{"id":65140,"date":"2026-07-21T07:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/corporate-earnings-surge-as-gm-3m-and-northrop-grumman-raise-2026-guidance\/65140\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T07:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:08:17","slug":"corporate-earnings-surge-as-gm-3m-and-northrop-grumman-raise-2026-guidance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/corporate-earnings-surge-as-gm-3m-and-northrop-grumman-raise-2026-guidance\/65140\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate Earnings Surge as GM, 3M, and Northrop Grumman Raise 2026 Guidance"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>General Motors (<a href=\"\/stock\/GM\">GM<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>3M (<a href=\"\/stock\/MMM\">MMM<\/a>)<\/strong> both raised their full-year 2026 guidance following significant Q2 earnings beats, with GM reporting an adjusted EPS of <strong>$3.57<\/strong> against a <strong>$3.19<\/strong> estimate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Northrop Grumman (<a href=\"\/stock\/NOC\">NOC<\/a>)<\/strong> reached a record backlog of <strong>$104.7 billion<\/strong> and raised its full-year revenue outlook to a range of <strong>$43.15B to $44.25B<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hasbro (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAS\">HAS<\/a>)<\/strong> saw <strong>Magic: The Gathering<\/strong> revenue eclipse <strong>$500 million<\/strong> for the first time in history, prompting the company to increase its 2026 financial outlook.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>International Energy Agency (IEA)<\/strong> warned that Middle East escalations are increasing oil supply concerns, though the market remains cushioned by high production from non-Gulf regions and emergency stock releases.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>IRS<\/strong> is prepared to claim a significant portion of Spain&#39;s <strong>$51 million<\/strong> FIFA World Cup prize money, as the final match was held on American soil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Industrial and Automotive Giants Lift Outlooks<\/h2>\n<p>General Motors (<a href=\"\/stock\/GM\">GM<\/a>) delivered a robust second quarter, reporting net sales and revenue of <strong>$48.03 billion<\/strong>, significantly outpacing the <strong>$46.99 billion<\/strong> consensus. The automaker&#39;s adjusted EBIT rose <strong>29.8%<\/strong> year-over-year to <strong>$3.9 billion<\/strong>, leading management to raise its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to a range of <strong>$12 to $14<\/strong>. <em>Strong performance in North America, where EBIT margins reached 8.6%, continues to offset challenges in international markets.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>3M (<a href=\"\/stock\/MMM\">MMM<\/a>) also exceeded expectations, reporting an adjusted EPS of <strong>$2.40<\/strong> compared to the <strong>$2.25<\/strong> estimated by analysts. The company&#39;s adjusted operating margin improved to <strong>24.9%<\/strong>, driven by an <strong>8.2%<\/strong> organic growth surge in its Safety and Industrial segment. <em>Following these results, 3M increased its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $8.80\u2013$8.95, signaling confidence in its ongoing strategic restructuring.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Defense and Gaming Reach Historic Milestones<\/h2>\n<p>Northrop Grumman (<a href=\"\/stock\/NOC\">NOC<\/a>) reported Q2 EPS of <strong>$7.68<\/strong>, beating the <strong>$6.82<\/strong> estimate despite a year-over-year decline in net earnings due to prior-year divestitures. The company\u2019s total backlog hit a record <strong>$104.7 billion<\/strong> following <strong>$20 billion<\/strong> in new awards during the quarter. <em>Management now expects full-year adjusted EPS to fall between $28.60 and $29.10, up from previous projections.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Hasbro (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAS\">HAS<\/a>) posted a <strong>16%<\/strong> revenue increase to <strong>$1.14 billion<\/strong>, fueled by the record-breaking performance of <strong>Magic: The Gathering<\/strong>. The gaming segment grew <strong>27%<\/strong>, leading the company to raise its 2026 revenue growth forecast to <strong>5-7%<\/strong> in constant currency. <em>CEO Chris Cocks noted that the &quot;Magic flywheel&quot; is firing on all cylinders, particularly following the successful debut of Marvel-themed releases.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Energy Markets and Geopolitical Tensions<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>International Energy Agency (IEA)<\/strong> issued a statement highlighting that hostilities in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> have heightened oil supply uncertainty. However, Executive Director Fatih Birol noted that the market is currently supported by increased exports from the <strong>United States, Brazil, and Kazakhstan<\/strong>. <em>IEA member countries have already released 290 million barrels of emergency oil stocks to stabilize global prices.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In Europe, <strong>Turkey<\/strong> is reportedly holding up a <strong>\u20ac27 billion<\/strong> deal to revamp <strong>NATO\u2019s<\/strong> fuel pipeline network. The project aims to modernize Cold War-era infrastructure to better support military operations on the alliance&#39;s eastern flank. <em>The delay comes as NATO seeks to reduce its reliance on vulnerable road and rail transport for military fuel.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Financial Briefs: Halliburton and World Cup Taxes<\/h2>\n<p>Halliburton (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAL\">HAL<\/a>) reported Q2 adjusted EPS of <strong>55c<\/strong>, narrowly beating the <strong>54c<\/strong> consensus. While Drilling &amp; Evaluation revenue outperformed at <strong>$2.51 billion<\/strong>, geopolitical headwinds in the Middle East were partially offset by a <strong>19%<\/strong> surge in operations across Africa and Europe. <em>The company remains focused on margin expansion and returned $200 million to shareholders through repurchases.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Following Spain&#39;s victory in the <strong>2026 FIFA World Cup<\/strong>, the <strong>IRS<\/strong> is set to tax the team&#39;s <strong>$51 million<\/strong> first-place prize. Because the final match against Argentina took place at <strong>MetLife Stadium<\/strong> in New Jersey, U.S. tax regulations apply to the winnings. <em>Tax experts suggest the total &quot;tax bill&quot; for the tournament could be one of the most complex in sporting history due to various international treaties.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways General Motors (GM) and 3M (MMM) both raised their full-year 2026 guidance following significant Q2 earnings beats, with 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