Companies

Earnings Roundup for Week of Oct. 12, 2026

The Tip Desk · October 18, 2026 · 4 min read

BlackRock’s as-adjusted operating margin reached 47.8%, UnitedHealth’s earnings from operations rose to $6.6 billion, and Albertsons’ identical sales fell 0.8%.

BlackRock’s third-quarter revenue rose 19% year over year to $7.752 billion, and its as-adjusted operating margin expanded 320 basis points to 47.8%. Net inflows totaled $205.5 billion. BlackRock said its 11% annualized organic base fee growth reflected broad-based inflows across iShares ETFs, systematic active equities, private markets and cash. Institutional index products were an exception, recording $27.4 billion of net outflows.

BlackRock’s GAAP operating margin remained at 30.0%. Its as-adjusted results excluded a $564 million noncash change in the fair value of acquisition-related contingent consideration. Cohen & Steers recorded third-quarter net inflows of $1.6 billion, versus $1.3 billion in the second quarter, but ending assets under management fell 4.2% sequentially to $95.9 billion. Market depreciation totaled $5.1 billion and distributions were $632 million. Cohen & Steers attributed its approximately 3% sequential GAAP revenue increase to higher average AUM and one additional day.

At Interactive Brokers, third-quarter commission revenue fell 11% sequentially to $602 million, although it remained 12% above a year earlier. Total customer daily average revenue trades declined 11% from the second quarter to 4.27 million. GAAP net interest income rose 9% sequentially to $1.15 billion, while GAAP diluted earnings held at $0.69 a share. Customer accounts increased 8% sequentially to 5.58 million.

UnitedHealth’s operating profit rises; J&J’s earnings fall

UnitedHealth’s third-quarter earnings from operations increased to $6.6 billion from $4.3 billion a year earlier, while revenue declined to $112.7 billion from $113.2 billion. Its medical cost ratio fell to 88.4% from 89.9%, and its operating cost ratio declined to 12.8% from 13.5%. UnitedHealth said it now expects full-year 2026 earnings of at least $19.50 a share and adjusted earnings of at least $20.50 a share. Membership remained a constraint: seniors served through Medicare Advantage, including complex-population Medicaid programs, had contracted by 935,000 since year-end 2025.

Johnson & Johnson’s third-quarter sales rose 5.9% year over year to $25.399 billion, but GAAP net earnings fell 95.9% to $210 million. Its pre-tax litigation-related adjustment was $5.519 billion, versus $15 million a year earlier. Adjusted EPS also declined, falling 7.5% to $2.59. Innovative Medicine sales increased 7.7%, while MedTech sales grew 2.5%. Johnson & Johnson said it expects full-year 2026 reported sales of $101.0 billion to $101.4 billion, raising the lower end of its prior range.

Albertsons withdraws outlook; Domino’s sales edge up

Albertsons stopped providing a fiscal 2026 outlook pending a comprehensive business review. Identical sales fell 0.8% for a second consecutive quarter, and adjusted EBITDA declined to $784.0 million from $848.4 million a year earlier for the 12 weeks ended September 12, 2026. Albertsons said its gross margin rate excluding fuel and LIFO expense decreased 17 basis points, primarily because of higher delivery and handling costs tied to digital growth and higher shrink, with partial offsets. Digital sales grew 11%, slowing from 13% in the first quarter.

Domino’s third-quarter U.S. same-store sales increased 0.3%, up from 0.1% in the second quarter, while international same-store sales excluding foreign currency increased 0.2% after two quarterly declines. Income from operations grew 8.3% year over year to $241.8 million. Supply chain gross margin expanded 0.9 percentage points to 12.2% from 11.3%. Global retail sales excluding foreign currency grew 3.2%.

AZZ and Commercial Metals expand margins

AZZ’s fiscal 2027 second-quarter sales rose 16.7% year over year to $486.9 million, and consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 22.8% from 21.3%. CEO Tom Ferguson said the quarter reflected organic sales growth, the Washington, Missouri plant ramp and the Pacific Northwest galvanizing acquisition. Precoat Metals nevertheless recorded lower volume in HVAC and appliances, transportation and other end markets. GAAP net income fell 34.6%; the year-earlier quarter included equity in earnings from the AVAIL joint venture’s sale of the Electrical Products Group. Adjusted net income rose 28.1%.

Commercial Metals’ fiscal fourth-quarter core EBITDA increased 35.1% year over year to $393.7 million, with core EBITDA margin expanding 100 basis points to 14.8%. North America Steel Group’s steel-products metal margin increased $42 per ton sequentially to $652; average selling price rose $32 per ton and scrap costs declined $10 per ton. Precast adjusted EBITDA was $57.0 million, below management’s prior expectations, and precast shipments decreased year over year.

J.B. Hunt’s third-quarter operating income increased 2% year over year to $247.1 million, following 32% growth in the second quarter. Intermodal operating income rose 18% to $147.5 million, and load volume increased 8%. Dedicated Contract Services revenue increased 11%, but operating income fell 22% to $81.7 million. Integrated Capacity Solutions turned a year-earlier $0.8 million operating loss into $9.6 million of operating income.