits and came in nearly a buck light of the Zacks consensus to $6.18 per share, missing on the bottom line for the first time since 2022. Revenues of $60.80 billion surpassed the $6.21 billion — well above the $47.52 billion brought in a year ago.
CapEx remained high but didn’t get revised upward on the top end (it did raise on the bottom end): $130-145 billion for the current fiscal year, with free cash flow remaining positive at $784 million. Daily Active People bounced back from its first-ever drop a quarter ago to 3.6 billion. Revenue guidance was lackluster, so the shares are digging the hole deeper, year to date.
Microsoft MSFT was also impacted by one-time items on its bottom line, but these were to the positive, including a $3.2 billion gain from Anthropic. Earnings overall reached $4.74 per share on $90.01 billion in revenues, easily bettering the estimates of $4.21 per share and $87.44 billion, respectively. CapEx spending was in-line at $41 billion, on pace for its guided full-year rate of $190 billion. Azure growth was strong, +43%, while Co-Pilot seats have doubled in the past three quarters.
Qualcomm QCOM shares are off their late-market lows, -4.4%, on a one-cent miss on earnings to $2.21 per share, down -20% year over year. Revenues, on the other hand, reached $9.95 billion, well ahead of the $9.71 billion in the Zacks consensus. Next-quarter earnings guidance lowered to $2.15 per share at the midpoint, as Chinese smartphone business fell in the quarter. Qualcomm intends to shift toward non-handset chips as its main revenue source in the future.
Starbucks SBUX was also mixed in its fiscal Q3 report today, beating solidly on earnings — +85 cents per share, versus +66 cents expected, up from 50 cents per share a year ago. Revenues of $9.3 billion, however, were below the $9.44 billion analysts were expecting. It’s the fourth-straight month of comp growth, meaning CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround looks to be in effect. Shares are up nearly +7% on the news.
Speaking of Brian Niccol, his former company, Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG posted modest outperformance on both top and bottom lines this afternoon, beating on the bottom line by a penny to $0.33 per share on revenues of $3.35 billion, a smidge above the $3.32 billion anticipated. Comps sales rose +2.2% in the quarter. Notably, no cyclospora contagion hit the company during the Q2. Shares are up +2.7% on the news.
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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.

FOMC Holds, Market Folds, Q2 Earnings Mostly Bold

Meta Platforms (META) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.46 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.50 per share. This compares to earnings of $3.61 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -1.60%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this social media company would post earnings of $2.54 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.72, delivering a surprise of 7.09%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
Meta Platforms, which belongs to the Zacks Internet - Software industry, posted revenues of $28.82 billion for the quarter ended June 2022, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.44%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $29.08 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Meta Platforms shares have lost about 52.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of -17.7%.
What's Next for Meta Platforms?
While Meta Platforms has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Meta Platforms: unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $2.57 on $30.33 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $11.22 on $122.68 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Internet - Software is currently in the bottom 44% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, Splunk (SPLK), is yet to report results for the quarter ended July 2022.
This maker of software that helps companies collect and analyze internal data is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.37 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +40.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Splunk's revenues are expected to be $748.25 million, up 23.5% from the year-ago quarter.
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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.

Meta Platforms (META) Lags Q2 Earnings Estimates

(RTTNews) - Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) announced a profit for second quarter that Dropped, from the same period last year
The company's bottom line came in at $15.848 billion, or $6.18 per share. This compares with $18.337 billion, or $7.14 per share, last year.
The company's revenue for the period rose 28.0% to $60.801 billion from $47.516 billion last year.
Meta Platforms, Inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) :
-Earnings: $15.848 Bln. vs. $18.337 Bln. last year. -EPS: $6.18 vs. $7.14 last year. -Revenue: $60.801 Bln vs. $47.516 Bln last year.
-Guidance: Next quarter revenue guidance: $ 61 B To $ 64 B
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Meta Platforms, Inc. Bottom Line Retreats In Q2

Key Points
GE Vernova allows artificial intelligence data centers to take power production matters into their own hands.
It’s technically a utility stock, but Vistra is a highly flexible power provider that’s no stranger to meeting institutional-level and industrial-level needs.
Construction equipment maker Caterpillar can deliver turnkey electricity-generating solutions at a meaningful scale right now.
Speaking to a Stanford University computer science class in May, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang raised eyebrows by saying, "The amount of energy that we need for [AI] computing is likely probably 1,000 times more than we currently have." He didn't add any additional detail to his mental math and even conceded, "I wouldn't be surprised if we're off by a couple orders of magnitude." If his goal was simply to provide some tangible perspective -- for effect -- on what the energy industry needs to accomplish in the foreseeable future, then mission accomplished.
The projected scope makes sense. Also in May, Goldman Sachs predicted that the power U.S. data centers alone would need would more than double between 2025 and 2027, from 31 gigawatts (GW) to 66 GW. At peak usage, this would push the domestic AI industry's consumption from just over 4% of the nation's total power output to well over 8%. Extending this trend, Bloom Energy predicts artificial intelligence could be using up to 12% of the United States' produced electricity by 2030, and it would still just be getting started.
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The same dynamics are taking shape outside of the U.S. as well, of course.
It's an opportunity, to be sure, but only for companies already ready to capitalize on it. To this end, here's a closer look at three industrial names already seeing the upside of the surge in power demand.
1. GE Vernova
GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) is the former power-generation arm of industrial titan General Electric, which began splitting itself into smaller, more manageable pieces in 2021. This particular offshoot makes everything from wind turbines to nuclear reactors to hydropower systems to power grid solutions.Its red-hot equipment right now, however, is natural gas turbines.
Originally intended for utility companies, these power plants -- capable of producing anywhere from 34.5 megawatts to 571 megawatts of power -- are ideally suited to power data centers due to their scalability, ability to be throttled as needed, and relatively small footprint. Just as important, on-premises power generation means AI data center owners/operators don't need to wait for time-consuming (and often costly) connections to a power grid. That's why PwC believes the United States' data center-driven demand for natural gas could easily quintuple between last year and 2035, with an outside chance of further growth taking shape even sooner.
GE Vernova won't supply all the turbines linked to this surge in demand for natural gas. With a companywide backlog of $176 billion (nearly two-thirds of which is gas turbine-related) versus 2026's expected revenue of about $46 billion, however -- and a gas power equipment backlog that grew from 100 GW to 116 GW in Q2 alone - this company's certainly going to meet a huge chunk of this demand.
2. Vistra
Technically speaking, Vistra (NYSE: VST) isn't an industrial company. It's categorized as a power utility, though even by utility-stock standards, it's not exactly your typical power company. While it does directly provide electricity to about 5 million residential and business customers, Vistra's core business is generating and then selling electricity on a wholesale basis to other utility companies sharing the same grid.
The company's now making the most of this flexibility too. For instance, rather than merely connecting new artificial intelligence data centers to existing grid infrastructure and treating them like any other customer, Vistra is now entering long-term power purchase agreements directly with institutions. Early this year, the company announced it had inked long-term deals with Amazon and Facebook parent Meta Platforms to supply both tech companies with the electricity needed for existing and new AI data centers.
Such arrangements still account for only a relatively small part of the company's total business. In that these long-term agreements allow Vistra to make capital investments -- particularly in nuclear power -- with a reasonably assured return on the investment, the company can add power production capacity with the confidence that ultimately allows it to build more efficient infrastructure.
In other words, it's a win-win. That's why you shouldn't be surprised to see more such dealmaking in the future, particularly from Vistra, which has already shown its interest in custom-designed power provision solutions.
3. Caterpillar
Finally, add Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) -- yes, the construction equipment company -- to your list of stocks that will benefit from the AI industry's exploding demand for electricity. It's already benefiting, in fact.
You know it best as a maker of bulldozers, backhoes, and dump trucks. And that's still a huge part of its business to be sure. Largely overlooked, though, is that Caterpillar also manufactures high-capacity mobile diesel and gas generators, battery-based energy storage systems, and more, all of which are proving to be much-needed stopgap solutions while data center owners and operators are waiting on more permanent equipment. Outfits including Space Exploration Technologies and Microsoft (through Nscale) are utilizing off-grid generators to power some of their AI data centers.
To this end, while all of Caterpillar's business lines grew last year, its power generation arm, which provides these generators, experienced company-leading growth of roughly 30%. The company expects this business to double between 2025 and 2030, and S&P Global doesn't exactly disagree with this outlook. It's looking for Caterpillar's power and energy division to grow another 17% this year -- from last year's revenue of $33.4 billion -- en route to $54.8 billion in annual revenue by 2030.
Should you buy stock in GE Vernova right now?
Before you buy stock in GE Vernova, 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 GE Vernova wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut 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 $390,394!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,209,184!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 899% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Bloom Energy, Caterpillar, GE Vernova, Goldman Sachs Group, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, S&P Global, and Vistra. 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.

Jensen Huang Says AI Needs "1,000 Times More Power Than We Currently Have." These 3 Industrial Stocks Will Deliver It.

The following companies are expected to report earnings after hours on 07/29/2026. Visit our Earnings Calendar for a full list of expected earnings releases.
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The computer software company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 15 analysts that follow the stock is $4.21. This value represents a 15.34% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year MSFT has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 4.91%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for MSFT is 23.55 vs. an industry ratio of 20.40, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The internet software company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 13 analysts that follow the stock is $7.10. This value represents a 0.56% decrease compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year META has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 8.94%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for META is 20.18 vs. an industry ratio of 143.20.
Lam Research Corporation (LRCX)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The electric company company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 9 analysts that follow the stock is $1.69. This value represents a 27.07% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year LRCX has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 8.09%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for LRCX is 47.47 vs. an industry ratio of 28.70, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Arm Holdings plc (ARM)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The electric company company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 4 analysts that follow the stock is $0.18. This value represents a 12.50% increase compared to the same quarter last year. ARM missed the consensus earnings per share in the 1st calendar quarter of 2026 by -5.26%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2027 Price to Earnings ratio for ARM is 218.52 vs. an industry ratio of 28.70, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The electric company company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 8 analysts that follow the stock is $1.54. This value represents a 32.75% decrease compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year QCOM has met analyst expectations once and beat the expectations the other three quarters. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for QCOM is 20.41 vs. an industry ratio of 28.70.
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The restaurant company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 11 analysts that follow the stock is $0.66. This value represents a 32.00% increase compared to the same quarter last year. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for SBUX is 42.78 vs. an industry ratio of -4.90, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The security company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 11 analysts that follow the stock is $0.66. This value represents a 13.79% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year FTNT has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 37.74%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for FTNT is 53.56 vs. an industry ratio of 254.80.
Equinix, Inc. (EQIX)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The reit company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 5 analysts that follow the stock is $10.14. This value represents a 2.32% increase compared to the same quarter last year. In the past year EQIX has beat the expectations every quarter. The highest one was in the 1st calendar quarter where they beat the consensus by 9.54%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for EQIX is 27.06 vs. an industry ratio of 14.00, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CP)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The transportation (rail) company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 7 analysts that follow the stock is $0.89. This value represents a 9.88% increase compared to the same quarter last year. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for CP is 24.85 vs. an industry ratio of 18.00, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (ORLY)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The wholesale retail company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 10 analysts that follow the stock is $0.85. This value represents a 8.97% increase compared to the same quarter last year. ORLY missed the consensus earnings per share in the 4th calendar quarter of 2025 by -1.39%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for ORLY is 28.14 vs. an industry ratio of 20.20, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The investment bankers company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 5 analysts that follow the stock is $0.43. This value represents a 2.38% increase compared to the same quarter last year. HOOD missed the consensus earnings per share in the 1st calendar quarter of 2026 by -5%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for HOOD is 47.57 vs. an industry ratio of 16.90, implying that they will have a higher earnings growth than their competitors in the same industry.
Deutsche Bank AG (DB)is reporting for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. The bank (foreign) company's consensus earnings per share forecast from the 2 analysts that follow the stock is $0.91. This value represents a 68.52% increase compared to the same quarter last year. DB missed the consensus earnings per share in the 2nd calendar quarter of 2025 by -30.77%. Zacks Investment Research reports that the 2026 Price to Earnings ratio for DB is 9.04 vs. an industry ratio of 12.20.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

After-Hours Earnings Report for July 29, 2026 : MSFT, META, LRCX, ARM, QCOM, SBUX, FTNT, EQIX, CP, ORLY, HOOD, DB

Key Points
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.7%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.0%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.3% in mid-day trading on Wednesday.
Oil prices jumped more than 6% on renewed tensions in the Middle East.
After the closing bell, Microsoft and Meta will report earnings in a financial test of massive AI infrastructure spending.
Well, so much for that brief moment of Middle East calm.
U.S. stocks fell sharply in midday trading Wednesday as geopolitical tensions reignited and investors positioned ahead of the Federal Reserve's 2:00 p.m. ET policy decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) is down 1.7% at mid-day, led lower by Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) dropping 7.3% and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) falling 4.6% on macroeconomic concerns. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has shed 1%, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) is down by 1.3%.
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All three indexes opened in the red, made a half-hearted attempt at stabilization around 11 a.m. ET, then gave up and slid lower again.
Geopolitical chaos meets central bank uncertainty
The immediate trigger for today's selling? Oil prices rocketing more than 6%.
President Donald Trump told Fox News the U.S. would give Iran "a beating" following an overnight missile attack on American forces. That was the end of last Friday's diplomatic progress. You know the ripple effects that follow when oil prices are on the move. Every company depends on energy in some way, so high oil prices quickly get expensive for retailers, tech giants, and manufacturers.
Then there's the Fed. At 2:00 p.m., Chairman Kevin Warsh will announce the latest policy decision, and futures markets are pricing in a nearly 70% chance that rates stay put in the current 3.5% to 3.75% range. But the real drama will come during Warsh's press conference, where traders will parse every word for hints on whether the Fed is sticking with "higher-for-longer" or if recent oil price swings and stubborn inflation readings are raising fresh concerns.
Semiconductor stocks bore the brunt of the technology sector sell-off. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: SOXX) plunged 4.4%, extending a 10% weekly decline. Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) dropped 5.7%, and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) fell 5.8%. They didn't do anything wrong, other than being richly valued growth stocks on a de-risking kind of market day.
And it's earnings season. Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) beat analyst estimates and Boeing (NYSE: BA) posted a mixed report. Both stocks fell, erasing a combined 109 points from the Dow.
What's next?
The market drama won't stop here. Two Magnificent 7 companies are reporting earnings tonight, and another two tomorrow. Besides their financials, whatever they say about data center plans and AI investments will surely move the markets for the rest of this week.
Sometimes the market throws multiple curveballs at once. The daily drama may open some opportunities and close others, so there's nothing wrong with tracking the headlines. Still, the best strategy is to stay focused on the predictable value of long-term fundamentals.
Should you buy stock in NASDAQ Composite Index right now?
Before you buy stock in NASDAQ Composite Index, 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 NASDAQ Composite Index wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut 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 $390,394!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,209,184!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 899% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
Anders Bylund has positions in Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Boeing, Caterpillar, Goldman Sachs Group, Meta Platforms, Micron Technology, Microsoft, and iShares Trust-iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Sherwin-Williams. 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.

Market Indexes Tumble on Geopolitical Tensions and Chip Stock Selloff

Key Points
Oklo is still building its first Aurora power house.
It's a long way from generating any revenue, let alone profits.
NextEra Energy has visible nuclear-powered earnings growth on the horizon.
Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) got off to a fast start. The small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) developer began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2024 at around $10 per share and rocketed to nearly $175 per share by October 2025. Unfortunately, it has been all downhill from there. Shares currently sit more than 75% below their peak.
While I like a good bargain, I'm still not buying this nuclear energy stock. Here's why and the one I'm buying instead.
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 »
Lots of promise, but it hasn't delivered yet
Oklo is developing fast fission power plants that could eventually produce clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale. It has secured a couple of major customers. In 2024, it formed a landmark strategic relationship with the privately held data center operator Switch to deploy 12 gigawatts (GW) of advanced nuclear power, in one of the largest corporate clean power agreements ever signed. Oklo also signed an agreement with Meta Platforms earlier this year to support 1.2 GW of nuclear energy developments in Ohio. These deals will help the tech companies secure the power they need in the AI age.
However, my issue with Oklo is that it currently isn't producing any power. Oklo is building its first Aurora powerhouse at the Idaho National Laboratory, which won't be operational until late 2027 to early 2028. Meanwhile, it expects to start construction on the first phase of its much larger-scale Aurora powerhouse in Ohio later this year, putting it on track to bring that phase online as early as 2030, with full completion targeted by 2034.
As a result, Oklo isn't generating any revenue yet. Meanwhile, its spending will grow as it advances construction on its Ohio project. That means it's a long way from making money, making it a very risky stock.
A much lower-risk way to cash in on the nuclear resurgence
While Oklo has a lot of promise, it's a long way from delivering results. On the other hand, NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) is already ahead of it in capitalizing on the surge in nuclear energy demand. The utility is a leader in clean power, including nuclear. It currently operates seven units across four locations that generate more than 6 GW of reliable, emissions-free power.
Last October, NextEra signed a deal with Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOGL)(NASDAQ: GOOG) Google to accelerate nuclear energy deployment in the U.S. As part of that collaboration, NextEra will restart the dormant Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. Google signed a 25-year deal to buy most of the power from that 615-megawatt facility when it resumes operations in the first quarter of 2029. NextEra expects the facility to contribute up to $0.16 per share in annual earnings over its first decade, a meaningful boost for a company that expects to generate $3.63 to $4.00 per share in earnings this year. The companies also expect to explore the development of new nuclear generation in the country.
Already profitable with nuclear-powered growth
Oklo is years away from turning a profit, assuming everything goes according to plan. Contrast that with NextEra Energy, which is already making money. It has visible nuclear-powered growth from Duane Arnold and its pending merger with Dominion, which will make it the country's second-largest producer. That lower risk upside exposure makes it the best nuclear stock to buy.
Should you buy stock in Oklo right now?
Before you buy stock in Oklo, 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 Oklo wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut 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 $390,394!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,209,184!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 899% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
Matt DiLallo has positions in Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and NextEra Energy and has the following options: long December 2028 $650 calls on Meta Platforms and short December 2028 $660 calls on Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and NextEra Energy. The Motley Fool recommends Dominion Energy. 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.

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