For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 26, 2026– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Valero Energy VLO, RTX RTX and Interactive Brokers IBKR.
3 Buy-Rated Stocks Breaking Quarterly Records: VLO, RTX, IBKR
The Q3 earnings season continues its rapid pace, with several companies, including Valero Energy, RTX and Interactive Brokers delivering record-breaking results while also sporting favorable Zacks Ranks.
Valero Energy Posts Record Profit
Valero Energy, one of the largest independent petroleum refiners, delivered a highly positive release, benefiting significantly from the favorable refining environment.
Adjusted earnings totaled $23.90 per share, comfortably exceeding the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate of $21.23 and climbing more than 550% YoY. Revenues of roughly $46.1 billion also exceeded the Zacks Consensus estimate of $38.8 billion, reflecting a beat of nearly 19%.
VLO posted record quarterly profit, with net income reaching $6.8 billion compared to $1.1 billion in the year-ago period. Refining operating income soared to $8.8 billion from $1.6 billion, reflecting a sizable improvement in margins. Valero also saw record quarterly ethanol production of 4.8 million gallons per day, with its refineries operating at near-record utilization rates.
The stock sports a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with its earnings outlook benefiting heavily from positive revisions over recent months.
RTX Reports Record Backlog
RTX, a leading aerospace and defense company and current Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), delivered strong quarterly results,with adjusted earnings of $2.26 per share exceeding the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate of $1.78 by nearly 27% and climbing 33% YoY. Revenues of $24.5 billion similarly exceeded the $24.0 billion consensus estimate by 4%, reflecting 11% YoY growth.
RTX exited the period with a record $340 billion backlog, including $176 billion from commercial aerospace and $164 billion from defense. The impressive backlog provides strong revenue visibility, undoubtedly a major positive for investors. EPS revisions for its current and next fiscal year remain on a positive trajectory, suggesting growth rates of 17% for FY26 and 6.7% in FY27.
Interactive Brokers Sees Record Customer Growth
Interactive Brokers, an automated global electronic brokerage firm, delivered another solid quarter, benefiting from continued account growth and higher trading activity.
Adjusted earnings of $0.67 per share matched the Zacks Consensus estimate, climbing 17.5% YoY. Revenues of $1.9 billion exceeded the $1.8 billion consensus estimate by 1.9%, reflecting 16.3% YoY growth.
Importantly, customer accounts reached a record 5.58 million, climbing 35% YoY. Customer equity similarly grew 27% to nearly $965 billion, while net interest income increased 19% to roughly $1.2 billion.
The company also raised its quarterly dividend by more than 70%, reflecting a strong commitment to increasingly rewarding shareholders. IBKR sports a favorable Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), with annual EPS estimates continuing to remain on a bullish trajectory.
Bottom Line
The Q3 earnings season continues to deliver impressive results, with the above companies all posting quarterly records.
In addition to reporting quarterly records, all three sport favorable Zacks Ranks, reflecting positive earnings outlooks and providing a constructive near-term backdrop for shares.
Why Haven’t You Looked at Zacks’ Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P’s +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
See Stocks Free >>
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
https://www.zacks.com
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
RTX Corporation (RTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Source: finance.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.
