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Chicago, IL – August 29, 2025 – Zacks Equity Research shares Boyd Gaming BYD as the Bull of the Day and Shoe Carnival SCVL as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Pfizer PFE, Moderna MRNA and Novavax NVAX.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Boyd Gaming, a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is a diversified gaming company with a long-standing presence in the United States and Canada.
The company owns and operates 28 gaming properties across ten states. Collectively, these properties provide 1.71 million square feet of casino space, nearly 29,000 slot machines, more than 600 table games, and over 10,000 hotel rooms. Boyd also operates Boyd Interactive, its online casino business, and a travel agency.
The stock continues to grind higher as it has been all year. After pulling back on earnings, BYD is trading at all-time highs.
Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd organizes its operations into four segments:
-The Las Vegas Locals business, which generated 22.8% of 2024 revenues, includes nine casinos catering to residents of the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
-Downtown Las Vegas, contributing 5.9%, operates three casinos that compete with other properties in the city's historic core.
-The Midwest and South segment is the largest, with 52.5% of revenues. This includes a mix of land-based casinos, riverboat casinos, racinos, and barge-based casinos across nine states.
-The Online segment is responsible for 15.4% of revenue and covers Boyd Interactive and its partnerships for digital gaming, including sports betting, casino gaming, and poker. Boyd expanded its presence in online and mobile gaming, including a 2018 partnership with MGM Resorts International.
BYD is valued at $7 billion and has a Forward PE of 13. The stock has Zacks Style Scores of "B" in Value, but a "F" in Momentum.
Boyd delivered another strong quarter, topping expectations on both the top and bottom line, with a 12% EPS beat for Q2. Revenue was $1.03 billion versus $980 million expected and adjusted EBITDAR came in at $357.9 million, up from $344.3 million a year ago.
The Las Vegas Locals segment stood out with its strongest growth in more than two years, posting year-over-year gains in both revenue and EBITDAR while maintaining margins close to 50%. The Midwest and South segment also showed momentum, with over 3% growth in revenue and EBITDAR, its best performance in nearly three years. Downtown Las Vegas faced a tougher comp, but the Online segment continued to build scale.
The company is also set to receive $1.755 billion in cash from the sale of its FanDuel stake, which will go toward debt repayment. The board recently authorized an additional $500 million for share repurchases, lifting total available authorization to roughly $707 million as of quarter-end.
Capital plans remain active, with $600–650 million in expected 2025 spending, including hotel renovations, recurring growth capital, and new projects such as the Suncoast renovation, Cadence Crossing Casino, the Sky River expansion, and the Ameristar St. Charles convention center.
Since the company reported earnings, analysts have been raising estimates across all time frames.
For the current quarter, numbers have been taken from $1.46 to $1.55 over the last 60 days, or 6%.
For the current year, analysts have lifted estimates 6% as well, going from $6.49 to $6.89.
Looking at the big picture, the trend continues next year. Over the 60 days, analysts have lifted their numbers from $6.73 to $7.59, or 13%
The stock is printing all-time highs after earnings and is up over 20% on the year. There might be some profit taking before the stock takes out that $100 psychological level.
Let us look at some moving averages for possible entry points:
21-day moving average: $84.10
50-day MA: $82.50
200-day MA: $75.00
With earnings momentum, a healthier balance sheet post-FanDuel sale, and a robust development pipeline, Boyd Gaming is positioned for continued growth into 2026 and beyond.
The combination of rising analyst estimates, strong shareholder returns, and technical strength at all-time highs makes the stock a compelling name for investors seeking exposure to the gaming sector.
Shoe Carnival, a family footwear retailer in the United States, holds a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). The company sells a wide range of products, from dress and casual shoes to sandals, boots, athletic footwear, and accessories for men, women, and children.
While the stock has rebounded modestly from its April lows, shares remain down about 30% in 2025. With earnings on deck next week and analyst estimates still moving lower, investors may want to stay on the sidelines until momentum improves.
Shoe Carnival is among the nation's largest family footwear retailers, with more than 400 stores across 33 states and Puerto Rico, alongside a growing e-commerce presence through shoecarnival.com and shoestation.com.
Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, the company emphasizes moderately priced footwear from national and regional name brands.
The company has a market cap of $600M and pays a dividend of 2.7%. The stock holds Zacks Style Scores of "A" in Value, but "F" in Momentum.
Shoe Carnival stumbled in the first quarter, reporting earnings of $0.34 per share versus $0.63 a year ago, with revenue sliding to $277.7 million from $300 million. Comparable store sales fell 8.1 percent, with about one point of the decline tied to lost sales from its ongoing rebanner strategy. Margins also slipped, with gross margin narrowing to 34.5 percent from 35.6 percent last year.
The company ended the quarter with 429 stores across its Shoe Carnival, Shoe Station, and Rogan's banners, while inventories rose to $428.4 million. Management reaffirmed full-year guidance, calling for revenue between $1.15 and $1.23 billion and EPS of $1.60 to $2.10.
Near-term profitability is being weighed down by heavy investment in converting stores to the faster-growing Shoe Station concept, which is expected to dent fiscal 2025 operating income by $20 to $25 million but deliver stronger returns over the next two to three years.
Since EPS, the stock has slowly rallied 10%, but investors should be wary ahead of earnings next week.
Over the last 7 days, analyst estimates have taken a leg lower:
For the current quarter, estimates have fallen from $0.60 to $0.55, or 8%.
For next quarter, estimates have gone from $0.59 to $0.50, or 15%.
Longer term we see the current year's number revised 8% lower. Next year does not get better, with estimates lowered 9% over the last 7 days.
The drop before EPS is not comforting and if the company posts another miss, investors could see recent gains erased overnight.
The stock has dropped over 50% from the 2024 highs, so buy the dippers see a bargain. While this may be, the company has its fundamental challenges we discussed above.
Looking at the chart, there are technical challenges as well.
The 200-day MA is dropping, but is still about 15% above current prices at $24.20. Price is currently over the 50-day MA at $20.75, but if the stock gets below that area after EPS, we could see the stock move back to the summer lows at $19.
With earnings estimates sliding, margins under pressure, and a costly store conversion strategy weighing on results, Shoe Carnival faces hurdles in the near term. While the stock looks cheap on a value basis, weak momentum and the risk of another earnings disappointment keep the outlook bearish.
Until the company proves it can stabilize comps investors are better off waiting on the sidelines.
Yesterday, the FDA approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax for the 2025-26 vaccination season. These shots are designed to target the LP.8.1 strain of the virus.
Unlike the past few years, when the FDA granted blanket approvals for use of COVID-19 vaccines across the general population, this time the agency restricted access to high-risk groups. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted on X that the vaccines will be made available to those patients "who choose them after consulting with their doctors."
These changes were expected after the FDA had previously issued guidelines that tightened the standards for using COVID-19 vaccines earlier this year. Under the new policy, all vaccines are cleared for adults aged 65 and older. However, for those under 65, the vaccines are permitted only for individuals with underlying conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19.
The FDA cleared Moderna's two COVID-19 vaccines – the first-generation Spikevax and the recently approved next-generation refrigerator-stable version called mNexspike. While Spikevax is approved for at-risk individuals aged six months and older, mNexspike is allowed for use in those aged 12 years and older. The improved storage profile of mNexspike could help Moderna expand access outside major healthcare hubs. Shares of Moderna rose 1.5% yesterday, reflecting investor confidence in the company's ability to retain broad coverage.
Pfizer's Comirnaty is now approved for at-risk individuals aged five years and older. This represents a narrower label compared with previous seasons, when the vaccine was available for use in all individuals six months and older. The tighter approval was likely one reason shares of Pfizer fell nearly 1% following the decision.
Novavax's protein-based vaccine Nuvaxovid is approved for at-risk individuals aged 12 years and older, offering the only non-mRNA alternative that may appeal to patients preferring traditional vaccine platforms. Shares of NVAX rose about 1%, likely because the approval came nearly in step with its larger peers — a contrast to prior years when the company faced longer delays.
PFE claims that it will begin shipping the updated formulation of Comirnaty "immediately," while Moderna stated that its vaccines will be available "in the coming days."
Novavax's vaccine will be marketed by its partner Sanofi as part of an exclusive licensing deal signed last year.
The updated framework aims to align U.S. policy with the global consensus, which generally limits routine booster recommendations to older adults and those at higher risk, rather than adopting a "one-size-fits-all" approach.
For manufacturers, the competitive dynamics are beginning to diverge. Moderna benefits from a broad pediatric label and the improved storage profile offered by mNexspike. Pfizer, meanwhile, faces some pressure as its label narrows compared with prior years. Novavax remains a niche player but continues to differentiate itself as the only non-mRNA option.
Overall, the COVID-19 vaccine market is transitioning into a smaller but more sustainable phase, where product differentiation and targeted access will play a larger role in shaping long-term opportunities for Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax.
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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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