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Comfort Systems and Lululemon have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
Read MoreHide Full Article
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 17, 2025 – Zacks Equity Research shares Comfort Systems USA (FIX - Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Mastercard Inc. (MA - Free Report) , Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL - Free Report) .
Comfort Systems USA provides comprehensive heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement services. The company provides chillers, cooling towers, and other critical components found within data centers.
The stock boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with analysts positively revising their EPS expectations across the board over recent months.
Let’s take a closer look at how the company presently stacks up.
Quiet AI Play
FIX shares represent a nice opportunity to obtain exposure to the AI infrastructure buildout thanks to its products utilized in data centers, which reflect a massive tailwind for the near and long-term picture for the stock.
Some in the market have caught on to the company’s favorable stance, with shares up 100% over the last year and widely outperforming relative to the S&P 500.
The company’s quarterly results have regularly been robust over recent periods, with FIX enjoying supercharged growth. Sales of $2.2 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.53 in its latest release crushed our consensus estimates, reflecting growth rates of 20% and 75%, respectively.
FIX’s sales growth has been stellar, underpinned by a growing backlog. FIX’s backlog at the end of its latest period totaled a sizable $8.1 billion, well above the $5.7 billion mark in the same period last year.
And for those with an appetite for income, FIX shares have you covered, currently yielding a respectable 0.2% annually. While the current yield may not be steep, the company’s 40% five-year annualized dividend growth rate helps bridge the gap nicely, underpinning its commitment to increasingly rewarding shareholders.
Bottom Line
Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.
The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.
Comfort Systems USA is currently a Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Lululemon Athletica Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes athletic apparel and accessories for women, men, and female youth. Analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company’s earnings outlook, pushing it to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
The company also resides in the Zacks Apparel – Textile industry, which is currently ranked in the bottom 12% of all Zacks industries. Let‘s take a closer look at what’s been impacting the company.
Lulu Shares Plunge
LULU shares have been stuck in a deep bearish trend for some time now, down nearly 50% just over the last year. Quarterly results that have revealed slowing growth have been driving the plunge, with shares seeing negative post-earnings reactions following each of the last three releases.
Notably, weakening demand in its Americas region has been a big thorn in the side of the company, with comparable store sales falling 4% year-over-year throughout the latest period. International momentum has remained, though, with those comparable sales soaring 15% year-over-year.
Calvin McDonald, CEO, acknowledged the performance disparity, stating –
"While we continued to see positive momentum overall in our international regions in the second quarter, we are disappointed with our U.S. business results and aspects of our product execution. We have closely assessed the drivers of our underperformance and are continuing to take the necessary actions to strengthen our merchandise mix and accelerate our business. We feel confident in the opportunity ahead and plans we have in place to drive long-term growth."
The company’s sales growth rates were fantastic over recent years before tapering off, with the market not appreciating the growth cooldown. Please note that the chart below tracks the YoY % change in sales, not actual sales numbers.
Bottom Line
Negative earnings estimate revisions, stemming from a challenging demand environment, paint a challenging picture for the company’s shares in the near term.
Lululemon Athletica is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company’s earnings outlook.
For those seeking strong stocks, the best idea would be to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) – these stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook paired with the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.
Additional content:
Can Mastercard & U.S. Bank Simplify the Subscription Overload?
By partnering with U.S. Bank, Mastercard Inc. is strengthening its role as a digital partner for banks by launching a new subscription management tool for U.S. Bank credit cardholders. This solution enables customers to easily view and manage subscriptions and payments within the U.S. Bank Mobile App and online banking, addressing a growing consumer need for transparency in digital spending.
With the rise of subscription-based services, keeping track of recurring charges has turned into a major pain point for users and a potential reputational risk for financial institutions. MA’s innovative technology focuses on bridging this gap, offering real-time insights and better data visibility to help financial institutions create more tailored experiences for their customers.
Powered by MA’s subsidiary, Ethoca, this system offers detailed digital receipts for transactions from a wide range of merchants, giving consumers a better understanding of their spending. With the help of this smart innovation, U.S. Bank can boost customer loyalty and tackle subscription fatigue, where users pay for unwanted or unused services.
This partnership strengthens U.S. Bank’s role in the world of digital payments while deepening MA’s integration into everyday financial routines beyond transactions. If executed effectively, this initiative could serve as a model for how traditional banks can thrive in a subscription-based economy.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of MA’s competitors in the fintech space include Visa Inc. and PayPal Holdings, Inc.
Visa is making significant moves in the fintech space by expanding Visa Direct and strengthening its partnerships with fintech companies and banks. By focusing on real-time payments, data intelligence and integrated financial tools, Visa is positioning itself as a comprehensive platform for digital transactions and analytics.
PayPal is boosting its ecosystem with AI-powered personalization and subscription management tools. By incorporating smarter spending insights and merchant analytics, PayPal aims to deepen user engagement, boost payment volume and solidify its role in the world of digital payments and financial services.
In the year-to-date period, MA’s shares have gained 6.8% against the industry’s fall of 6.1%.
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 30.52, above the industry average of 21.31. MA carries a Value Score of D.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2025 earnings implies 11.8% growth from the year-ago period.
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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.
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Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
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/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Comfort Systems and Lululemon have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 17, 2025 – Zacks Equity Research shares Comfort Systems USA (FIX - Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Mastercard Inc. (MA - Free Report) , Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL - Free Report) .
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks.
Bull of the Day:
Comfort Systems USA provides comprehensive heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement services. The company provides chillers, cooling towers, and other critical components found within data centers.
The stock boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with analysts positively revising their EPS expectations across the board over recent months.
Let’s take a closer look at how the company presently stacks up.
Quiet AI Play
FIX shares represent a nice opportunity to obtain exposure to the AI infrastructure buildout thanks to its products utilized in data centers, which reflect a massive tailwind for the near and long-term picture for the stock.
Some in the market have caught on to the company’s favorable stance, with shares up 100% over the last year and widely outperforming relative to the S&P 500.
The company’s quarterly results have regularly been robust over recent periods, with FIX enjoying supercharged growth. Sales of $2.2 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.53 in its latest release crushed our consensus estimates, reflecting growth rates of 20% and 75%, respectively.
FIX’s sales growth has been stellar, underpinned by a growing backlog. FIX’s backlog at the end of its latest period totaled a sizable $8.1 billion, well above the $5.7 billion mark in the same period last year.
And for those with an appetite for income, FIX shares have you covered, currently yielding a respectable 0.2% annually. While the current yield may not be steep, the company’s 40% five-year annualized dividend growth rate helps bridge the gap nicely, underpinning its commitment to increasingly rewarding shareholders.
Bottom Line
Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.
The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.
Comfort Systems USA is currently a Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Bear of the Day:
Lululemon Athletica Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes athletic apparel and accessories for women, men, and female youth. Analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company’s earnings outlook, pushing it to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
The company also resides in the Zacks Apparel – Textile industry, which is currently ranked in the bottom 12% of all Zacks industries. Let‘s take a closer look at what’s been impacting the company.
Lulu Shares Plunge
LULU shares have been stuck in a deep bearish trend for some time now, down nearly 50% just over the last year. Quarterly results that have revealed slowing growth have been driving the plunge, with shares seeing negative post-earnings reactions following each of the last three releases.
Notably, weakening demand in its Americas region has been a big thorn in the side of the company, with comparable store sales falling 4% year-over-year throughout the latest period. International momentum has remained, though, with those comparable sales soaring 15% year-over-year.
Calvin McDonald, CEO, acknowledged the performance disparity, stating –
"While we continued to see positive momentum overall in our international regions in the second quarter, we are disappointed with our U.S. business results and aspects of our product execution. We have closely assessed the drivers of our underperformance and are continuing to take the necessary actions to strengthen our merchandise mix and accelerate our business. We feel confident in the opportunity ahead and plans we have in place to drive long-term growth."
The company’s sales growth rates were fantastic over recent years before tapering off, with the market not appreciating the growth cooldown. Please note that the chart below tracks the YoY % change in sales, not actual sales numbers.
Bottom Line
Negative earnings estimate revisions, stemming from a challenging demand environment, paint a challenging picture for the company’s shares in the near term.
Lululemon Athletica is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company’s earnings outlook.
For those seeking strong stocks, the best idea would be to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) – these stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook paired with the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.
Additional content:
Can Mastercard & U.S. Bank Simplify the Subscription Overload?
By partnering with U.S. Bank, Mastercard Inc. is strengthening its role as a digital partner for banks by launching a new subscription management tool for U.S. Bank credit cardholders. This solution enables customers to easily view and manage subscriptions and payments within the U.S. Bank Mobile App and online banking, addressing a growing consumer need for transparency in digital spending.
With the rise of subscription-based services, keeping track of recurring charges has turned into a major pain point for users and a potential reputational risk for financial institutions. MA’s innovative technology focuses on bridging this gap, offering real-time insights and better data visibility to help financial institutions create more tailored experiences for their customers.
Powered by MA’s subsidiary, Ethoca, this system offers detailed digital receipts for transactions from a wide range of merchants, giving consumers a better understanding of their spending. With the help of this smart innovation, U.S. Bank can boost customer loyalty and tackle subscription fatigue, where users pay for unwanted or unused services.
This partnership strengthens U.S. Bank’s role in the world of digital payments while deepening MA’s integration into everyday financial routines beyond transactions. If executed effectively, this initiative could serve as a model for how traditional banks can thrive in a subscription-based economy.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of MA’s competitors in the fintech space include Visa Inc. and PayPal Holdings, Inc.
Visa is making significant moves in the fintech space by expanding Visa Direct and strengthening its partnerships with fintech companies and banks. By focusing on real-time payments, data intelligence and integrated financial tools, Visa is positioning itself as a comprehensive platform for digital transactions and analytics.
PayPal is boosting its ecosystem with AI-powered personalization and subscription management tools. By incorporating smarter spending insights and merchant analytics, PayPal aims to deepen user engagement, boost payment volume and solidify its role in the world of digital payments and financial services.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
In the year-to-date period, MA’s shares have gained 6.8% against the industry’s fall of 6.1%.
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 30.52, above the industry average of 21.31. MA carries a Value Score of D.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2025 earnings implies 11.8% growth from the year-ago period.
Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing Strategies
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 tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.
Get all the details here >>
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.
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Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
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/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.