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Chicago, IL – August 11, 2025 – Zacks Equity Research shares Enova International ENVA as the Bull of the Day and Funko FNKO as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Barrick Mining Corp. B, Franco-Nevada Corp. FNV and Integra Resources Corp. ITRG.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Make no mistake, friends, this market is still playing favorites. Tech darlings hog the headlines, while other names quietly put up monster numbers in the shadows. That’s fine by me. The less crowded the trade, the more room there is for us to profit. Case in point, today’s Bull of the Day, Enova International, a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) that’s been quietly stacking earnings beats like poker chips in a Vegas high-roller room.
Enova isn’t some fly-by-night fintech chasing the latest crypto meme. They’re a proven digital financial services company offering online lending and financing solutions to consumers and small businesses. Think personal loans, lines of credit, SMB working capital, all delivered through proprietary AI-driven underwriting models. Translation: they’ve built a tech moat around a very old and very profitable business, lending money at a spread.
Operating in the U.S. and abroad, Enova owns recognizable brands like NetCredit, CashNetUSA, and Headway Capital. That diverse portfolio means they can pivot between consumer and commercial lending depending on the credit environment. And with credit conditions tightening in the traditional banking sector, guess who’s been picking up the slack? Yep, our friends at ENVA.
The Zacks Rank doesn’t hand out #1 slots for good behavior, it’s earned by positive earnings estimate revisions. Over the last 60 days, analysts have been busy ratcheting up expectations for both the current year and next. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 has climbed sharply, up from $11.83 to $12.11 over the last sixty days while next year’s number is following suit, up from $13.89 to $14.12. That’s on top of a track record that would make most CEOs blush as Enova has delivered ten straight earnings beats.
Last quarter? EPS came in 8.75% ahead of expectations on revenues that also beat the Street. That’s the double-barrel beat-and-raise we love to see. The loan book is growing, net charge-offs remain well within historical norms, and net interest margins are holding strong, which is a testament to their risk modeling.
Current year revenue growth is projected to come in at 19.57% with next year up at 16.26%. EPS growth is outpacing that, at 32.35% this year and 16.27% next, thanks to operational efficiencies and smart underwriting. Next year, analysts see continued earnings expansion, even as the broader economy wobbles. That’s the beauty of ENVA’s model, they adjust credit criteria in real-time, protecting the bottom line when macro risks flare.
And while fintech peers are often priced like they’re curing cancer, Enova still trades at a very reasonable forward P/E of 8.51. That’s growth at a value price, a combination that doesn’t stay hidden for long.
If you’ve been paying attention to collector culture over the last decade, you know Funko was once the king of the hill. Its Pop! vinyl figures exploded into the mainstream, plastering the shelves of comic shops, big-box retailers, and even office desks across America. At its peak, the company’s appeal was as broad as it was deep, spanning Marvel superheroes, classic TV icons, and even obscure cult movie characters. But the same wave that lifted Funko to pop culture dominance has now begun to recede, and the company’s latest earnings show that this once high-flying stock has lost a good chunk of its magic.
That’s a big reason why I’m naming Funko my Bear of the Day. The company’s second-quarter 2025 report was a sobering reminder that the boom times are behind it, at least for now. Funko posted an adjusted net loss of $0.48 per share, falling short of analyst expectations of a $0.44 loss. Revenue clocked in at $193.5 million, representing a steep 21.9% year-over-year decline and missing consensus estimates that ranged as high as $203 million. This wasn’t just a soft quarter, it was a material step backward from the momentum Funko enjoyed just a few years ago. Gross margin erosion made things worse, plunging to 32.1% from 42% in the same period last year, while adjusted EBITDA came in at a negative $16.5 million. Operating expenses also ticked higher, with SG&A climbing to $82.3 million despite shrinking sales, an imbalance that puts even more pressure on profitability.
The pain wasn’t isolated to one segment. Core Collectibles sales fell roughly 16%, Loungefly-branded bags and accessories slid nearly 23%, and the “Other” category, which includes games and other experiments, cratered by almost 79%. That kind of across-the-board decline suggests this isn’t just about macroeconomic headwinds or consumer pullback, it’s about brand fatigue and oversaturation. Funko once thrived on the “gotta have it” factor that drove collectors to snap up every new release, but when every shelf is groaning under the weight of plastic bobbleheads, scarcity, which is the lifeblood of collectibles, disappears. Attempts to branch into board games, apparel, and even NFTs haven’t provided enough traction to offset the slowdown in vinyl figure sales.
From an investor’s perspective, the technical picture is just as uninspiring as the fundamentals. Shares have been languishing well below their 200-day moving average, stuck in a downtrend that has yet to show signs of reversing. Analysts aren’t offering much optimism either, with no upward earnings revisions in the last 90 days and multiple downward revisions instead. Management’s decision to pull its full-year guidance entirely speaks volumes about the uncertainty ahead, and without a credible near-term growth catalyst, the market is treating Funko as a name to avoid.
Funko is in the Consumer Products – Discretionary industry which ranks in the Top 39% of our Zacks Industry Rank. There are a few names within the industry which are in the good graces of our Zacks Rank. These include Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) Betterware de Mexico and Central Garden and Pet.
The Zacks Mining – Gold industry is housed within the broader Zacks Basic Materials sector. Basic Materials is among the Zacks sectors that are expected to see a decline in earnings for the second quarter. Overall earnings for the space are projected to fall 7.5% despite 2.8% higher revenues, per the latest Earnings Outlook.
Gold mining companies' second-quarter results are expected to reflect the benefits of higher gold prices and efforts to boost operating efficiency and reduce costs. We have handpicked a few gold miners, Barrick Mining Corp., Franco-Nevada Corp. and Integra Resources Corp., which are set to beat earnings estimates this time.
Gold prices have racked up strong gains this year as worries over the global trade war have boosted safe-haven demand. Prices of the yellow metal have zoomed roughly 29% year to date, largely attributable to aggressive trade policies, including sweeping new import tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, which have intensified global trade tensions and heightened investor anxiety. Also, central banks worldwide have been accumulating gold reserves, led by risks arising from Trump's policies.
Gold prices catapulted to a record high of $3,500 per ounce on April 22. While prices retreated from their April 2025 highs, they closed the second quarter above the $3,300 per ounce level. Gold prices rose nearly 6% in the quarter.
Higher prices are expected to have supported the performance of gold miners in the second quarter. On the flip side, higher mining costs, triggered by inflationary pressure on all aspects of input costs, particularly labor, fuel and electricity, are likely to have been a drag.
Nevertheless, miners remain committed to whittling down operational costs and capital spending, improving operating efficiency within existing mines, paying down debt, eliminating non-core assets and concentrating on their highest ore-grade assets. Some of these companies have also taken steps to bring down their all-in sustaining costs — the most important cost metric of miners. These actions are expected to have supported their margins in the second quarter.
Given the large number of players operating in the gold mining space, picking the right stocks is apparently not an easy task. But our proprietary methodology makes it simple. One can trim the list with the combination of a favorable Zacks Rank — Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) — and a positive Zacks Earnings ESP. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they report with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP — the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate — is our proprietary methodology for determining stocks that have high chances of delivering earnings surprises in their next announcements. Our research shows that for stocks with this combination, the chance of a positive earnings surprise is as much as 70%.
Below, we list three gold mining stocks that have the right combination of elements to pull off a positive surprise this earnings season:
Barrick Mining has an Earnings ESP of +1.14% and a Zacks Rank #1. It is slated to report on Aug. 11.
Barrick beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and missed once. In this timeframe, it delivered an earnings surprise of roughly 12.5%, on average. It pulled off an earnings surprise of 20.7% in the last reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings stands at 47 cents.
Barrick is expected to have gained from higher average realized gold prices. Higher prices are likely to have offset headwinds from weaker expected production and increased production costs, supporting the company's top line and margins in the second quarter.
Franco-Nevada has an Earnings ESP of +0.91% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to report on Aug. 11. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Franco-Nevada beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters while missing twice. It delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of around 1.6%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FNV's second-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.10. FNV is expected to have benefited from increased contributions from its streaming agreements.
Contributions from buyouts and a healthy portfolio of royalty and streaming agreements are expected to have aided its performance. Franco-Nevada's continued focus on cost management and higher gold prices are also likely to have supported its margins.
Integra Resources has an Earnings ESP of +4.76% and a Zacks Rank #3. It is slated to report on Aug. 13.
Integra Resources missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the trailing four quarters. In this timeframe, it delivered a negative earnings surprise of 124.4%, on average. It posted a negative earnings surprise of 57.1% in the last reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings stands at 7 cents.
First-quarter 2025 marked the first full quarter for ITRG as a gold-producing company. The company is expected to have benefited from continued strong production from the Florida Canyon mine. ITRG recently reported gold production of 18,086 ounces from Florida Canyon for the second quarter, meeting its expectations. The mine is expected to have contributed to strong cash flow generation in the second quarter.
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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.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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