Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Broadcom Inc. (AVGO). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

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You can read today's AWS here >>> Pre-Markets Up on Excellent Data from PCE and ADP

Today's Featured Research Reports

Shares of Apple have gained +21.5% over the year-to-date period against the Zacks Computer - Micro Computers industry’s gain of +28%. The company’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 results showed broad demand across iPhone and Mac, while Services benefited from a record installed base and rising paid subscriptions. Siri AI and deeper on-device intelligence can strengthen ecosystem engagement and support future hardware upgrades. 

Apple’s cash generation and continued buybacks also provide support. However, fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 growth is expected to slow as foreign exchange and supply constraints intensify. Memory costs are rising, recent price increases may test demand, and tariff refunds provided a temporary benefit to margins and earnings. 

App Store changes and regulatory actions remain an added risk to Services economics. These offsets leave the long-term growth case intact, but the near-term mix of execution, cost and policy risks supports a Neutral view.

(You can read the full research report on Apple here >>>)

Microsoft’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Computer - Software industry over the year-to-date period (+5.9% vs. -3.6%). The company capitalizes on AI business momentum and Copilot adoption alongside accelerating Azure cloud infrastructure expansion. Strong Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud demand has been propelling Productivity and Business Processes revenue growth. 

ARPU is increasing through E5 and M365 Copilot uptake across key segments. Strategic execution through expanding scale and enterprise customer growth is driving non-AI services. Azure and other cloud services revenue grew 43% at cc in fiscal Q4, with customer demand continuing to exceed available capacity. 

Customer concentration risk remains tied to large OpenAI-related Azure commitments. Microsoft confronts intense competition from AWS and Google Cloud and escalating regulatory scrutiny. Capacity constraints persisting into fiscal 2027 limit revenue potential despite record capital spending.

(You can read the full research report on Microsoft here >>>)

Shares of Broadcom’s have gained +2.9% over the year-to-date period against the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry’s gain of +35.3%. The company is benefiting from expanding AI infrastructure spending, with custom XPUs and networking driving semiconductor growth while VMware supports infrastructure software. Multiyear engagements with six XPU customers, broader Ethernet adoption and rising AI deployments provide long-term revenue visibility. 

Free cash flow remains substantial, non-AI semiconductor demand is stabilizing and debt reduction improves financial flexibility. However, the investment case is balanced by high customer concentration, intense competition, declining gross margin as XPUs mix higher, and execution risk tied to large AI infrastructure commitments. 

Broadcom also remains exposed to a sizable debt burden and integration complexity. These factors offset the strength of Broadcom’s AI-led growth profile and support a Neutral recommendation.

(You can read the full research report on Broadcom here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), Carnival Corp. Ltd. (CCL) and Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA).

Mark Vickery
Senior Editor

Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>