United Fire Group (UFCS) reported Q2 adjusted operating earnings late Monday of $1.30 per diluted share, up from $0.90 a year earlier.
Two analysts polled by FactSet expected $0.70.
Revenue in the three months ended June 30 rose to $383.7 million from $335.5 million a year earlier.
The company's shares rose 1.8% in after-hours trading.
Major digital assets were weaker Friday, with Bitcoin (BTC-USD) dropping below the $63,000 level.The CoinDesk Market Index, which tracks dozens of digital assets including Bitcoin, fell almost 2.3% in the past 24 hours. The Nasdaq rose 1%, the S&P 500 added 0.9%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.8%.Bitcoin fell 2.8% to $62,936, according to CoinMarketCap data. The most popular cryptocurrency's 24-hour trading volume rose 9.9% to $30.99 billion.Ethereum (ETH-USD), the second-largest digital asset by market value, was down 2.9% to $1,866.XRP (XRP-USD) lost 2.2%, BNB (BNB-USD) decreased 1%, and Solana (SOL-USD) fell 1.9%. Dogecoin (DOGE-USD) dropped 1.3%, while Cardano (ADA-USD) declined 1.3%.The total market value of the cryptocurrency industry dropped 2.3% in the past 24 hours to $2.16 trillion, with trading volume rising 6.5% to $66.73 billion.Price: $62953.31, Change: $-1770.72, Percent Change: -2.74%
Apple (AAPL) faces currency headwinds and tightening memory-supply conditions that are expected to weigh on iPhones, Macs and iPads in fiscal Q4, UBS Securities said Thursday in a report.The company's "lack of a robust AI strategy remains a challenge" amid "limited estimate upside and an elevated valuation," the report said.Foreign-exchange fluctuations are expected to trim Q4 growth by 250 basis points, the report said. Apple expects gross margin of 47% to 48%, including a 100 basis point tariff refund, and UBS projects the figures to drop to 45.9% in the following quarter as the tariff benefit fades."Investor fund flows could shift back toward hyperscalers, semiconductors, and networking and optical companies, capping Apple's valuation multiples," the report said.UBS maintained its neutral rating on Apple stock with a $296 price target.Price: $306.87, Change: $-26.56, Percent Change: -7.97%
(Updates to add KKR's response in the fourth paragraph.)KKR (KKR) is nearing a deal to acquire Integer (ITGR), valuing the medical-device outsourcing company at about $127 a share, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.The deal could be announced as soon as next week, the report said, adding that there are no guarantees that a deal will materialize.Shares of Integer were up 20.2% in Friday trading.A spokesperson for KKR declined to comment, while Integer did not immediately respond to' request for comment.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $101.52, Change: $+0.54, Percent Change: +0.53%