{"id":73296,"date":"2026-10-20T07:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T11:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/aerospace-and-automotive-giants-lead-q3-earnings-surge-gm-announces-20b-buyback\/73296\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T07:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T11:08:15","slug":"aerospace-and-automotive-giants-lead-q3-earnings-surge-gm-announces-20b-buyback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/aerospace-and-automotive-giants-lead-q3-earnings-surge-gm-announces-20b-buyback\/73296\/","title":{"rendered":"Aerospace and Automotive Giants Lead Q3 Earnings Surge; GM Announces $20B Buyback"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>General Motors (<a href=\"\/stock\/GM\">GM<\/a>)<\/strong> delivered a massive Q3 beat and authorized a new <strong>$20 billion share buyback<\/strong> program, signaling immense confidence in its cash flow despite narrowing its full-year EPS guidance range.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aerospace leaders RTX (<a href=\"\/stock\/RTX\">RTX<\/a>) and GE Aerospace (<a href=\"\/stock\/GE\">GE<\/a>)<\/strong> both raised their full-year profit outlooks, driven by surging demand for commercial flight services and defense systems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hasbro (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAS\">HAS<\/a>)<\/strong> shares are positioned for a boost after the toy maker significantly outperformed Q3 expectations, reporting <strong>Adjusted EPS of $2.90<\/strong> against an estimated <strong>$1.88<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Qualcomm (<a href=\"\/stock\/QCOM\">QCOM<\/a>)<\/strong> is reportedly planning global job cuts following annual performance reviews, according to internal memos, as the chipmaker looks to streamline operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Automotive and Industrial Performance<\/h2>\n<p><strong>General Motors (<a href=\"\/stock\/GM\">GM<\/a>)<\/strong> reported a dominant third quarter with net sales and revenue hitting <strong>$50.02 billion<\/strong>, surpassing the <strong>$48.53 billion<\/strong> analyst estimate. The automaker&#39;s <strong>Adjusted EPS of $3.70<\/strong> beat expectations of <strong>$3.56<\/strong>, supported by strong North American vehicle sales of <strong>1.03 million units<\/strong>. Along with a new <strong>$20 billion share buyback<\/strong>, the company raised its full-year adjusted auto free cash flow guidance to a range of <strong>$11.5 billion to $12.5 billion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genuine Parts Company (<a href=\"\/stock\/GPC\">GPC<\/a>)<\/strong> posted Q3 net sales of <strong>$6.5 billion<\/strong>, meeting analyst estimates exactly. While the company achieved an <strong>Adjusted EPS of $2.07<\/strong>, slightly beating the <strong>$2.04<\/strong> estimate, it narrowed its full-year 2026 outlook. The company now expects FY Adjusted EPS to land between <strong>$7.50 and $7.75<\/strong>, compared to its previous wider range of <strong>$7.50 to $8.00<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Aerospace and Defense Momentum<\/h2>\n<p><strong>RTX (<a href=\"\/stock\/RTX\">RTX<\/a>)<\/strong> shares are in focus after the company beat Q3 estimates across the board and lifted its full-year outlook. The defense giant reported <strong>Adjusted Sales of $24.97 billion<\/strong> and <strong>Adjusted EPS of $2.26<\/strong>, significantly higher than the <strong>$1.79<\/strong> expected by Wall Street. The company cited <em>strong demand for missiles and commercial air travel<\/em> as the primary catalysts for raising its FY Adjusted EPS guidance to <strong>$7.65 &#8211; $7.75<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GE Aerospace (<a href=\"\/stock\/GE\">GE<\/a>)<\/strong> mirrored this strength, reporting <strong>Adjusted EPS of $2.25<\/strong> against a <strong>$2.01<\/strong> estimate. The company\u2019s commercial engines and services division remains a powerhouse, generating <strong>$10.34 billion<\/strong> in revenue for the quarter. GE raised its full-year earnings guidance to <strong>$8.00 &#8211; $8.10 per share<\/strong>, up from the previous forecast of <strong>$7.65 &#8211; $7.85<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Energy and Consumer Goods<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Halliburton (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAL\">HAL<\/a>)<\/strong> reported Q3 revenue of <strong>$5.70 billion<\/strong>, edging out the <strong>$5.58 billion<\/strong> estimate. While its completion and production revenue slightly lagged, the drilling and evaluation segment outperformed at <strong>$2.61 billion<\/strong>. Looking ahead to 2027, the company issued an early outlook expecting <strong>mid-single digit revenue growth<\/strong> and a <strong>200 basis point improvement<\/strong> in operating margins.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hasbro (<a href=\"\/stock\/HAS\">HAS<\/a>)<\/strong> delivered a significant earnings surprise, reporting <strong>Adjusted EBITDA of $604.5 million<\/strong>, far exceeding the <strong>$444.2 million<\/strong> estimate. The toy manufacturer raised its full-year financial outlook, now projecting FY Adjusted EBITDA between <strong>$1.58 billion and $1.63 billion<\/strong>. This growth reflects a successful pivot in the company&#39;s operational efficiency and product mix.<\/p>\n<h2>Tech and Global Trade Developments<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Qualcomm (<a href=\"\/stock\/QCOM\">QCOM<\/a>)<\/strong> is initiating a &quot;performance-focused reduction&quot; of its global workforce. According to internal memos cited by Reuters, the layoffs follow the completion of annual performance reviews. The scale of the cuts has not been finalized, but the move reflects a broader trend of <em>cost-discipline within the semiconductor industry<\/em> despite stable demand.<\/p>\n<p>In the commodities sector, <strong>Codelco<\/strong> has set its European copper premium at a record <strong>$350 a ton<\/strong>. This move highlights tightening supply and high demand for the metal in European markets. Meanwhile, in the aviation sector, <strong>Air China<\/strong> announced plans to purchase <strong>55 Airbus jets<\/strong>, signaling a continued recovery and expansion in the Chinese aviation market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways General Motors (GM) delivered a massive Q3 beat and authorized a new $20 billion share buyback program, signaling 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