Toast, Inc.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, значительно вырос. Рынок на стороне быков.

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

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

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

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – July 23, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. EXPD as the Bull of the Day and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. AEM as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Toast, Inc. TOST, Block XYZ and Lightspeed LSPD.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. is expected to grow earnings by the double digits in 2026 as logistics heats up. Analysts are raising earnings estimates on this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) even before it reports Q2 earnings in August 2026.
Expeditors International of Washington is a global logistics company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. It has 171 district offices and numerous branch locations across six continents.
Services include consolidation or forwarding of air and ocean freight, customs brokerage, vendor consolidation, time-definite transportation, cargo insurance, order management, customized logistics solutions, and warehousing and distribution.
Expeditors International Expands its Aircraft on Ground (AOG) Capabilities
On July 20, 2026, Expeditors International of Washington announced it was expanding its global Aircraft on Ground (AOG) capabilities by bringing together logistics teams, 24/7/365 support centers and access to the company's global network for those customers facing urgent operational disruptions.
The AOG product supports airlines, aircraft manufacturers, maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations, aerospace suppliers, defense customers, advanced air mobility providers, and others who are in the aviation industry.
This comes at a time when there is a need for specialized support during unexpected aircraft downtime, critical parts shortages, and unplanned maintenance events, as well as other operational challenges. The global air fleet is aging and requires more support.
Analysts Bullish on Expeditors International's Earnings for Q2 2026 and FY2026
Expeditors will report second quarter 2026 earnings on Aug 4, 2026. But the analysts are getting bullish ahead of the report.
One estimate has been raised for the second quarter in the last week, pushing the Zacks Consensus Estimate up to $1.68 from $1.64. This is earnings growth of 25.4% as Expeditors only made $1.34 last year.
It has beat on earnings nine quarters in a row.
For the full year, analysts are bullish as well. One estimate is higher in the last seven days, with four higher in the last month for 2026. The 2026 Zacks Consensus Estimate has jumped to $6.74 from $6.66 in the last month.
But the most accurate estimate for the full year is looking for $6.85, which is $0.09 higher than the consensus.
This is 13.3% earnings growth year-over-year as Expeditors made $5.95 in 2025.
Shares of Expeditors International Near 52-Week Highs
The shares have busted out to new 5-year and 52-week highs as the earnings picture has improve
Expeditors International isn't cheap, however. It trades with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.5. A P/E of 15 or under usually indicates value. But investors would be buying Expeditors for its growth.
It is shareholder friendly. In Feb 2026, the Board of Directors authorized a new $3 billion share repurchase program. It is also a dividend aristocrat and pays a dividend yielding 0.9%.
Since 2024, Expeditors International has returned nearly $2 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.
Logistic services are heating up again. For those looking for a way to get in on this trade, Expeditors International of Washington should be on your short list.
Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. is the second largest gold miner in the world. Analysts are cutting 2026 earnings estimates on this Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) as gold prices retreat from their all-time highs.
Agnico Eagle Mines was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It's Canada's largest gold miner and is the second largest gold miner in the world. The company operates mines in Canada, Australia, Finland, and Mexico.
Analysts Cut Agnico Eagle Mines Earnings Estimates as Gold Prices Fall
Gold hit a new all-time high of $5,589 per ounce on Jan 28, 2026, but it has since retreated and has recently traded around $4,000 an ounce.
Analysts have been trying to keep up with the impact of the price changes for the gold miners. Earlier this year, they were raising estimates on Agnico Eagle Mines as gold prices soared. Now, they are cutting them to get in line with the falling gold price.
One estimate has been cut for the second quarter 2026 in the last week. The Q2 Zacks Consensus is now looking for $2.98, down from $3.16 just 60 days ago.
Similarly, analysts have been cutting full year earnings estimates. Four estimates have been slashed for 2026 in the last week, with seven being cut in the prior 30 days.
The 2026 Zacks Consensus Estimate has fallen to $12.09 from $13.20 in the last 30 days.
These earnings cuts will produce a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell) because there are no analysts raising estimates and the consensus estimate is falling.
However, this is still earnings growth of 46% year-over-year as Agnico Eagle Mines made only $8.28 last year.
It will report second quarter 2026 results on July 29, 2026.
Shares of Agnico Eagle Mines Retreat from All-Time Highs
Shares of Agnico Eagle Mines soared to new all-time highs as gold prices rose above $5,000 per ounce earlier this year.
But over the last 3 months, shares have retreated. Agnico Eagle Mines is down more than the price of gold during that time.
However, the stock is cheaper than ever. Agnico Eagle Mines trades with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 11.7. A P/E under 15 usually indicates value.
Agnico Eagle Mines also takes its commitment to its shareholders seriously. It has paid a cash dividend every year since 1983. That dividend is currently yielding 1.3%.
Reminder, the Zacks Rank is a short-term recommendation of one to three months. It changes when analysts revise their earnings estimates.
Watch those analyst earnings estimate revisions closely if gold inches back towards $5,000 per ounce. The Rank will become more favorable if gold rises later this year.
Additional content:
Toast AI Strategy: Will Agents Drive Restaurant Growth?
Toast, Inc. is making artificial intelligence (AI) a central part of its growth strategy. In May 2026, the company launched Toast IQ Grow, a marketing product built around its first AI agent. It creates campaigns using restaurant sales data across email, text messages and social channels, helping busy operators save time and attract guests.
Early results appear encouraging. Pilot customers using Toast IQ Grow recorded an average 8% increase in sales compared with similar Toast restaurants. Sahara Bistro Shawarma attributed nearly one-third of its March 2026 sales to Toast marketing tools. Its sales also rose more than 30% from the prior four weeks, suggesting that AI agents can produce measurable returns.
Toast also has a large base for expanding AI services. It ended the first quarter of 2026 with about 171,000 locations, up 22% year over year, after adding roughly 7,000 net locations. Toast IQ already had 40,000 weekly active locations, giving the platform more operating, payment and guest data to generate useful recommendations.
The AI push is also supporting Toast's internal efficiency. Engineering coding velocity increased more than 60% year over year, helping the company launch its marketing agent three months earlier than planned. About 40% of customer-support interactions were resolved by AI, improving efficiency and enabling Toast to invest more in account management, product development and sales.
Investors need to watch whether AI usage is converting into stronger financial growth. First-quarter 2026 annualized recurring run-rate (ARR) rose 26% to $2.2 billion, while recurring gross profit grew 27%. Adjusted EBITDA reached $179 million, and operating income climbed to $110 million from $43 million.
How Are XYZ & LSPD Integrating AI?
Block's Square has embedded AI into its merchant services through automated marketing, customer insights and operational recommendations. These tools help restaurants personalize promotions, simplify decisions and improve efficiency within the broader Square ecosystem. XYZ reported serving more than 4 million sellers across its global digital commerce platforms.
Lightspeed applies AI to restaurant analytics, inventory planning and customer engagement. Its AI-driven features help operators interpret sales patterns, forecast demand and identify practical actions that may improve margins. LSPD ended the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 with approximately 150,000 total customer locations using its commerce platform worldwide.
TOST's Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Toast have outperformed in the past three months compared with the broader industry.
From a valuation standpoint, Toast's shares have a Value Score of C. In terms of forward 12-month P/E, TOST stock is trading at 26.20X, which is at a discount to the Zacks Internet Software industry's 27.43X.
Toast's estimate revisions reflect a positive trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2026 earnings per share has been revised upward to $1.35 in the past two months. The consensus estimate for the metric indicates a year-over-year increase of 51.69%.
Toast currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
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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.

Expeditors International of Washington and Agnico Eagle Mines have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

Key Points
The disposition of 11,170 shares resulted in a total transaction value of ~$336,900, based on a weighted-average execution price of $30.16 per share.
The sale reduced the executive's direct equity holdings by 14%, including shares acquired via the concurrent option exercise.
Post-transaction holdings include 69,966 shares held directly and 84,269 shares held indirectly through The Jonathan S. Vassil Grantor Retained Annuity Trust #1.
The activity was conducted under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on March 13, 2026, which facilitates pre-scheduled liquidity for insiders.
Jonathan Vassil, Chief Revenue Officer of Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST), sold 11,170 shares of Class A Common Stock on July 13 and July 14, 2026, as disclosed in a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
Shares sold
11,170
Transaction value
~$336,900
Post-transaction shares
154,235
Post-transaction shares (directly held)
69,966
Post-transaction shares (indirectly held)
84,269
Post-transaction value
$4.6 million
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($30.16); post-transaction value based on July 14, 2026, market close ($30.00).
Key questions
How does this transaction relate to the executive's total equity exposure?
While the sale involved 11,170 shares, Jonathan Vassil maintains a substantial long-term incentive position with 316,431 outstanding stock options, ensuring continued alignment with the company's valuation performance.
What were the mechanics of the share acquisition and disposal?
The transaction was executed as a cashless exercise and sale, in which options with an exercise price of $2.21 were converted to Class A Common Stock and immediately sold at prices ranging from $30.00 to $30.52.
What is the significance of the 10b5-1 plan adoption date?
The trading plan was established on March 13, 2026, with a four-month cooling-off period before the first transactions were executed in July, a standard governance practice for executive portfolio management.
How does the current market valuation compare to the transaction price?
The shares were sold at a weighted-average price of $30.16, slightly above the July 14, 2026, market close of $30.00, during a period when the stock had declined 33% over the previous 12 months.
Company Overview
Share Price (as of market close 2026-07-17)
$30.08
Market Capitalization
$17.4 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$6.4 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$412.0 million
Company Snapshot
Toast, Inc. delivers a comprehensive cloud-based digital technology platform purpose-built for the restaurant industry, featuring a robust product suite that includes the Toast Point of Sale (POS) system, Toast Flex terminals, and complementary hardware solutions that generate recurring software and services revenue.
The company operates a subscription-based business model in which restaurant operators pay recurring fees for access to its integrated cloud platform, point-of-sale hardware, payment processing services, and ancillary software solutions, thereby creating predictable, scalable revenue streams.
Toast serves restaurant operators of varying sizes across the United States and Ireland, targeting independent and multi-unit restaurant chains seeking comprehensive digital infrastructure solutions to streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and optimize financial management.
Toast, Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-based digital infrastructure solutions for the restaurant industry, with a market capitalization of $17.4 billion, TTM revenues of $6.4 billion, and TTM net income of $412.0 million. The company maintains operational scale with 6,500 employees. It leverages its integrated platform architecture, combining point-of-sale hardware, payment processing, and software services, to create significant switching costs and customer stickiness in a fragmented yet growing market. Toast's competitive positioning is reinforced by its vertical specialization in the restaurant sector, enabling deep product-market fit and the ability to capture multiple revenue streams across hardware, software subscriptions, and payment processing services.
What this transaction means for investors
Investors shouldn’t worry about Vassil’s recent sales as they are pretty run-of-the-mill, pre-planned transactions for management to make over time. Vassil still has ample exposure to Toast’s long-term results, and these sales were relatively minor.
The main focus for investors should be on Toast’s stock and its actual operations, which appear to be moving in contrasting directions. While Toast stock is down 35% over the last year, I’d argue that the company has never been stronger financially and operationally. The company has locked in its status as the leading payment provider in the states for restaurants of all types and has recently delivered exceptional growth despite a challenging macroeconomic environment and the ever-looming, all-encompassing “AI disruption threat.”
Toast just grew annual recurring revenue by 26%, adjusted EBITDA by 34%, and saw EPS double in its latest quarter as its payments platform continued to scale beautifully. Now solidly profitable and becoming ever more so with each quarter, Toast’s focus will turn to protecting its leadership position from peers, incorporating AI into its operations, and upselling current customers on new services. Trading at just 22 times forward earnings while guiding for recurring gross profits to grow by 22% this year, I’ll be looking to open a starter position in the company soon.
Should you buy stock in Toast right now?
Before you buy stock in Toast, 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 Toast wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
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Josh Kohn-Lindquist has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Toast. 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.

Toast Chief Revenue Officer Jonathan Vassil Sells 11,170 Shares -- Should Investors Sell Too?

Key Points
Starbucks spends about $400 million annually on software and is developing AI-powered tools to replace systems from Microsoft and IBM.
When in-house AI experiments disappoint, companies may turn to specialists like Toast that offer built-in support and maintenance.
Toast's vertically integrated platform combining hardware, software, and payments is harder to replicate with in-house AI tools than modular legacy systems.
Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) has decided it can build better software than Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and IBM (NYSE: IBM). If nothing else, it wants to save costs with a homemade version of some high-priced enterprise software platforms.
That is either visionary cost-cutting or a case study in corporate hubris waiting to happen.
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According to an internal Starbucks presentation reviewed by Bloomberg News, the coffee chain is developing AI-powered tools to replace a Microsoft inventory-tracking system and an IBM maintenance management platform. Starbucks spends about $400 million a year on software, and Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan told employees there are "clear opportunities to reduce the spend."
The market took notice. Microsoft fell 2.4% and IBM dropped 5.2% as the Bloomberg article was published on Thursday morning. Starbucks rose more than 3% on the potentially cost-saving news. Toast (NYSE: TOST) shares enjoyed a short-lived 2.3% spike at the same time.
The "we'll just build it ourselves" phase
Every company goes through this. The software bills pile up, someone in the C-suite discovers that AI can write code now, and suddenly the business plan includes "proprietary platform development."
But easier to build does not mean easier to maintain. Enterprise-scale systems require ongoing security updates, integration work, and dedicated engineering headcount. Starbucks recently gave up on an AI-powered inventory tracking system and reverted to manual asset counts. That's a stark reminder that internal development comes with its own failures and costs.
To be fair, Starbucks has the scale and resources to pull this off. The grand cost-cutting plan aims to slash annual costs by more than $2 billion, and software is just a small part of this effort.
The long-term question is whether companies that pursue in-house AI builds will eventually seek out modern, vertically integrated platforms once the maintenance burden rears its ugly head.
That's where Toast comes in.
Toast is playing a different game
Toast operates a cloud-based platform for restaurants that combines point-of-sale hardware, payment processing, and operational software. Wherever data or software is involved in running a single restaurant or a whole chain, Toast has integrated that issue into its comprehensive system.
The company ended Q1 2026 with 171,000 live locations, up 22% year over year, and has been expanding aggressively into enterprise accounts. Recent wins include Hungry Howie's (500 units), Papa Murphy's, and Preferred Hotels.
"We continue to see strong growth, and with the pipeline in front of us, I am confident enterprise will be a meaningful growth driver for years to come," CEO Aman Narang said in May's Q1 earnings call. "For 14 years, we have evolved from a point-of-sale solution into a comprehensive system of record, helping customers manage operations, employees, guests, and suppliers."
Why the Starbucks situation matters for Toast investors
Toast is not going to win the Starbucks account tomorrow, and probably not ever. Starbucks has a firmly established mobile app, a massive loyalty program, and the kind of global complexity that would make any outside vendor nervous. Maybe it takes a giant like IBM or Microsoft to handle the chain's inventory management.
But the Starbucks news highlights two dynamics that seem to favor specialists like Toast over the long term:
Legacy software vendors are vulnerable. Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) Simphony, the point-of-sale (POS) system Starbucks has been trying to replace for years, represents the kind of modular enterprise software that can be replaced.
Large enterprises are willing to spend to solve operational pain points. The $400 million Starbucks spends annually on software represents the scale of tech operations budgets that could eventually flow to modern third-party platforms.
Right now, that experiment is AI-assisted in-house development. In a few years, when the maintenance bills arrive and the original developers have moved on, some of those companies should start shopping for integrated platforms built by specialists. You know, with built-in support and maintenance contracts.
That is where Toast wants to be. The company has been embedding AI throughout its operations in recent years. As a result, Toast's engineering velocity (aka software development efficiency) is up 60%, and AI now handles 40% of customer support interactions. Toast IQ, the company's analytics and agent platform, has 40,000 weekly active locations. Pilot users of its AI marketing agent reported an 8% average increase in sales.
The investment case
The stock trades at about 45 times trailing earnings, which is not exactly cheap. But Toast has been profitable since 2024, has grown revenue at least 24% every year for the past six years, and just posted 21% GAAP operating margins.
The Starbucks news is not necessarily a reason to buy Toast today. But investors should watch the enterprise software market and consider which companies are positioned to benefit when the in-house AI experiments run their course.
Toast has a seat at that table. Whether it gets served remains to be seen.
Should you buy stock in Toast right now?
Before you buy stock in Toast, 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 Toast 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 $395,679!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,294,805!*
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*Stock Advisor returns as of July 13, 2026.
Anders Bylund has positions in International Business Machines and Toast. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends International Business Machines, Microsoft, Oracle, Starbucks, and Toast. 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.

Starbucks Wants to Cut $400 Million in Software Costs. Toast Investors Should Pay Attention.

Toast, Inc. TOST has built a strong name in restaurant technology by giving operators tools to manage payments, ordering, marketing, payroll, inventory and daily workflows from one platform. The company’s appeal is clear: restaurants are busy, margins are often tight, and owners want technology that saves time while helping them bring in more sales.
For investors, TOST has become a stock to watch because the business is moving past the early growth stage and showing stronger profitability. The company is still expanding locations, but it is also selling more products to existing customers. That mix gives Toast a chance to grow revenue while improving margins.
The stock has reflected that optimism. TOST has recovered sharply from earlier weakness, supported by better earnings, improving cash generation and enthusiasm around AI-led products.
Over the past month, TOST has rallied more than 16%, well ahead of the industry’s increase of 8.9%. Meanwhile, peers like PayPal Holdings PYPL and Lightspeed Commerce Inc. LSPD have risen 9.9% and 5.1%, respectively, while the S&P 500 composite has inched up 1.8%.
One-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Toast’s Growth Engine Still Looks Healthy
Toast’s latest results show that demand remains solid. In the first quarter of 2026, the company’s recurring gross profit increased 27% and the annualized recurring run-rate increased 26%. It also added 7,000 net locations, ending the quarter with 171,000 live locations, up 22% from a year earlier.
That location growth is important because it gives Toast more customers to sell into over time. The company does not need to rely only on basic payment processing. It can add subscription software, fintech tools, marketing products, payroll services and other features that make the platform more valuable for restaurants.
Profitability is also moving in the right direction. Adjusted EBITDA reached $179 million in the quarter, and GAAP operating income margin crossed 20% for the first time. SaaS gross margin also moved above 80%, showing that Toast’s software revenue can carry attractive economics as the company scales.
AI Could Support the Next Phase for TOST
Toast is putting more focus on AI, and this could become a key part of the next growth cycle. Toast IQ is designed to help restaurant operators spot trends, find revenue opportunities and make faster decisions. Management said Toast IQ had 40,000 weekly active locations, suggesting that customers are already using the product in meaningful numbers.
Toast IQ Grow is another promising area. It helps restaurants build and manage marketing campaigns across channels such as email, SMS and social media. Management said pilot customers using Toast IQ Grow saw an average 8% sales increase compared with similar Toast restaurants.
This matters because many restaurant owners do not have the time or staff to run advanced marketing, reporting or back-office tasks on their own. If Toast can use AI to take more work off its plate, it may be able to increase customer loyalty and drive stronger monetization.
Expansion Adds More Runway for Toast
Toast is not limiting itself to small and mid-sized restaurants. The company is also moving into enterprise chains, international markets and retail. In enterprise, it has launched products such as drive-thru support and continues to win larger operators. Internationally, it is focusing on dense, high-value cities where restaurants are likely to benefit from handhelds and operational tools.
Retail is still early, but it gives Toast another possible growth path. Grocery is a near-term focus, and management said Toast serves more than 100 grocery locations with more than $5 million in sales. That suggests the platform could work beyond traditional restaurants, especially for businesses that need payments, inventory and workflow tools in one place.
But Toast Faces Concerns
Restaurant demand is a concern. GPV per location declined 1% in the first quarter, and management described consumer trends as stable rather than especially strong. If diners pull back, Toast may still add locations, but payment volume and customer expansion could become harder.
Costs also deserve attention. Hardware and professional services remain a drag, and management noted that tariff-related costs and inventory planning could weigh on results. The company expects the 2027 hardware impact on the profit and loss statement to be larger than in 2026, although it does not expect a long-term structural hit.
TOST’s Estimate Revisions Depict a Mixed Outlook
Over the past 30 days, earnings estimates for 2026 have been revised marginally upward, while the same for 2027 have been tweaked below, signaling a mixed outlook. However, these figures also suggest year-over-year growth of 51.69% and 27.04%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
TOST’s Valuation Looks Supportable on Forward Sales
TOST trades at 1.85X forward 12-month sales per share versus 3.98X for the Zacks sub-industry. This valuation disparity might not be as favorable as it seems. On the other hand, PayPal trades at 1.14X forward 12-month sales per share, while Lightspeed Commerce trades near 1.09X forward 12-month sales per share.
The Value Score of C suggests that Toast may not be a bargain at current levels.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Conclusion: Hold TOST Stock
Toast is a strong company with real growth, improving margins and a clear product strategy. Its restaurant focus, rising location count, AI roadmap and new-market expansion all support the long-term story. Compared with PayPal and Lightspeed Commerce, Toast looks more specialized.
Still, the stock’s rally has made the setup less one-sided. TOST looks like a quality business, but hardware costs and restaurant demand create enough risk to avoid chasing the shares aggressively. Therefore, it seems prudent for existing investors to continue holding the stock, while new investors may want to wait for a better entry point.
At present, TOST carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
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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.

Can Toast Keep Serving Gains? Buy, Sell or Hold TOST Stock Now?

The Amplify Digital Payments ETF is seeing unusually high volume in afternoon trading Wednesday, with over 113,000 shares traded versus three month average volume of about 31,000. Shares of IPAY were off about 3.7% on the day.
Components of that ETF with the highest volume on Wednesday were Paypal Holdings, trading down about 4% with over 4.1 million shares changing hands so far this session, and Toast, down about 4.2% on volume of over 3.6 million shares. Stoneco is the component faring the best Wednesday, lower by about 1.2% on the day, while NCR Voyix is lagging other components of the Amplify Digital Payments ETF, trading lower by about 9.3%.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Wednesday's ETF with Unusual Volume: IPAY

Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) becoming the next big meme stock wasn't exactly on my bingo card for 2026, but here we are. A surge of interest among Reddit (NYSE: RDDT) traders caused the beaten-down restaurant stock to soar by as much as 50% from its recent lows.
Retail investors chasing meme stocks -- especially after their initial spike -- rarely works out well. Volatile moves based on investor sentiment (not earnings or business momentum) are impossible to predict, and that's what is happening here. Wendy's has been dealing with declining same-store sales, brand issues, and other problems in its aging fast-food business. But that's not to say that there aren't some excellent stocks to consider in the restaurant industry right now. Here are two in particular that deserve a closer look.
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The restaurant operating system
Toast (NYSE: TOST) has been beaten down from its highs on fears that AI advancements will disrupt its business. But it has a stronger competitive moat than you might think. Not only does Toast provide an entire restaurant ecosystem that replaces functions restaurants have historically paid dozens of vendors for, but it is also a full-stack provider, meaning it has proprietary hardware and software. And because it is used in more than 171,000 restaurant locations, it can help reduce training costs (many new employees will already be familiar with the platform).
In the latest quarter, Toast's annual recurring revenue (ARR) increased 26% year-over-year, and the business was highly profitable. With a price-to-sales valuation near its lowest level as a publicly traded company and a stock price about 45% below its 52-week high, Toast could be an excellent bargain at current levels.
The turnaround is real
Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) made a big change a couple of years ago, hiring longtime Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) leader Brian Niccol to lead a turnaround. Starbucks had been struggling with declining same-store sales, technology issues, and customer experience challenges. In short, its situation wasn't unlike Wendy's.
However, we're starting to see real signs of progress in the numbers. Niccol's strategic pivot, which was known as the "Back to Starbucks" initiative, has dramatically improved service efficiency. There have been several positive changes to the customer experience. And Starbucks is finally doing a great job of product innovation (such as its protein-enhanced beverages).
Starbucks' comparable sales in North America declined for about two years but are finally starting to recover. In the most recent quarter, Starbucks reported 32% year-over-year EPS growth and is now expecting full-year comparable sales growth of at least 5%.
The bottom line is that chasing meme stocks like Wendy's might look fun, but trying to time entry and exit points on a short-term, volatile trade is usually a losing battle. Instead, focus on making long-term investments in businesses whose fundamentals are heading in the right direction.
Should you buy stock in Toast right now?
Before you buy stock in Toast, 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 Toast 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 $385,055!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,228,089!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 902% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% 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.
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 2, 2026.
Matt Frankel, CFP® has positions in Starbucks. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill, Reddit, Starbucks, and Toast. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2026 $35 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. 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.

Don't Chase Wendy's Meme Stock Rally. Here Are 2 Restaurant Stocks With Actual Growth Stories.

Key Points
Toast’s POS-first, modular platform lets restaurants add more tools over time, boosting revenue per location.
Investors should watch location growth, module adoption, and retention as key drivers of Toast’s durable revenue.
Discover how Toast (NYSE: TOST) uses a modular point-of-sale ecosystem to deepen relationships with restaurants, drive recurring revenue, and withstand industry headwinds. Watch the video below to see why its multi-product strategy could matter for long-term investors.
*This video was published on Jun. 26, 2026.
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 »
Should you buy stock in Toast right now?
Before you buy stock in Toast, 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 Toast 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 $382,359!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,201,390!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 883% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 205% 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.
Alicia Alfiere, MBA has positions in Toast. Danny Vena, CPA has positions in Toast. Karl Thiel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Toast. 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.

Toast Stock: Modular Growth, Not Just New Locations, Could Drive Long-Term Returns

Toast (TOST) ended the recent trading session at $24.51, demonstrating a +1.03% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.44%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.09%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 2.22%.
Heading into today, shares of the restaurant software provider had gained 4.75% over the past month, outpacing the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 0.98% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.08%.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Toast in its upcoming release. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.32, up 33.33% from the prior-year quarter. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $1.87 billion, showing a 20.82% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.35 per share and revenue of $7.38 billion. These totals would mark changes of +51.69% and +19.95%, respectively, from last year.
It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Toast. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 1.84% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Toast presently features a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Investors should also note Toast's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 17.94. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 18.
The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 84, positioning it in the top 35% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
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This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
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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.

Toast (TOST) Ascends While Market Falls: Some Facts to Note

U.S. stock markets have been witnessing an astonishing bull run supported by artificial intelligence (AI) trade. For the past three and a half years, AI trade has single-handedly driven Wall Street.
Consequently, the technology sector is flourishing this year. The Information Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK), one of the 11 broad-sectors of the S&P 500 Index, is the best-performing sector with a return of 33.2% year to date.
Despite these positives, several technology stocks have provided double-digit negative returns this year. Here, we have identified five such technology stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank that have significantly lagged in 2026. However, these stocks have room for growth in the near future.
These are: Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR, Atlassian Corp. TEAM, Toast Inc. TOST, Unity Software Inc. U and Roper Technologies Inc. ROP. Each of our picks currently carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Palantir Technologies Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Palantir Technologies’ AI strategy is comprehensive, combining its proprietary Foundry and Gotham platforms with a solid plan to promote AI adoption across both government and commercial sectors.
PLTR’s AI Platform (AIP) is the backbone of these capabilities, enabling organizations to process large datasets and derive real-time insights. This is especially valuable in sectors requiring extensive data integration, such as defense, healthcare, finance and intelligence, where operational efficiency and decision-making speed are critical.
In the government sector, Palantir is aligning its AI strategy with U.S. defense priorities. Its work in high-profile initiatives, such as the Department of Defense’s Open DAGIR project, highlights its ability to modernize military operations through AI-driven solutions where data interoperability and real-time decision-making capabilities are imperative. These capabilities solidify PLTR’s position as a key player in the defense sector.
In the commercial space, Palantir’s AIP boot camps — providing hands-on experience to over 1,000 companies — have proven instrumental in customer acquisition. Boot camps showcase the platform’s capabilities and demonstrate its adaptability across logistics, manufacturing, and supply-chain management. PLTR’s core customer base comprises businesses seeking tailored AI/ML services, particularly large government and corporate clients willing to invest heavily in its systems.
Palantir has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 71.8% and 98.7%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 11.2% over the last 60 days.
Atlassian Corp.
Zacks Rank #1 Atlassian’s AI-powered capabilities are seeing rapid adoption. TEAM’s AI-powered Rovo platform and automation tools are driving significant growth in premium and enterprise editions, demonstrating high demand for AI-enhanced workflows.
Atlassian has been continuously adding millions of monthly active users to Rovo and saw Rovo customers growing their ARR two times faster than customers not using Rovo. Investments in multi-model AI strategies and advanced search capabilities further differentiate TEAM’s offerings in an increasingly competitive landscape.
TEAM’s latest focus on adding generative AI features to some of its collaboration software is likely to drive the top line over the long run. The company has collaborated with OpenAI to enhance the capabilities of its Confluence, Jira Service Management and other programs with generative AI features.
Atlassian has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 13.3% and 10.8%, respectively, for the next year (ending June 2027). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 13.3% over the last 60 days.
Toast Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Toast operates a cloud-based digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States, Ireland, India, and internationally. TOST builds software which helps restaurants manage online orders and dine-in orders, operate an on-demand delivery network and integrate payments.
TOST offers a platform of software-as-a-service for restaurant operations and point of sale, such as Toast POS, Toast IQ - a conversational AI, vendor management, multi-location management, kitchen display system, online ordering and delivery.
Toast has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 20% and 51.7%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 0.7% over the last seven days.
Unity Software Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Unity Software’s Strategic Grow is benefiting from Vector’s improving prediction and measurement, lifting strategic ad revenues and customer returns. Unity expects momentum to carry into second-quarter 2026, with runtime behavioral data beginning to influence live models later in the quarter.
Create is steadier as subscriptions and consumption expand, aided by Unity AI, web workflows and early commerce capabilities that broaden monetization options. Margin performance has improved, and liquidity is ample, supporting AI investment while addressing upcoming converts over 2026 without sacrificing the roadmap.
Unity AI entered public beta in early May 2026 as an integrated agent tuned for Unity workflows. The company is also expanding web and commerce tooling that helps developers manage catalogs, pricing and payments across mobile, web and PC, creating additional monetization touchpoints.
Unity Software has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 13.9% and 19.8%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has improved 0.4% in the last 60 days.
Roper Technologies Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Roper Technologies is benefiting from strength across its segments. Momentum across the Deltek, Vertafore, PowerPlan and Aderant businesses is aiding the Application Software segment. Solid performance of the ConstructConnect, Subsplash and SoftWriters businesses is boosting the Network Software segment’s performance.
Strength across the Neptune and NDI businesses augurs well for the Technology Enabled Products unit. ROP’s bullish forecast for 2026 sparks optimism. ROP is carrying out successive acquisitions to expand its operations. It is worth noting that acquisitions boosted the company’s sales by 5% in the first quarter of 2026.
Roper Technologies has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 8.1% and 9.7%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has improved 2.2% in the last 60 days.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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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.

Buy 5 Technology Laggards Despite the Sector's Dream Run in 2026

Key Points
Toast is building a full-stack restaurant platform, expanding beyond payments into key back-office tools.
Macro pressure on restaurants is weighing on Toast’s stock even as its customer base and product suite grow.
Discover why Toast (NYSE: TOST) is building a powerful restaurant operating system that could thrive beyond today's macro pressures. Watch the video below to see what long-term investors may want to know before making a move.
*This video was published on Jun. 12, 2026.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Should you buy stock in Toast right now?
Before you buy stock in Toast, 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 Toast 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 $433,268!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,259,391!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 935% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 207% 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.
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 14, 2026.
Danny Vena, CPA has positions in Toast. Karl Thiel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Rick Munarriz has positions in Toast. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Toast. 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.