FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Zoom's AI Initiatives Starting to Pay Off, Wedbush Says

By

Zoom Communications' (ZM) investments in artificial intelligence have started to pay off while its customer experience portfolio continues to gain traction, Wedbush analysts said in a Friday note.

Analysts said that Zoom's platform is showing momentum as its AI-driven approach resonates with enterprise customers looking to streamline operations.

Wedbush said that in fiscal Q1, Zoom reported beats across the board while increasing its guidance for the full year.

Wedbush raised its fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings per share estimate for the company to $5.98 from $5.79, slightly missing a FactSet consensus estimate of $6.01.

Analysts retained an outperform rating on the stock and raised its price target to $120 from $110.

Price: $108.29, Change: $+11.54, Percent Change: +11.93%

Related Articles

Wire

Inspire Medical Systems Faces Coding Overhang, Estimate Risks, BofA Says

Inspire Medical Systems (INSP) faces risks to estimates and the stock is unlikely to perform without consistent clarity on coding pathways for centers, BofA Securities said in a Friday research note.The company's guidance assumes 2027 revenue will grow but it is difficult to predict a sustainable improvement until there is an official Category 1 code for the Inspire V leadless hypoglossal nerve stimulation system.The brokerage lowered its 2027 EPS estimate to $1 from $1.15 and its revenue forecast to $854 million from $863 million earlier. The EPS estimate for 2028 was trimmed down to $1.28 from $1.35 and the revenue forecast was cut to $907 million from $917 million.The company witnessed a decline in prior authorization submissions in Q1, but sees Q2 as the trough in growth, given early signs of PA volumes stabilizing and improving as centers gain coding experience, according to the note.BofA downgraded the stock to underperform from neutral and cut its price target to $39 per share from $53.Shares of Inspire Medical were down nearly 4% in Friday trading.Price: $43.07, Change: $-1.67, Percent Change: -3.73%

$INSP
Wire

Update: BofA Securities Cuts Price Target on Walmart to $144 From $150, Maintains Buy Rating

(Updated with BofA's commentary).BofA Securities lowered its price target on Walmart (WMT) to $144 from $150, while defending the stock on the pullback following its fiscal Q1 results.Walmart's share gains are expected to accelerate with a price-conscious consumer and drive a return to a beat/raise cycle assuming the freight environment doesn't worsen, analyst Christopher Nardone wrote in a Thursday note.There is continued strength expected in e-commerce and alternative revenue streams, and expects membership to accelerate given focus on value, improving delivery speeds, and gas saving, Nardone said.Walmart has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $140.37, according to analysts polled by FactSet.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $119.53, Change: $-1.82, Percent Change: -1.50%

$WMT
Wire

Market Chatter: Mastercard Asks Brazil's Payment Processors to Help Pay for Banco Master Failure

Mastercard (MA) is looking to minimize its losses from Banco Master's failure by asking some of Brazil's largest payment processors to help foot the bill, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter and documents it viewed.Mastercard was the network for the cards issued by Banco Master's fintech, Will Financeira, which collapsed and left the payment company responsible for reimbursing merchant acquirers that processed about 5 billion reais ($997 million) of cardholder payments, the report said.Mastercard has already paid back payment processors for about half of that amount, but it's now proposing that it will use any money collected from card customers to reimburse itself before passing further funds to those merchant acquirers, the report said, citing the people and the documents.Mastercard didn't immediately reply to requests for comment from.(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: $500.31, Change: $+0.69, Percent Change: +0.14%

$MA