Fastenal’s Larger Customers Lift Profit but Tie Up More Cash
Fastenal supplies factories and other businesses with fasteners, safety equipment, tools, and systems that keep those products available near workers. In the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, operating profit rose 15.1% from a year earlier as larger customer relationships helped spread service costs across more sales, but operating cash flow fell 4.6%.
Salesforce’s Profit Surge Came From Investment Gains as Its Operating Margin Fell
Salesforce sells software that helps businesses manage sales, customer service, marketing and customer data. In its second quarter of fiscal 2027, ended July 31, 2026, net profit rose 86.9%, driven by investment gains, while operating profit was essentially unchanged despite 10.8% revenue growth.
Charles Schwab’s Lending Growth Lifts Profit and Raises Funding Needs
Charles Schwab earned $2.8 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 32% from a year earlier. More client lending, lower funding costs and higher trading and investment-service fees lifted profit.
Nucor’s Stronger Mills Are Paying for Expansion, but Finished Products Still Face a Squeeze
Nucor’s stronger steel-mill earnings and lower equipment spending helped its operating cash cover construction and shareholder payments in the first half of fiscal 2026.
Equinix’s Stronger Demand Is Bringing a Much Larger Construction Bill
Equinix, which houses and connects customers’ computers, increased recurring revenue about 11% in the second quarter of 2026. First-half purchases of buildings and equipment exceeded cash generated by operations by $1.050 billion, excluding separately reported real estate acquisitions.
Martin Marietta (MLM) H1 2026 Free Cash Flow: $25M Against $302M in Shareholder Payouts
Martin Marietta generated $25 million in free cash flow—operating cash remaining after capital spending—in the first half of 2026, against $302 million paid in dividends and buybacks.
Ball’s Growth Plan Depends on Turning Higher Sales Into Cash
Ball Corporation makes aluminum cans and other packaging for beverage, personal-care and household-product companies. In the second quarter of 2026, sales rose almost 20%.
Newmont Turns Higher Gold Prices Into Cash Despite Fewer Gold Ounces Sold
Newmont, which mines gold and other metals, generated $2.21 billion after paying for property, equipment and mine development in the second quarter of 2026, as higher realized gold prices than a year earlier outweighed fewer ounces sold.
Marvell’s AI Growth Comes With a Much Larger Manufacturing Commitment
Marvell Technology designs chips that help data centers process, move and store information, while outside manufacturers make those chips. In its second quarter of fiscal 2027, revenue rose 36.5%, led by demand for AI infrastructure.
AppLovin’s Ad Revenue Rose Despite Fewer Installations
AppLovin, which helps advertisers find customers through ads in other companies’ apps, increased revenue by 53% in the second quarter of 2026 despite a 2% decline in app installations generated through AppLovin Ads.
Dexcom Turns Sales Growth Into Higher Profit Despite G6 Inventory Charges
Dexcom, which sells wearable sensors that track glucose levels, increased second-quarter 2026 sales by 13.1% from a year earlier while operating profit rose 49.7%.
LyondellBasell’s Higher Prices Lift Profit but Tie Up Cash
LyondellBasell sells plastics, chemical ingredients and fuel additives to manufacturers, and licenses technology used to make them. In the second quarter of 2026, supply disruptions helped it raise prices and lift net income to $559 million from $115 million a year earlier.