Houston Astros reinstate Alvarez and Altuve from injured list ahead of finale against Rangers

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Houston Astros reinstate Alvarez and Altuve from injured list ahead of finale against Rangers HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros received a major boost Wednesday when designated hitter Yordan Álvarez and second baseman José Altuve were reinstated from the injured list before the finale of a series against the Texas Rangers.The Astros won the first two games against Texas this week and a victory Wednesday night would tie them with the Rangers for first place in the AL West.Altuve was leading off and Alvarez was batting fifth in the lineup Wednesday.Alvarez hasn’t played since injuring his right oblique June 8. Altuve has been out since injuring his left oblique during batting practice July 4.Alvarez is batting .277 and ranks second on the team with 17 homers and third with 55 RBIs despite his extended absence.This was the second stint on the injured list this season for Altuve, who didn’t make his debut this year until May 19 after fracturing his left thumb in the World Baseball Classic. The 2017 AL MVP is batting .264 with six homers and 18 RBIs in 32 games this season.The As...

Evertec: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Evertec: Q2 Earnings Snapshot SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Evertec Inc. (EVTC) on Wednesday reported second-quarter profit of $28.2 million.On a per-share basis, the San Juan, Puerto Rico-based company said it had net income of 43 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and stock option expense, were 71 cents per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 66 cents per share.The payment processing company posted revenue of $167.1 million in the period.Evertec expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.75 to $2.83 per share, with revenue in the range of $652 million to $658 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on EVTC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/EVTCSource

Edwards Lifesciences: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Edwards Lifesciences: Q2 Earnings Snapshot IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $307.1 million.On a per-share basis, the Irvine, California-based company said it had net income of 50 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and amortization costs, came to 66 cents per share.The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 65 cents per share.The medical device maker posted revenue of $1.53 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Eleven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.51 billion.For the current quarter ending in September, Edwards Lifesciences expects its per-share earnings to range from 55 cents to 61 cents.The company said it expects revenue in the range of $1.44 billion to $1.52 billion for the fiscal third quarter.Edwards Lifesciences expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.50 to $2.60 per share, with revenue r...

Western Union: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Western Union: Q2 Earnings Snapshot DENVER (AP) — DENVER (AP) — Western Union Co. (WU) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $176.2 million.The Denver-based company said it had net income of 47 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and pretax expenses, came to 51 cents per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 38 cents per share.The money transfer company posted revenue of $1.17 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.05 billion.Western Union expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.65 to $1.75 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on WU at https://www.zacks.com/ap/WUSource

FTAI Aviation: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

FTAI Aviation: Q2 Earnings Snapshot NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — FTAI Aviation Ltd. (FTAI) on Wednesday reported net income of $54.8 million in its second quarter.On a per-share basis, the New York-based company said it had profit of 46 cents.The transportation infrastructure company posted revenue of $274.3 million in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $286.8 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FTAI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FTAISource

Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising rebounds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising rebounds Facebook parent company Meta Platforms posted stronger-than-expected results for the second quarter on Wednesday, buoyed by a rebound in online advertising after a post-pandemic slump.The Menlo Park, California-based company earned $7.79 billion, or $2.98 per share, in the April-June period. That’s up 16% from $6.69 billion, or $2.46 per share, in the same period a year earlier.Revenue jumped 11% to $32 billion from $28.82 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $2.91 per share on revenue of $31.08 billion, according to a poll by FactSet Research. Facebook had 3.03 billion monthly active users as of June 30, up 3% year-over-year. Meta’s rebound followed a solid earnings report from Google parent company Alphabet a day earlier. Meta’s stock jumped $14.45, or 4.8%, to $313.02 in after-hours trading in response to the results. Source

Hemp growers say Maryland’s new marijuana laws leave them high — and dry

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Hemp growers say Maryland’s new marijuana laws leave them high — and dry FILE - Marijuana plants grow at a secured growing facility in Washington county, N.Y., May 12, 2023. An NCAA medical committee believes it is time to remove marijuana from the governing body's list of banned drugs. It also thinks drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)(AP/Hans Pennink) FILE - Marijuana plants grow at a secured growing facility in Washington county, N.Y., May 12, 2023. An NCAA medical committee believes it is time to remove marijuana from the governing body's list of banned drugs. It also thinks drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)(AP/Hans Pennink) A group of farmers and retailers ...

Stock market today: Stocks drift after Fed hikes rates, as yields fall on hopes that’s the last one

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Stock market today: Stocks drift after Fed hikes rates, as yields fall on hopes that’s the last one NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks held steady Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to their highest level in more than two decades, just as Wall Street expected.The S&P 500 slipped 0.71, or less than 0.1%, to 4,566.75, remaining near a 15-month high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 82.05 points, or 0.2%, to 35,520.12, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 17.27, or 0.1%, to 14,127.29.The bond market moved more sharply, and Treasury yields fell after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said no decision has been made about whether to raise rates at its next meeting or beyond. That may have bolstered hopes among traders that Wednesday’s hike could be the last for a long time. Microsoft weighed on the market after falling 3.8%. That was despite reporting better profit and revenue for the spring than expected. Analysts said the company made comments that were perhaps intended to rein in huge expectations for upcoming growth related to artificial intelligence. Investors also may ...

Origin Bancorp: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Origin Bancorp: Q2 Earnings Snapshot RUSTON, La. (AP) — RUSTON, La. (AP) — Origin Bancorp Inc. (OBK) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $21.8 million.The bank, based in Ruston, Louisiana, said it had earnings of 70 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, came to 69 cents per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 64 cents per share.The bank holding company posted revenue of $148 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $90.9 million, also surpassing Street forecasts._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on OBK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/OBKSource

Michael Jackson’s employees were not legally obligated to prevent sex abuse, lawyer argues in court

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:00:03 GMT

Michael Jackson’s employees were not legally obligated to prevent sex abuse, lawyer argues in court LOS ANGELES (AP) — Workers for corporations owned by Michael Jackson had no legal obligation to protect children from the pop star, an attorney told an appeals court Wednesday. Jackson estate lawyer Jonathan Steinsapir pushed back against a tentative decision by California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal, which said it was inclined to revive previously dismissed lawsuits from two men who allege Jackson sexually abused them for years when they were boys. The court’s reasoning, Steinsapir argued, “would require low-level employees to confront their supervisor and call them pedophiles.”Holly Boyer, an attorney for plaintiffs Wade Robson and James Safechuck, said workers ought to have that responsibility. “We do require that employees of the entity take those steps, because what we are talking about is the sexual abuse of children,” Boyer told the three-judge panel in the videoconference hearing. “What we are talking about here is 7- and 10-year-old children who are entirely ill-eq...